The Virginia Gazette

TO GEORGE THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN.

We have seen your speech to parliament; and though we thought we had put an end to all business of the kind, cannot resist the inclination we feel to address you on that occasion. If we shall be thought to have named the name of a crowned head with too much plainness and freedom, what other causes soever may concur, you may impute it to the genius of the government we live under, which, being of a simple nature, exerts its utmost energy to promote equally the happiness of all its subjects, but pays little regard to that splendour and magnificence of state which so strangely discriminates persons of the same species. We shall endeavour, however, to make some amends for this, or any thing else, in what we offer, which may argue an awkward unacquaintedness with the language of courtiers, by borrowing many of your own expressions. Your parliament will allow that this is the polite style of address. We have not yet had a sight of theirs, but, from a thorough knowledge of their manner, we think it would not be difficult to compose one for them, with little variation from the true; but as this would be but a waste of time, we only bespeak your attention to what follows.

Nothing, sir, could have afforded us so much satisfaction as to have learned from your speech, at the opening of the present session of your parliament, that the troubles, which have so long distracted us were at an end, and that, recovered from your delusions, you had delivered yourself from your vain lust of power, and returned to that duty which you owe to your creator and your fellow creatures; but, so daring and desperate is the spirit of dominion, for which you have ever had an unextinguishable thirst, that you have openly renounced the constitution, withdrawn your protection, declared war against us, and thus have destroyed all political connexion with this country. Having often rejected, with circumstances of indignity and insult, our most dutiful and submissive petitions, when we asked only our rights, what wonder that we have at last set up for independent states? What followed this necessary measure was a still greater insult to our understandings, for you held out for terms of conciliation our absolute submission to the will of your parliament, the very thing which first occasioned our differences. If this mad war you are waging against us be not speedily ended, much mischief may grow from it. Your dominions, indeed, are already lessened, but they may be annihilated; your commerce is impaired, but it may be ruined; you are contemptible enough in the system of Europe, but you may become a viceroy. To us, however, should it proceed, one great advantage will be derived from your motives being openly avowed and clearly understood: We shall have unanimity among us, founded on the general conviction of the justice and necessity of our measures.

You say right, that you have recovered Canada; but this was neither owing to the blessing of Divine Providence (which cannot, without impiety, be supposed to favour the cause of a man who, with as many imperfections as perhaps ever fell to the share of any man, would arrogate to himself the prerogative of Heaven) nor to the good conduct and valour of your officers and forces by sea and land (for they were opposed by men at least equal to them in both, and who have gained more glory from even that unsuccessful expedition than your forces in withstanding them) nor yet to the zeal and bravery of the auxiliary troops in your service (fie! George, to talk of such auxiliaries) but simply to a political error of your rulers, which experience has taught them to correct.

Whatever those unavoidable delays may have been which hindered your operations at New York till the month of August, we cannot suppose you have much reason to complain of them, as experience teaches that the more the campaign is lengthened the worse your troops fare. Howsoever unpromising a prospect this consideration may afford you, we too well know the obstinacy of your temper to need being told that you will, at all events, prepare for another campaign; yet, blind as you are to your great and essential interests, you are too well versed in the modes of courts to repose such implicit confidence in the assurances of amity you say you have received from the several powers of Europe, not to see, in the present situation of affairs, that it is expedient you should be in a respectable state of defence at home. But what pity is it that all this cannot be done without putting your faithful Commons to great expense! and how much to be lamented is it that they cannot for their relief freely command our purses, while engaged in the arduous contest, whether they shall command them in all time coming! and contending too, as you say, for the maintenance of the honour of your crown, the vindication of the just rights of parliament, and the public welfare. But, had you never aimed at any thing beyond these, if you had not even attempted what is totally incompatible with them all, we should never have had any dispute with you.

Something we have always had to complain of, yet true indeed it is that we have been upon the whole happy, and enjoyed a mild government; and had you not been so ill advised as to break in upon our repose, our numbers, our wealth, our strength by sea and land (whatever they may be) would never have appeared to make head against the whole power of the mother country, but would have continued still to be her firm support. Whatever our improvements in every art may be (advantages we would rather possess than boast of) you have, with a most impudent disregard to truth, attributed to the mildness of your government over us. If kings are in earnest when they speak of the dignity of their thrones, they will take care that truth be their foundation, that it surround and fill them. Did not yours tremble under you while you shifted this: But your canopy seemed to veil you from the eye of Heaven, and of Kings who sit above it. What legislation such improvements among us? Legislative acts ever obtained your fiat for encouragement. Let hats and tilting mills witness: witness too all ye languishing arts. It was a duty we owed to ourselves and posterity, to restore the blessings of law and liberty, in violating which you have shamefully tarnished your crown; and in pursuit of this noblest of all earthly objects, we are animated with an ardour which cannot fail to alleviate all the calamities of war, while we lift up our minds to that still more momentous object which we are taught to aim at through affliction and tribulation.

The FREEMEN of AMERICA.