The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

For the NEW-HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE,

Relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Isaiah 1, 17.

No man ever planned, contrived or promoted the making of a law with a view of having that law carried into execution, which is repugnant to the divine laws, without being criminally guilty of an attempt to invalidate and counteract the authority of the Supreme Being, whose right it is to rule and claim obedience from all his creatures; peculiarly criminal, would such an attempt be in those who are favoured with that sacred book the Bible, wherein those righteous laws are expressed in language so clear as with a sun-beam, so that the attentive reader must be acquainted with the will of the great Legislator, which is consummate rectitude, and tends to furnish a man at least, with right ideas of common justice and equity. I presume therefore I may with propriety have recourse to that sacred standard of perfection, while I endeavour to vindicate the just rights of the widow and fatherless, I am exceeding sorry to say it, that the general-court of this State have lately passed an act, which if carried into effect fully, will strip and ruin the wife and children of the absentees, without discrimination or distinction, although many of those persons are as innocent as the unborn infant; nay some of those very persons have from the beginning of the present war, nobly exerted themselves in favour of the glorious cause of America.

By an act of the legislative body of this state, passed some years ago, which prohibits the return of the absentees, they are become politically dead to their families; their wives among us are therefore widows, and their children fatherless, and in great affliction; and undoubtedly every man without exception, who has the feelings of humanity, is sensible that it is his duty to use his utmost efforts, to relieve them by every honest method in his power. It is evident that some of those absentees are enemies to the liberties of America, and deserve to be treated as such in their own persons; but their families here should not be stripped of their support for that reason: if they were to be so stripped then the innocent would suffer for the guilty, which case is always tyrannical and unjust; and this is evident in Ezekiel 18, 20, "the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son." There are several declarations of the same import in this chapter, and numerous of the same significance in the Bible. Would it not be better to suffer twenty offenders to go free rather than to punish one innocent person? But if the confiscation act should operate against those families, there will be instances of ten, or a dozen innocents made miserable to punish one guilty person; how many innocent people in the whole would be ruined to punish a few guilty ones, would be hard to determine.

It may be said, it is not done with a view merely to punish those offenders; but the exigencies of the state demand it. Most forlorn then is our situation; what is the state of New-Hampshire so exhausted and her wants so exceeding pressing as to tempt her legislature to seize the inheritance of the helpless and distressed widows and fatherless: and thus, like the scribes & pharisees in days of old, through covetousness, devour widows houses, or like that tyrant king Ahab, by the advice of that monster Jezebel, who first slew Naboth, and then took possession of his inheritance. I have not the least doubt in my own mind, that honesty is the best policy. Blessed be God, that this state is not in such forlorn circumstances, but by noble exertions and good management in her government, may shortly wade through her difficulties, and become a prosperous and flourishing state.

Is it not possible, that some of the absentees are friends to their native country, but cannot manifest their friendship in ways that they wish, their situation and circumstances are so very peculiarly critical at this important crisis? I am exceedingly mistaken, if George Boyd, Esq; is not a friend to this country: previous to his embarkation to Europe, he sent a number of men, about fourteen, to work on the batteries in this harbour: and since that, his continual kindness to American prisoners in England, are convincing proofs of his sincere friendship for this country. It is true, that his interest in England was considerable, and he was not fortunate enough to secure it prior to the act being passed that prohibits his return. I have been informed, that he would return home again speedily if he had a permit from the General Court for that purpose, although for want of candor in some persons, the worst constructions have been put upon his conduct, while he endeavoured as a merchant to secure his property abroad: with respect to his family here it is evident that Mrs. Boyd has done very worthily; from the beginning of the present war, she has exhibited a persevering patriotic disposition, When there has been a call for donations, or money, to be advanced for enlisting soldiers into the service of the country, she has always distinguished herself remarkably on such occasions; and on all occasions, she has strove to promote her country's cause and thereby fully evinced ample proof of her fervent ardor for that best of causes, the cause of God and man, in struggling for which in America's glory, as it is the cause, which will finally prevail, in spite of bloody Britons, Tories and Devils, and become the joy of the whole earth.

Is not then this lady, this meritorious subject, of the state, and her innocent children, as clearly and justly entitled to the protection of this state, in life, liberty, and property, as any other subjects whatever? As to the estate she possesses, she has been greatly instrumental in the acquisition of, by the blessing of providence on her painful industry, and unremitting care, Can any man except a vile tory wish to strip this lady of even the least part of her property? Is this to be the procedure whereby to distinguish a distinguished female friend to this country, to seize her inheritance and appropriate a scanty pittance to the use of government, if even such a trifle should be left, after the estate is sold, perhaps under a quarter part of the value of it, and true and false creditors paid, and the trustees satisfied. Surely man would think, had he not evidence to the contrary, that, that part of the aforesaid act that so nearly affects such a person as she, was framed by the British administration rather than the legislature of this state; should it operate against her or any persons of her disposition, it would not only be ungrateful but impolitic and despotic, and such glaring injustice would be cruelty and tyranny with a vengeance, and in my opinion, if the before mentioned act is not to be repealed, it will remain as a standing monument of eternal reproach, and scriptures, reason and common sense will forever unite to pronounce that act to be abominable.

I hope that no person will be offended at this plain language, as I am exceeding loth to give offence. I also hope that the honorable gentlemen who voted for this act, will candidly consider the ruinous consequences attending the operation of it, and not be offended at the author for expressing his friendly sentiments on this occasion, but rather make the case of those widows and fatherless their own, and do by them as they themselves would reasonably wish to be dealt by, if in their circumstances. I cannot believe there is a member of the honorable house so dead to the feelings of humanity, and dictates of justice, as to stop their ears against this piercing cries, and misting language of distressed widows, with their poor dear innocent fatherless children, in agonies of grief. but on the contrary, will be inclined to imitate that compassionate and glorious Being, that has styled himself the Father of the fatherless, and the widows God, that will peals in accents of Thunder to their oppressor. Be then, greatly honored, and much respected gentlemen, persuaded, that no men, nor no bodies politic of the wisest men, are infallible; this persuasion will, I think, excite you to review this disagreeable act, and duly consider the mischievous consequences of its operation, and I am almost sure that you will consider it to have been passed by means of an error in judgment. I must therefore pray that you will exert yourselves in ways as in your wisdom you shall judge proper, to obtain a total repeal thereof, before its pernicious consequences are sadly felt. I am sensible many more reasons might be assigned of equal weight with any inserted here, but being necessitated to study brevity I must omit them all together, being fully persuaded in my own mind, that should even Apollyon king of the bottomless pit, be admitted in a celestial form, to stand upon some eminence erected on a spacious plain and to speak as to attract the attention and gain the plaudit of surrounding thousands, nay should he there exhaust the mightiest torrent, of the most artful, subtle and seducing language that was ever heard, in support of a cause so diametrically opposite to all the eternally divine laws, yet that man who is acquainted with and influenced by the divine testimony, or in other words, has his conscience regulated by the divine authority, would reject with the utmost detestation and disdain, that delusive tho' shining oration as coming from the bottom of the lowest hell.