"stress and national disgrace; to bear the “hand, which, weak or impotent against "the enemies of Britain, is mighty only in "the spoil and plunder of it's country. "You must conclude, therefore, that the

ground of expediency and necessity, on "which your petition stands, is justified to "every one, who will not daringly and pro"fligately set his face against public safety, as "at all meriting the attention of a wise, ge"nerous, and free people.

"Thus justified in the wisdom and ne"cessity of the measure, which with such "unanimity you have adopted, you are to answer to the silly charge of Faction, of

being stirred and led in all your mové"ments by a disappointed party; and this is "the formidable argument, which is to beat "to the ground all your manliness and pa"triotism. Faction is a bugbear of mini"sters, the phantom with which they hope "to fright the honest from looking with a "too curious eye into their dark and wicked "proceedings.

"The

"The term in it's proper acceptation is "certainly odious, but in the mouths of our "ministers it passes into praise; not to be "factious in their judgement, is to be a "partner or abettor of their crimes, it is to "be a tame or interested assassin of our

36

country. This calumny has been gene❝rously and truly disavowed by those, who "were the first movers to the part which have acted; but however voluntary and honest in them, if the measure had "not found you equally convinced, equally

66

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you

disposed to it, their summons and their "harangues would have been given to the

wind. But I will venture to assert, that "in all popular discontents, and even in "those revolutions, which have often fol"lowed the too obstinate provocation of an "injured people, the faction of a few never "was, nor in nature ever could be the cause. "Grant that there may be factious and in"terested leaders in the present instance of “the people's discontent; it is not their fac“tion which has stirred your discontent,

❝ though

though it may be found convenient to "their faction to ally itself to you. The

great body of the people can see and feel "for themselves; nor do they quit their re

pose, and set their face against the armed "hand of government, unless irritated by "severe and home-felt injuries. It is rather

true, that they will bear much; too much "indeed, as is fatally witnessed by the over"throw of liberty in every other govern"ment of Europe; and if they should be "roused by a sense of their wrongs to "remonstrate, however mildly, against "the misrule which galls them, they have "need of all their caution, as government has "infinite advantages in the contest, and one "false step may subject the poor complainants to all it's jealous terrours. This every people well know, the liberality even of our government does not exclude this knowledge; and therefore there is no tempta❝tion to tread on this slippery ground, un"less when the last necessity calls; but, "unless to such a people as this country yet

"boasts

"boasts of, even the last necessity will call

"

in vain. It is not therefore in human na"ture for the people to move at the wanton "summons of a factious few, and I chal"lenge all history to furnish one single in❝stance of such a fact. If it should be true, "that men, who have no view but to their

own ambition and interest, offer them"selves as your leaders in the present ques"tion, which ministerial profligacy may "well believe; yet it is your previous dis❝content, that has invited them to this "union, and in your strength they may "hope to find an assistant to their ambition: "but observe, that even to answer this "crooked purpose, they must put on at least "the semblance of your virtue; and it is the "peculiar happiness of your cause, that men, "who set out with no honest, no generous "intentions, are compelled to act in concert " with you for the establishment of the pub❝lic welfare.

"If it be futile and absurd, the charging upon a factious few the discontents, the

resent

“resentment, the interposition of the people; "still more ridiculous is the plea of being ill"timed, of your petitions and interference "tending to distress and weaken govern“ment, to divert, and to unnerve it's appli"cation to a most interesting war., Yes! "in truth they are ill-timed, and for ever " will be ill-timed, to the guilt which dreads ແ a review, to the prodigality and corrup"tion which will never be sated but with "the last penny you have to give. And "shall you leave it to them to judge of times "and seasons, who have thought the time "of war, of the most arduous and compli"cated war, and stripped of half your "means and resources, to be the time of "waste and expense, beyond all experience "of the most united and prosperous periods? "Is it for them to promise the time, from "whom the idea of a reform would never "have originated at all; who have so driven

you to the verge of destruction, that it is "difficult to say, if the time of retreat and recovery be not for ever gone? It was an

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"unanswer