An Address to the Rev. Dr. Alison - 42
"IN so tender and important a Case, I would rather err on the cautious Side, and, to remove all Doubts, request you will seriously consider this Matter immediately, and that, by a short Law, you will for a Time extend to this Province the Riot Act of the First of GEORGE the First, or make such other Provision, to remove the present Difficulty, as you shall judge most proper."
JOHN PENN.
THE Statute for suppressing of Riots, was, agreeable to this Requisition, extended to this Province; and the Governor and his Council, in the greatest Distress, invited the People to support him, against the lawless Violence threatned by these Rebels, whose Cause your Pen is prostituted to vindicate. The Governor himself appeared at the Head of the Citizens, and with the Advice of his Council, and the Provincial Commissioners, conducted the Whole. Which of these Facts will you have the Boldness to deny? Surely not that which the General so plainly declares in his Letter, That the Reason of his not permitting the Indians "to be abandon'd by the Escort," was because the Governor "had thought it adviseable to put them under the Military."—But suppose, for Argument sake, this had been done "at the Request of the Quakers," was it not both prudent and humane?—You will answer me, I doubt not in the Negative; because it was, and it seems still is your Opinion, that the Indians should be massacred; or you could not take Offence at the only Measure which saved them from it. But will you consider a Moment, that General Gage's Conduct was approved of by both Governorand Assembly, and they acknowledged themselves under Obligations to him for it? —The Governor informs the Assembly, that they will perceive by the General's Letter, "how much we are obliged to him for the kind Part he has taken in this Matter:"—And the Assembly requests the Governor
