The New York Journal, And Daily Patriotic Register

American Occurrences.

CARLISLE, February 13.

From the CARLISLE GAZETTE.

Messrs. KLINE and REYNOLDS,

You will oblige a number of your customers by inserting the following Address in your useful paper, and through it they ask the opportunity of soliciting the concurrence of their fellow citizens.

To the Hon. the Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in General Assembly met.

The Petition of the Subscribers Freemen of the County of Franklin,

Most respectfully Sheweth,

That your petitioners are desirous that order and good government should prevail, and that the constitution of this state should not be subverted nor altered in any other way than is therein provided.

That as the members of your honorable house are all sworn or affirmed to do no act or thing prejudicial or injurious to the constitution or government as established by the convention, by whom the same was framed, they look up to you as the guardians of the rights and liberties therein secured to your petitioners, and pray that they may be protected therein.

That your petitioners are much alarmed at an instrument called a constitution for the United States of America, framed by a convention that had been appointed by several of the states, solely for the purpose of revising the articles of confederation, and to report such alterations and provisions therein, as should, when agreed to in Congress and confirmed by the several states, render the federal constitution adequate to the exigencies of government and the preservation of the union, in as much as the liberties, lives and property of your petitioners are not secured thereby.

That the powers therein proposed to be granted to the government of the United States are too great, and that the proposed distribution of these powers are dangerous and inimical to liberty and equality amongst the people.

That they esteem frequent elections and rotation in offices as the great bulwark of freedom.

That they conceive standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, and that a well organized militia will be the proper security for our defence.

That the rights of conscience should be secured to all men, that none should be molested for his religion, and that none should be compelled contrary to his principles or inclination to hear or support the clergy of any one established religion.

That the liberty of the PRESS should not be insecure or in danger.

That the right of trial by jury should be secured in civil as well as in criminal cases.

That the government as proposed would be burdensome, expensive and oppressive, and that your petitioners from paying taxes to support a numerous train of offices erected thereby, which would be not only unnecessary but dangerous to our liberties.

That your petitioners observe this proposed constitution hath not been approved of by the Congress of the United States, as directed by the articles of their confederation.

That your petitioners conceive the majority of the deputies of the general convention, who have been appointed by this state, have assumed to exercise powers with which they were not delegated, that their conduct is reprehensible, and that they should be brought to account for the same, as the precedent is highly dangerous and subversive of all government.

And your petitioners desire that the said proposed plan of government may not be confirmed by the legislature of this state, nor adopted in the said United States, and that the delegates of Congress from this state be instructed for the purpose.

And your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray.