Rind's Virginia Gazette

BOSTON, June 9.

Messrs. Rind and Purdie,

Your Letter published in your last Gazette has been the Subject of Conversation in several Companies which I have since been in, and I have diverted myself with the various Remarks and Conjectures of my Companions—some imagine that the Person to whom I wrote was treated with more Freedom than was proper to a Person of his Rank—but no one has pretended to insinuate that he was treated with the least Injustice.

Let any Man figure to himself an innocent and kind Parent attacked and stabbed at by a Ruffian, will not Nature prompt him to fly with Vengeance in the Face of the Assassin? And would not the Appearance of Coolness in such a Case betray either Abjectness or Insincerity? And ought we not to feel for our Country as sensibly as for our natural Parents? I confess that I could see the one abused and murdered with the same Calmness that I could the other.

It is and I hope ever will be my Maxim that no Treatment can possibly be too hard for him that aims at the Ruin of my Country. And I need produce but one Precedent, to justify the severest Invectives against the Enemies of my Country—The immortal Cicero thought fit to address the Enemies of Rome in the same manner as he would the vilest Slaves or Robbers (tho' a Cataline, a Piso and an Anthony were amongst them): Nor did he use more Ceremony with the tyrannical rapacious provincial Governor Verres. For my own Part, I am determined to give loose to my Pen, and will be restrained by nothing but the sacred Laws of Truth and Justice. Every Man has cause to be angry when the whole Representative Body of this loyal People is charged with little less than Rebellion against a Prince whom they almost adore; when an open attempt is made to disunite them, and to make them appear in a factious undutiful Light, before him in whose Eyes it is their highest Ambition to appear grateful and affectionate.

With regard to his boasted Letters in Favour of the Province, I cannot find any Propriety in telling us, that the Reason of the late Act's seeming burdensome to us, was its Novelty, whilst he himself was warmly remonstrating against it—in telling us, that he believed no American Governor had taken the Liberty of declaring his Sentiments upon the Grievances of the Stamp Act, when he himself had done it. Can it be supposed that he expected that the Letters he had written would have been delivered, and that they to whom he then spoke would soon know that he himself an American Governor had done what he solemnly declared (and from a Place where nothing but Sincerity ought to be found) that he believed no American Governor had done? Certainly no Man of whatever Degree would despise a Character for Veracity so much as to discard it in so publick a Manner—What then is to be supposed—I challenge any Man to form a Conjecture more consistent, more probable, or more to the Honour of the Person to whom my Letter is addressed than what I there mention, unless they suppose him in a State of Insanity, and knew not either what he had written, or what he was then saying; if this be admitted, I shall be candid enough to give up my late Opinion, and will further shew my Generosity by attributing his late Conduct and Speeches to the same Cause; but then I must insist that he ought not to be trusted with Affairs of Importance if these Fits return upon him frequently: And indeed we have no great Reason to fear, for I believe the History of New England will not furnish an Instance of a Governor's being long continued after he had affronted and impeached a free and loyal People. And whoever reads the Letter from the Right Hon. Mr. Secretary Conway to his Excellency Governor Bernard (and there finds his Excellency commended and certified of His Majesty's Approbation of the Temperance of his Administration) will be convinced that the late Behaviour of the Person to whom my Letter was addressed, will be deservedly censured by His Majesty, by his Ministers, and by every Lover of domestic Peace but I shall quit him for the present.

And I cannot avoid modestly expressing my Hope, that the wise Fathers of this People will behave at this Time with a Calmness and Equanimity which will baffle every attempt to exasperate them. And whatever Crimes they are unkindly and foolishly charged with, I trust the Consciousness of their Integrity will prevent them from suffering Resentment to betray them into any Measures which mis-guided Passion might dictate—Particularly, with all Deference to Superior Wisdom, I acknowledge myself anxious for the Determination of the Affair relative to the Lieutenant Governor. His Loss has been great. He has from his Youth been in the Service of the Publick, in every Station has acted with Integrity; and though he has held more Offices than I can bring myself to think any one Man ought to hold at the same Time—yet it has only been the Danger of it's being made a Precedent that has given us Cause to complain. His most gracious Majesty and the Parliament of Great Britain have been pleased to interest themselves in this Affair—and I am certain that this will have it's due Weight.—I believe there is no Man that suspects his Honour of ever endeavouring to injure this Province; his important Services ought never to be forgotten—I know very well that you and this whole Province have been lately charged as Accomplices in that horrid Villainy, which deprived that Gentleman of his Substance (though Sorrow and Concern appeared in every Face after that melancholy Event). But Gentlemen be not afraid that your making Restitution will be an Argument to justify your being charged with occasioning the Loss; so far from it, that in my Opinion, it will prove your Abhorrence of that Action, since you put yourselves to the Expence of frustrating the Design the Perpetrators had of distressing and ruining that worthy Man—Moreover, it will be an Encouragement to every Magistrate who serves his Country with Fidelity, since though a few unthinking Rioters may sometimes endeavour to destroy him, yet the collective Body of the People will ever recognize his Virtues, and (if they cannot dis-find and punish the Persons who injured him) will prevent their malicious Intention of hurting him from taking Effect.

And you I trust will disappoint all your Enemies by giving this Matter a cool dispassionate Consideration, notwithstanding the violent dragooning manner in which it is recommended to you by

For myself, I again declare, that I am governed by no Party, have no Interest to serve, and wish for nothing more sincerely than the Peace and Prosperity of my Country.

PASKALOS.