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An Address to the Rev. Dr. Alison - 4

P—y Faction, (to whom it seems you have united against your Sovereign's Interest*) would never have had the least Pretence to represent this Society as disloyal to the Crown, and against contributing to the Defence of the Province. It was the Folly and Rashness of one Man, that furnished them with the Means of giving their Misrepresentations of the Conduct of the Assembly an Appearance of Truth, at a Time when the House had given the most evident Proof of their Obedience to the Royal Orders.

* COPY of a circular LETTER.
Philadelphia, March 30, 1764.

Our General Assembly having adjourned for a short Time, to con|sult their Constituents, whether an humble Address should be drawn up and transmitted to his Majesty, praying that he would be pleased to take this Province under his immediate Protection and Government; that is, whether the Freemen of this Province should petition the King, that we may be REDUCED to the Form of a King's Government.

The Presbyterians here, upon mature Deliberation, are of Opinion, that it is not safe to do Things of such Importance rashly; our Privi|leges by these Means may be greatly abridged, but will never be enlarged.

We are under the King's Protection and Government now as much as we can be for he will never govern us in Person; and it is of no great Consequence whether his Deputy be recommended by the Proprietaries, or by some other great Man by his Majesty's Approbation.

Our Charter is in Danger by such a Change, and let no Man persuade you to the contrary. There has been a half-yearly Meeting of the Quakers in this City, but this Change of Government has not been proposed in their Meeting, as we can yet understand, nor is it approved of by the Heads of that Scociety. [A gross Falsehood!]

This Affair is in all Probability, a Trap laid to ensnare the unwary, and then to cast an Odium on the Presbyterians for ruining or attempting to ruin the Province. The Frontier Counties are now suing for a Redress of Grievances, and we have the greatest Reason to believe, that it is no more than an artful Scheme to divide or divert the Attention of the injur'd Frontier Inhabitants from prosecuting their Petitions, which very much alarm them. [Another Falsehood, for they had no Reason to believe any Thing of the Kind] For these Reasons we would earnestly recommend it to you, to lose no Time in advising all under your Influence, whether of our Denomination or others, from signing any such Petition.

Signed per Order,

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