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

The Conduct of the Paxton Men Impartially Represented - 34

shewn ready and willing to receive the Complaints of their Principals, and to apply quick Remedies to the Grievances contain’d in them.---It has, indeed, been always thought highly imprudent, not to say dangerous, to resist the Groans of the People, utter’d in this Manner.

This has been a Method, which has always had great Weight with good Men, and has always been a great Terror to Bad---------It has therefore always been encourag’d or discourag’d, according to the Innocence or Guilt of Men in Power.

TITUS and TRAJAN, conscious of their own virtuous Administration and worthy Purposes, encourag’d Addresses and Informations of this Kind, from their People:--They wisely knew, that if the ROMAN People had free Leave to speak, they would not take Leave to act;---and that whilst they could have Redress, “they would not seek Revenge.”

I shall now conclude, Sir, with this Request to you, that you will advise your visionary QUAKERS and DON QUIXOTES, to consider these Things--------And, that instead of yoking themselves to CANNON, and dragging them along to defend BARRACKS, and fight WIND-MILLS, they will suffer the Complaints of the People to be heard, their Grievances redress’d, and their Country rescued from total Ruin.----That they will immediately remove the INDIANS, or whatever else may create their Jealousy, and give them Cause to murmur.---And then we may expect to feel the happy Effects resulting from LIBERTY and LAW---to see the Quiet of the Province restor’d---and the Harmony and good Order of Government re-establish’d amongst us.
I am, &c.

Dated from my FARM-HOUSE, March 17th, 1764.--------
A Day dedicated to LIBERTY and ST. PATRICK

FINIS.

Contents of this annotation:

A defense of the Paxton boys, in reply to Benjamin Franklin's "A narrative of the late massacres, in Lancaster County, of a number of Indians." Attributed to Thomas Barton by Hildeburn and Evans. Also attributed to the Rev. John Ewing. Cf. Egle, W.H. History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon, 1883, p. 68. An added title page identifies John Creaig of Lancaster as bookseller. Signatures: pi [A]? B-D? E1.