Page:Letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania - Dickinson - 1768.djvu/72

[&emsp;66&emsp;] miserable existence, without a government, collectorship, secretaryship, or any other commission, to console them as well as it could, for loss of virtue and reputationwhile numberless offices have been bestowed in these colonies on people from Great-Britain, and new ones are continually invented, to be thus bestowed. As a few great prizes are put into a lottery to multitudes to lose, so here and there an American has been raised to a good post. “Apparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto.” Mr. Greenville, indeed, in order to recommend the Stamp-Act, had the unequalled generosity, to pour down a golden shower of offices upon Americans; and yet these ungrateful colonies did not thank Mr. Greenville for shewing his kindness to their countrymen, nor them for accepting it. How must that great statesman have been surprized, to find, that the unpolished colonies could not be reconciled to infamy by treachery? Such a bountiful disposition towards us never appeared in any minister before him, and probably never will appear again: For it is evident, that such a system of policy is to be established on this continent, as, in a short time, is to render it utterly unnecessary to use the least art in order to conciliate our approbation of any measures. Some of our countrymen may be employed to fix chains upon us, but they will never be permitted to hold them afterwards. So that the utmost, that any of them can expect, is only a temporary provision, that may expire in their own time; but which, they may be assured, will preclude their children from having any consideration paid to them. of America must sink into total and, the moment that  loses the constitutional powers she now possesses. hold, or expect to hold certain advantages, by setting examples of servility to their countrymen.Men, who trained to the employment, or self taught by a natural versatility of genius, serve as decoys for drawing the innocent and unwary into snares. It is not to be doubted but that such men will diligently bestir themselves on this and every like occasion, to spread the infection of their meanness as far as they can. On the plans they have adopted, this is their course. This is the method to recommend themselves to their patrons.

them we shall learn, how pleasant and profitable a thing it is, to be for our behavior well spoken of at St. James’s, or St. Stephen’s; at Guildhall, or the Royal Exchange. Specious fallacies will be drest up with all the arts of delusion, to persuade one colony to distinguish herself from another, by unbecoming condescensions, which will serve the ambitious purposes of great men at home, and therefore will be thought by them to entitle their assistants in obtaining them to considerable rewards.

fears will be excited. Our hopes will be awakened. It will be insinuated to us, with a plausible affectation of wisdom and concern, how prudent it is to please the powerful--how dangerous to provoke themand then comes in the perpetual incantation that freezes up every generous purpose of the soul in cold, inactive expectation---“that if there is any request to be made, compliance will obtain a favorable attention.”

vigilance and our union are success and safety. Our negligence and our division are distress and death. They are worseThey are shame and slavery. Let us equally shun the benumbing stillness