So that in case they would not wave their privileges in the manner prescribed, and protect the proprietary estate gratis, their country might bleed to death if it would; for they were not to be permitted to make use of their own money their own way, to save it. One act of parliament" there is, and one only, which not only admits, that governors and deputy-governors may abuse their power and oppress the subject, but also affects to provide for the punishment of such oppressors. But then the word oppression is left so vague and indefinite, that no subject ever did, or can derive any benefit from it. Of all the several species of oppression, that, now practised by this man upon a whole province, was surely the most grievous; and as it required no common share of firmness to withstand it, so it required an equal degree of prudence to temper that firmness, in such a manner as might obriate all the misconstructions and misrepresentations, the withstanders had good reason to be sure would be put upon it Petitions from various quarters, and many of them of such an opposite tendency that they were irrecondleable with each other, poured in upon them. Some of the petitioners declaring themselves highly sensible of the zeal and diligence the assembly had shewn for the interest and welfare of their constituents, in contending for what ought in justice to be granted. Others pretending to pray, that the house would not keep up unnecessary disputes with the goverior, nor by reason of their religious scruples longer neglect the defence of the province. Both requiring to have arms put into their hands. And others expressing their fervent desires that measures might be pursued consistent with their peaceable principles, and that they would continue humbly to confide in the protection of that almighty power, which had hitherto been as walls and bulwarks round about them. The assembly received all with composure; and resolved. to give all the satisfaction they could to all. To the points inforced by the governor they attended first; and to take off the panic which prevailed in the province, undertook to rec 11 11 and 12 of Will. III. Cap. 12. 1 tify the intelligence he had given, which could not but contribute greatly to the increase of it. In their reply to that part of his speech, for instance they told him, "they could not find by the letters and papers, he had been pleased to lay before them, that any such number of French and Indians were encamped on any part of the river Susquehanna."What they admitted was, "that the back settlers were greatly alarmed and terrified; that cruelties had been committed on the inhabitants by the Delaware and Shawanese Indians, ́principally within the lands purchased by the proprietaries at Albany bu: the year before; that, perhaps, there might be a few of the French Mohawks among them; but this was not very clear and that these were to be followed, as several of the accourts said, by a large number of Indians and French from fort Duquesne, with a design of dividing themselves into parties, in order to fall on the back settlements, of Pennsylvania and Virginia; and that the Indians still inclined to preserve their alliance with the province, seemed on the other hand, as much terrified, lest provoked with these hostilities, the English generally should revenge upon them the barbarities so committed by the invaders; that therefore great care and judgment was, in their opinion requisite, in conducting their Indian affairs at that critical conjuncture; that as the Six Nations were in alliance with the crown of Great Britain, and numbers of them then acting with great fidelity and bravery under general Johnson, it seemed absolutely necessary on their part to make it their request to the governor to be informed, whether he knew of any disgust or injury the Delavares or Shawanese had ever received from Pennsylvania, and by what means their affections could be so alienated, as, not only to take up the hatchet against the said province, in breach of their dependence on the Six Nations, by whom they had been so long since subdued, but also of the friendly interviews and treaties, which they (the Pennsylvanians) had so repeatedly and very lately held both with them and the Six united Nations, both before and after the defection of part of the Shawanese, for whom they had particularly interposed their good offices, in procuring the liberty and sending home a number of their people, as it was apprehended, much to their satisfaction? as also, whether he had any knowledge of the inclination of the said Six Nations, or what part they had taken in relation to this cruel incursion, of the Delawares and Shawanese? they farther desired him to lay before them the Indian treaty held at Philadelphia in the September preceding; and declared themselves disposed and resolved to do every thing in their power, if it should appear they had sustained any injury at their hand, to regain their affections, rather than by any neglect or refusal of that justice which was due both to them and all their Indian allies, entail upon themselves and their posterity the calamities of a cruel Indian war, of which they apprehended there would otherwise be but too much danger." And the governor, the same afternoon, sending down another message, importing, "that the enemy had fallen upon the settlements at a place called the Great Cove, and slaughtered or made prisoners such of the inhabitants as could not make their escape; that those adjoining were quitting