The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

For the New-Hampshire Gazette:

Mr. PRINTERS,

I FIND that the act lately passed by our General Court respecting the confiscating of British real property, gives great uneasiness to many persons amongst us, some of whom, are fond of being thought to possess true whiggish principles; under which mask, they are but too successful in making cabals whenever the proceedings of public bodies militate with the interest of their real friends: And as it's a great pity that the credulous and well-meaning part of the community should be made dupes to such characters upon every occasion that they think proper, under the specious shew of patriotism--I think it a duty incumbent on some persons to undeceive them, by pointing out the deception; and sorry am I, that some abler pen has not attended to a matter of so great consequence, in order to prevent such mischiefs taking place; but when consider'd it does not need much sagacity to account for it. However, instead of a better, I have undertaken to say something in justice to this ruinous measure, as it is called, in as brief a manner as possible. I would not impose on the understandings of any persons so much as to suppose, that they are not fully sensible that the British government has not ever since this war began, confiscated all American property that was to them visible, and even while our vessels sailed under their acts of parliament-- witness the great number of vessels taken and carried into Boston, and elsewhere, and kept in custody till acts were passed and sent out for their condemnation. And besides, have they not been guilty of the most cruel and unheard of barbarities toward us, by burning, destroying, robbing, murdering defenceless inhabitants, and committing every species of savage cruelty that could be invented--such as would even make the very Devil blush. And after all this, we find pretended whigs are levelling their whole artillery at the General Court, for doing justice to their much injured country. Those persons say it will be the means of having all the debts due from individuals in England to individuals here, confiscated; which absurd story, they are very industrious in propagating: But people in their right senses must know better, because the act does not interfere with debts, but nothing more than real property, which is unprecedented by all nations for foreigners to hold; not only so, the debts (which is the bugbear) owed by this country to England, far exceeds the money due, perhaps trebly so, which of itself is a sufficient barrier.--But even admitting their arguments true--who are the persons amongst us that have money in England? Are they characters that are conspicuously in favor of their country? Have they in any wise manifested a friendly disposition to the cause of America? Have they not (generally speaking) rather discouraged than encouraged every laudable undertaking? Are these our best friends they tell us are to be ruin'd by that horrid act? Poor creatures! What a pity it is, the government don't attend more to the interest of such worthy friends!--But I believe it can be pretty well ascertained, that their money they tell so much about, has been during the war loaned to the government of Britain; therefore, is it not rather a curse to us than a service?