FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  
wer of truth, and not any management of mine. Sir, I shall open the whole plan to you together, with such observations on the motions as may tend to illustrate them, where they may want explanation. The first is a resolution,--"That the colonies and plantations of Great Britain in North America, consisting of fourteen separate governments, and containing two millions and upwards of free inhabitants, have not had the liberty and privilege of electing and sending any knights and burgesses, or others, to represent them in the high court of Parliament." This is a plain matter of fact, necessary to be laid down, and (excepting the description) it is laid down in the language of the Constitution; it is taken nearly _verbatim_ from acts of Parliament. The second is like unto the first,--"That the said colonies and plantations have been made liable to, and bounden by, several subsidies, payments, rates, and taxes, given and granted by Parliament, though the said colonies and plantations have not their knights and burgesses in the said high court of Parliament, of their own election, to represent the condition of their country; by lack whereof they have been oftentimes touched and grieved by subsidies, given, granted, and assented to, in the said court, in a manner prejudicial to the common wealth, quietness, rest, and peace of the subjects inhabiting within the same." Is this description too hot or too cold, too strong or too weak? Does it arrogate too much to the supreme legislature? Does it lean too much to the claims of the people? If it runs into any of these errors, the fault is not mine. It is the language of your own ancient acts of Parliament. Non meus hic sermo, sed quae praecepit Ofellus Rusticus, abnormis sapiens. It is the genuine produce of the ancient, rustic, manly, home-bred sense of this country. I did not dare to rub off a particle of the venerable rust that rather adorns and preserves than destroys the metal. It would be a profanation to touch with a tool the stones which construct the sacred altar of peace. I would not violate with modern polish the ingenuous and noble roughness of these truly constitutional materials. Above all things, I was resolved not to be guilty of tampering,--the odious vice of restless and unstable minds. I put my foot in the tracks of our forefathers, where I can neither wander nor stumble. Determining to fix articles of peace, I was resolved not to be wise b
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126  
127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Parliament
 

plantations

 

colonies

 

ancient

 

language

 
knights
 
resolved
 

subsidies

 
description
 

granted


burgesses

 

country

 
represent
 

articles

 
particle
 

venerable

 
Ofellus
 
errors
 

people

 

abnormis


sapiens

 

genuine

 

produce

 

Rusticus

 

praecepit

 

rustic

 

Determining

 

things

 

guilty

 

materials


constitutional

 
ingenuous
 

roughness

 

tampering

 

unstable

 
restless
 

tracks

 
odious
 

forefathers

 
polish

stumble
 

profanation

 
destroys
 
adorns
 

preserves

 

sacred

 
violate
 

modern

 
wander
 

construct