their habitations and retreating inwards; and that he must therefore most earnestly press them to strengthen his hands and enable him speedily to draw forth the forces of the province, as any delay might be attended with the most fatal consequences;" they took the same into immediate consideration, and granted sixty thousand pounds to the king's use, to be struck in bills of credit, and sunk by a tax of six pence per pound, and ten shillings per head, yearly, for four years, laid on all the estates, real and personal, and taxables within the province; and on the fourth day afterwards sent it up to the governor for his assent, who, most unwarrantably and cruelly took advantage of the terrors which had seized upon the province, and which he himself had helped to accumulate, to reject it immediately; urging, that it was of the same kind with one he had formerly refused his assent to. And that it was not consistent either with his duty or his safety, to exceed, in matters of government, the of his compowers mission, much less to do what his commission expressly prohibited." So that his own safety with regard to his bond and his commission were put into the scale against the safety of the province; and his duty to the proprietaries against his duty to the king and the public; which shews, in one word, that the whole bias of such government is eccentrical and unnatural. His first duty was to concur with the assembly in whatever was necessary for the good and happy government of the province; the necessity of the grant in question even for the preservation of the province, had been the burden of every one of his speeches and messages. So pressing was the extremity, so imminent the danger, so terrifying the confusion, that the least delay on the side of the assembly had been represented as productive of the most fatal consequences; and yet the smallest proprietary consideration could induce the governor to act as if he did not believe one word he had said, or had the least concern about any other consideration whatsoever. Whether the proprietaries ought to be taxed or not he would no longer dispute. "It was sufficient for him, he said, that they had given him no power in that case; he reproached them with having sat six days, and instead of strengthening his hands in that interval, with having sent him a message, for regaining the affections of the Indians then employed in laying waste the country, and butchering the inhabitants." But then he chose to forget entirely their application to him at their first sitting, for such intelligence as they might then have proceeded to business upon, and his express declaration, when they proposed an adjournment to him, "that he had no business to impart to them." He, nevertheless, added, "that, upon the repeated accounts he had received of the miserable situation of the back countries, his council had unanimously advised him to repair thither himself, to put things in the best order possible; and that he had hitherto declined it, that he might first know, what they had to propose on this occasion; but that having now received a bill from them which they well knew he could not give his consent to, he despaired of their doing any thing, so should immediately set off for the back counties; that if the people there had not all the assistance their present distresses made necessary, it would not be for want of inclination in him, but of power; that he should take a quorum of the council with him; and that, in case they should have any bills to propose that were consistent with the duties of his station, and the just rights of government, he should readily give his consent to them whenever they were brought to him." This menace of immediately setting off for the back counties, was also another piece of practice on the fears of the assembly; but whatever effect it had without doors, it does not appear to have had much within; on the contrary, the assembly deputed two of their members, to know his determinate resolution, "whether he would or would not pass the bill?" and in the latter case, "to desire him to return it to the house." This message was verbal; and he evaded a present reply by saying, that if the house would send him a message in writing on that head, he would return them an answer; adding, "that he should not return the said bill.” A written message was hereupon taken into consideration; but before it could be perfected, another from the governor was brought down by the secretary, importing, "that the Indians living upon the Susquehanna, amounting in all to about three hundred fighting men, had applied to him, to put the hatchet into their hands in conjunction with the provincial forces, and to be furnished with arms, ammunition, provisions, and strong houses, for the protection of their old men, women, and children; that they had desired an explicit answer without farther delay, that they might either prepare to act with the province, or provide for their own security; that they had assured him this would be the last application they should make; and that in case it did not succeed, they should leave them as an infatuated people to the mercy of their enemies; that he could not but look upon this as one of the most important matters that ever came under their consideration; as it could not be supposed these Indians. would expose themselves to the fury of an enemy so superior to themselves, unless they were vigorously supported; and as a refusal would unavoidably throw them into the arms Kk |