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454 The Royal AMERICAN MAGAZINE,

ings, from which this account is extracted, and which was pub-lished at Philadelphia for the be-nefit of himself and his family, who were in his absence reduced to the most pitiable distress.

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To the EDITOR of the ROYAL AMERICAN MAGAZINE.

SIR,
A SINCERE regard for, and hearty attachment to the true interest and welfare of Ame-rica, induces me to offer my sen-timents to the public ; and I really wish that every American had, at least, as much historical acquaintance with the horrid nature and effects of tyranny as I have, for then they would have nearly the same ideas of it which I have ; and then, I am sure, none would hesitate a moment at giving up the profits of im-porting and exporting, nay, their whole estates, and even life itself, when required, in defence of their liberties : for what is life without any of the enjoyments of it ; and what is an estate to me which another may, with im punity murder me to posses. when he pleases? Such an ex istence, and such pofessions are meerly ideal, surely not to be, is better than to be thus miserable. Before you acknowledge the right of parliament to tax you - be fore you determine to neglect any one thing in your power to save you from bondage and slav-ery, O Americans consider ! think with yourselves how you will feel when you have nothing you can call your own but setters and chains ! how will you feel to be insulted by a voluptuous crew of harpies, for tamely surrendering your all to their unbounded avarice,- whose thirst for power and riches, is as insatiable as the bottomless pit ! How will you feel to see a parcel of scoundrels, the offscouring of the earth, in the full possession of your pleasant habitations, your orchards and gardens, your wives and daughters ! How will you feel with an obdurate, relentless vil-lain's dagger pointed at your breast, demanding your hidden treasures or your life! How will you feel to see a russian's blade, reeking from a daughters heart, for nobly preserving her virtue ! How will you feel to be driven to hear the most damnable doc-trines, in those very places where you have long been taught the pure gospel of the blessed Jesus, and also be obliged to labour for the support of the teller of the hellish tales whether you starve or not ! How will you feel, when you reflect, that it was once in your power, to have prevented all this, but neglected using the means you had, till the oppor-tunity was irrecoverably lost : this is but a faint, though a true picture of a part of tyranny. No one finite mind can compre-hend, nor any one age experi-ence, all the horrors of it : in one sense it may be fitly com-pared to eternity ; for after ages are past and gone, it may pro-perly be said, to be but beginning. Methinks I hear the reader say, before I will bear such things, 'I will arm, I will fight ; but give me leave to tell you, my friend, that before matters come to this, it will be in vain for you

For DECEMBER, 1774 455

you to pretend to fight : for on-ly submit to such laws as the par-liament have made for the Mas sachusetts and you may expect soon to see the most active, the most worthy men, in America, indicted for high treason, and prosecuted to death, under co lour of law : thus will your country be drained of its best inhabitants, till by degrees the remnant become cowed, and dis-pirited ; and then, good God ! where are you ! that all these things, and many more of the same kind, await you, O Ameri-cans ! under a supine negligence is morally certain, for what has been, may be again. Similar causes, produce similar effects, and these are a few of the effects of arbitrary government. To prevent such an awful situation, there seems at present no call in providence to fight ; save with the pride of your own hearts, and the basest species of self love which lie lurking there. Ex-port no flax seed : for without your flax seed the linen manu-factures of Great Britain and Ireland must instantly cease. Wear your own manufactures ; nay, wander about in sheep-skins and goatskins, rather than fall a prey to the devourer. Cul-tivate the noble spirit of the Lacedaemonian matrons ; who at parting with their sons, going forth in the necessary defense of their country, gave them this animating charge ; this striking farewell, " return victorious, or return no more," ; and will you not on the like occasion, as rea-dily part with, and say as much to your fashions and fine cloaths. But if not, and none of these considerations move you, I shud-der at a view of the dismal con-sequences, I tremble at the aw-ful, tremendous prospect ! But be thou, O my soul ! lodged in thy eternal mansions, ere those oceans of horror deluge America. 

   It has long been my opinion, that the ministry, instigated by France, are determined to de-stroy the English constitution, and thereby lay a sure founda-tion, on which to build and establish Popery. The whole series of their administration, and especially their violent out-rageous onset upon the Massachu-setts, serves as a confirmation, of that opinion, and as a pre-lude to what you may expect will follow there, and in all the British dominions, unless a vigor-ous opposition and resolute stand be made against it. This is the cause of your great Lord and master ; and he who will not take up his cross, when thus re-quired, has no right to expect salvation in the next world, nor even in this. Your salvation or destruction depends entirely, under God, upon your own conduct, therefore act as men, as christi-ans, who will neither be bribed nor tempted from their duty. Petition no more, save to the King of kings. Petitioning to the king of England, is in effect petitioning to his privy council, or, in other words, to his mini-stry ; and how can you petition in earnest to any one, without acknowledging his abilities, and his ownly, to grant the favour you ask ? This is what Lord North wants ; this is what he has threat-ned [[threatened]], to bring America at his feet, shall Americans then hold their rights, at the will of Lord North? God forbid ! shall the millions of heroic freeborn Americans, be

Transcription Notes:
Page on the right - unknown word in the sentence beginning with "Similar causes..." unknown word in the sentence "Cultivate the noble spirit of the [[Lacedemonian?]] matrons;.." -- Updated to Lacedaemonian based on google search of the phrase "return victorious or return no more" attributed to Spartan origin. unknown word in the phrase "how can you petition in [earnest?] to ..." ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 12:30:10 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 12:50:25 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 14:06:24