Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

To the FREEMEN of NEW-Hampshire.

GENTLEMEN,

An address having been made you in last week's Gazette, signed by General Sullivan, which has a manifest tendency to prepossess your minds in the dispute between the heirs of Allen, and the Masonian Propriety. I must beg your indulgence to offer a few remarks upon it.

The honorable General has informed you of his motives in making this ingenious address. That he was induced by many false and malicious insinuations respecting this dispute: these, in all probability, are phantoms, having existence only in the warm imaginations of the Heirs and Assigns of Allen. The Masonian Proprietors have propagated no insinuations false or malicious, respecting their title.

He undertakes to state some facts respecting the Masonian Title, but in his partial statement, whether from misinformation, or from whatever other cause, he has most egregiously misrepresented some, and omitted others of as great moment as any he has alluded to.

The General says, "That the first Capt. John Mason devised the premises to his two sons, John and Robert" -- This is not true. He says that in the year 1631, the said John and Robert, sold the same to Samuel Allen, Esq. -- This is not true. He says Allen's son Thomas, kept up the claims and obtained several decisions in favour of the title he set up -- Here again the General is mistaken. -- He says a number of persons (meaning the Masonian propriety) purchased for seven hundred and fifty pounds, old tenor, of a descendant of Capt. Mason, his right in the patent. -- This is not true, as "every person acquainted in the smallest degree with the history of New-Hampshire, must be sensible." These are the principal facts in the General's address, and records will give flat contradiction to each of them; but he has cautiously omitted many important ones, which the Masonian Proprietors in proper time and place, will clearly substantiate. But as this is merely a question of right between two parties, in which the public, (although they will eventually determine it) are not immediately concerned, it would be highly improper to lay before them any evidence respecting the title, and therefore I forbear.

That the proceedings of the Masonian Propriety have ever been conducted on principles of honor -- That they have very greatly contributed to the settlement and cultivation of a wilderness, and have at great expense caused a large part of it to become a fruitful field -- That they have during the late revolution, paid enormous taxes to the support of government, and they have prevailed against the attacks of their most powerful and inveterate foes, are facts too stubborn to be successfully confronted by newspaper publications.

The General further assures us, that Allen's heirs and claimants will petition the Legislature, to fix and establish the head line of the patent by a new survey. If such a petition should come before the Legislature, there can be no doubt it will meet the disapprobation of every well wisher to the State.

This line has been fixed many years since, by order and authority of the then supreme executive power, by eminent surveyors and good chainmen under oath: The towns on both sides of the line are bounded by it: Should a new survey extend or narrow its limits, the very idea of the tumult and distraction it would occasion in the State, the endless disputes and controversies between those towns, must strike every feeling mind with horror. And what can be the advantage of a new survey? Is not the line as well fixed as it ever can be? Can the Masonian Propriety be materially affected by it? And can it benefit any others than a few factious individuals, who would sacrifice the peace and happiness of the whole State to their own interest.

We understand by the address under consideration, that these claimants engaged their council in Massachusetts three years ago, and that the General was retained in the cause. -- He relates some part of the conversation that passed between Him and his clients upon this subject, the great tenderness and compassion he felt for many of you, as honest deluded men, who had purchased under the Masonian Propriety, and his wishes to give you a Good title -- such are your obligations, and such the bounty of the generous heirs and assigns aforesaid, that you are encouraged that you shall not be compelled to abandon the hard-earned fruits of your toils; the lands purchased with your money, and improved and watered with the sweat of your brows; but then it seems expected; and what can you do less, in return, than cast a favourable eye on your benefactors, that they may obtain "the small crumbs that may yet fall from the table," of the Masonian Propriety.

In an attack made with much confidence by powerful confederated forces, against a body said to be themselves "conscious of their want of title," while their opponents are "perfectly Satisfied that they have not even a colour of title." By what wonder does it happen, that the boldest of the formidable phalanx, supported, as they would have you believe, by law in their front, and justice in their rear have never dared to bring the controversy to a decision in the open field of law. --If victory were so certain, what need of being forever recruiting, or beating up for volunteers.

To sum up all, Gentlemen, for to trouble you longer would be unpardonable, we shall not condescend to notice any thing further they may offer on this subject through the channel of newspapers; confident assertions from them, without proof, and direct contradictions from us, can only astonish and mislead the minds of those who have not time or ability to examine for themselves. ---If these claimants are desirous to establish their claim, the courts are open to them, let them bring their action and obtain a legal decision on it (if this has not been done often enough already) -- on this ground we are ready to meet them, and are happy to reflect, that our right will not be decided by news paper writers of whatever signature, but by an unprejudiced impartial Court, and verdict of a jury consisting of twelve good and lawful men, being in the neighbourhood, who are our country, the equals of both parties, yet without favour or affection to either, and whose judgment will receive no other bias than that imposed by the law of the land, and the evidence before them. -- Upon this issue the Masonian Proprietors are ready, with the fullest confidence, to submit the cause, and, with cheerful acquiescence, await their decision.

A MASONIAN PROPRIETOR.

Portsmouth, May 18, 1786.