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

The Plain Dealer, Numb. III - 10

raised half a million of money and disposed of it as if raised not for the King’s use, but for the Quakers. The Lords of Trade observe, that, In almost every act by which a new officer is appointed, the sole nomination of that officer, by an express provision, is particularly reserved to the Assembly. That they have usurped the most sacred and inviolable part of the executive Power. That they have broken some of the Proprietors charter privileges &c. These are the men who are to council this province and lead us into new schemes. These are the righteous commanders under whom we are to enlist for a new expedition; when they tell us that we must have a new Government because the Proprietors will never consent to any just laws, we are to believe them, altho’ it is certain, that for several years together we have offered him very few just laws, except such as were of a private concernment and confined to the meer regulations of police and domestic oeconomy.-----Thus I conceive it is pretty plain, that it was not for nothing our Assemblies maintained this virtuous Struggle, as Quakers call it, with the Governors. For tho’ in attempting to make tyrannical unjust laws they have in a few years put this province to the neat expence of above Twenty Thousand Pounds by means of those very laws, tho’ they were condemned. I expect to be told again that I am a Proprietary Hirling and Dependant. I assure the public that I have never held any place under the Proprietor, nor been employed by him directly or indirectly or received any of his money. My sole motive to writing these papers was the cause of truth, of liberty and my injured countrymen and fellow subjects; to prevent them if possible from being slaves any longer, for want of being sufficiently acquainted with the secret schemes, and the iniquitous practices of our present Quaker Leaders. But that he is no hireling or tool is more

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