Page:An address to the people of England, Ireland, and Scotland.djvu/26

, stand on the same predicament "with yourselves," is too glaring a falsehood to deceive you; and I shall not affront your understanding so much as to fancy you can suppose that the positive punishment of the whole town of Boston for the offence of a few individuals, when those individuals might have been prosecuted according to law, can be a case similar to the running the hazard of hurting a few citizens in the attempt of re-taking one of our own towns from the enemy.

I have hitherto endeavoured to prevent your being misled by the sophistry of those who have an interest in deceiving you. I shall now give you some of the judicious observations of one of your best friends, in regard to the conduct of your government towards America.

"Before the taxing of the unrepresented colonies in America was thought of (says