Digital Paxton: Digital Collection, Critical Edition, and Teaching Platform

An Address to the Rev. Dr. Alison - 30

by the Government,—that they had lived there peaceably and inoffensively, during all our late Troubles,— that they were as much under its Protection and its Laws as any others amongst us,—and that they were barbarously killed, nay cruelly massacred, in cool Blood without the least Reason or Provocation." Certainly then, let these Actions be "painted" by Quakers or others, they convey the full Idea of a "Massacre and a most horrid Murder." How then shall we account for the Offence you have taken at the Terms applied to them, and your Manner of glossing over this most infernal Villainy? Is it because you are attached to every Villain, and would screen him from the just Punishment of the Laws, who is of the same Denomination of Religion with yourselves?—or because you think it no Offence to take away the Life of a human Creature who is of a different Colour or Persuasion?

INDEED, several of your Writers in favour of the Paxton Men, have before expressed much Resentment, that the Killing of the Indians should be called Murder. One of them in particular, speaking of the worthy Author of the Narrative,* has these Words, viz. "But it seems this Gentleman was determined to avail himself of any Thing, that he thought might bring Infamy and Odium upon the Paxton People; and for this End he has not scrupled to call the Killing the Indians

* An Abstract of the Narrative of the Massacres in Lancaster County, was published in the Gentleman's Magazine for April, 1764. And in the Magazine for June, was inserted a Piece, entituled, An impartial Account of the Rise and Proceedings of the Paxton Volunteers, by way of Answer to the Narrative. This Piece, it is said, was compiled, by Order of the Pr—rs, from the Plain Dealers, and other virulent Publications of the Pr—ry Party, in hopes of prejudicing His Majesty and his Ministers against the Quakers, as they had formerly done by the Publication of the Brief State and Brief View, which aimed at obtaining an Act of Parliament for rendering Quakers incapable of holding Offices in this Government.—The numerous vile Falsehoods, however, of the Account published in the June Magazine, will readily appear upon the Perusal of the authentic Documents contained in this Address.

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