An Address to the Rev. Dr. Alison - 44
DETERMINED to depress and abuse the Quakers, and to excuse the Rioters, you are pleased to add what you say, were the Declarations of the latter,—"These Insurgents (say you) declared that they were Loyal Subjects, and would not do what looked like Rebellion, tho' they thought it exceeding hard that they should be obliged to pay Taxes to maintain their Enemies." With what View did you mention this Declaration?—Was it from any foolish Hope you had, that you could persuade Mankind to credit the Assertions of Men, whose Actions had been, and were at the very Time flatly contradictory.—Your moral Philosophy must tell you, that Actions are more evidently indicative of the Mind than Words.—Some of those Rioters were the Men that had committed the Murders at Conestogoe and Lancaster., contrary to the Faith of the Government, the Laws of the Country, and the Governor's Proclamation. Pushed on by the Consciousness of Guilt, and a Dread of Punishment, mixed with an enthusiastic Rage and Hatred against all Indians, they resolved to take up Arms against the Government itself, prevailed with others to join them, with a View to encrease the Number of Offenders, so much as to render it dangerous or difficult to bring them to justice.—With this View they came down to Germantown, and from thence sent out their Spies to Philadelphia, to observe the Conduct and Preparations of the Government against them, continually publishing their Resolution to destroy the Indians and all that defended them; nor was the Governor himself free from their Menaces. And do you seriously think, Reverend Sirs, that the breaking of Goals and murdering of Indians under the immediate Protection of the Government, in Defiance of its Proclamations and its Laws, does not "look like Rebellion," and that the Conduct of
