Wesley Corpus

“Why, the city of Bristol.” What, the buildings so called; or the ground whereon they stand? Nay, the inhabitants of it: The ground, the houses, the stones, the grass, are not represented. Who till now ever entertained so wild a thought? But let them stand together, the independency of our colonies, and the repre sentation of every blade of grass | 56. You conclude: “Peace may be obtained upon the easy, the constitutional, and therefore the indispensable, terms of an exemption from parliamentary taxation, and an admission of the sacredness of their charters.” (Page 107.) Are not you betraying your cause ? You have been all along pleading, in the most explicit manner, for their exemp tion, not only from parliamentary taxation, but legislation also. And, if your arguments prove anything, they certainly prove this, that the colonies have an unalienable right, not only to tax, but to make laws for themselves; so that the allowing them the former is nothing, unless we allow the latter also; that is, in plain terms, unless we allow them to be independent on the English Government. As to your other term of peace, there is unquestionably such a thing as the forfeiting of a charter: Whether the colonies have forfeited theirs or not, I leave others to deter mine. Whether they have or have not, there can be no reason for making the least doubt but, upon their laying down their arms, the Government will still permit them to enjoy both their civil and religious liberty in as ample a manner as ever their ancestors did, and as the English do at this day. 57. I add a few words more: Two or three years ago, by means of incendiary papers, spread throughout the nation, the minds of the people were inflamed to an amazing degree; but the greater part of the flame is now gone out.