Wesley Corpus

Have they no more disposal of their own goods, or liberty, or lives? Does any one beat or imprison them at pleasure; or take away their wives, or children, or lives; or sell them like cows or horses? This is slavery; and will you face us down that the Americans are in such slavery as this? You answer, Yes, with regard to their goods; for the English Parliament “leaves them. 110 opSERVATIONS ON LIBERTY. nothing that they can call their own.” (Page 35.) Amazing ! Have they not houses, and lands, and money, and goods of every kind, which they call their own? And did they not enjoy, a few years since, complete liberty, both civil and religious, instead of being bound to hard labour, smarting under the lash, groaning in a dungeon, perhaps murdered, or stabbed, or roasted alive, at their masters' pleasure? 42. But, “did not their charters promise them all the enjoyment of all the rights of Englishmen?” (Page 40.) They did; and they have accordingly enjoyed all the rights of Englishmen from the beginning. “And allow them to tax themselves?” Never so as to exempt them from being taxed by Parliament. It is evident from the Acts of Parlia ment now in being, that this was never granted, and never claimed till now : On the contrary, the English Government has ever claimed the right of taxing them, even in virtue of those very charters. But you ask, “Can there be an English man who would not sooner lose his heart’s blood, than yield to such claims?” (Page 47.) A decent question for a subject of England to ask Just of a piece with your assertions, that “our constitution is almost lost;” that the claims of the Crown have “stabbed our liberty;” and that “a free Government loses its nature, the moment it becomes liable to be commanded by any superior power.” (Page 49.) From the moment it Becomes liable / This is not the case with the colonies; they do not become liable to be commanded by the King and Parliament; they always were so, from their first institution. 43.