The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

PORTSMOUTH, February 1.

Mess. PRINTERS,

Your giving the following Resolves of the honorable House of Delegates of Virginia, a place in your useful Paper, will oblige one of your Customers.

IN THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES:

Thursday, December 26, 1782.

WHEREAS by an Act of Congress, of the 4th of October last, it is strongly recommended to persons in power, and the citizens of the United States at large, to guard themselves against the machinations of the common enemy, who, relinquishing their hope of conquering us, have changed their mode of warfare, from open attack by arms to secret and insidious intrigue; and it appears to this assembly, that the friends and emissaries of Great Britain are using every private endeavor, as well as public application, to obtain admittance into the United States, thereby evincing the wisdom of Congress in the act before recited. And whereas, It highly behoves the representatives of the people to watch with a jealous eye all such attempts, and to caution their constituents against every endeavor to disunite them, to alienate their affections from our great and generous ally, the King of France, or to produce new or revive ancient prejudices in favor of that nation, by whose hand the blood of our citizens hath been spilt and our country desolated, and who still pursue the war with the same determined and vindictive malignity but to destroy us: and finally that emissaries or friends to the British nation, whether natives or foreigners, and who have become so either from education, commercial views, or any other principle, should not in this time, of great and general danger, be entrusted with power, or admitted to office within this state, but more particularly in the legislature, in whose wise and guarded councils the safety and happiness of the people can be best ensured.

Resolved unanimously therefore, That it be earnestly recommended to all the good citizens of this commonwealth, that in all future elections of representatives, and officers of trust and power, caution be used, that no foreigner or native, who may give cause of suspicion that he is attached to the interests of Great Britain, either by birth, education, commercial views, or any other principle, be admitted thereto; and that they be guardedly careful to elect no person whatsoever who has not given the most early, decided, and unequivocal proofs of his attachment to the cause of America and the present alliances with France and Holland inasmuch as every such admission will tend to further and promote the views of Great-Britain, to weaken the union and endanger the independence of America.

Resolved unanimously, That publication be made of the aforesaid recommendation and resolutions thereon, in the Virginia Gazette; that copies thereof be forthwith printed and dispersed by the members of the present assembly in their respective counties, and delivered to the several sheriffs, to be by them affixed in all public places, and publicly read at the court-house or place of opening the poll for representatives at the next annual election.

TEST. JOHN BECKLEY, C.H.D.

The above Resolves do great honor to the House of Delegates for the State of Virginia. It would be a great happiness if the worthy citizens of this State, would adopt similar measures, always taking special care to let their choice of Representatives, and every other officer of trust and power, fall on those men who have from an early period of our glorious struggle, discovered and maintained a uniformity of conduct in the support of our liberties and privileges in the worst of times, whose names should be handed down to posterity and had in perpetual remembrance by their grateful country; for how despicable must a great and free people appear, when they place in their Legislature and other posts of honor, men whose political characters and conduct have been clearly against America and its Independence, and who would, in a dark day, desert their Councils and sell their Country! but who, in the meridian sunshine of prosperity, when there is nothing to fear, have the affrontery to offer themselves candidates for those posts of honor which only belong to the noble and firm patriots whose exertions have saved these RISING STATES.

From such non jurors, and the ever to be despised knots and clubs of weak animals, that are to be found in almost every town, whose deceitful and hypocritical conduct are a disgrace to human nature—who are ever endeavoring to support those internal enemies to our country—good Lord deliver us.

TESTY.