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⚫ in order to which, let me present your Excellency with a View * of the Nation's Designs in Establishing this Colony; and indeed they were and are Nothing unsuitable to a British or Roman Spirit; To wit. The Establishing a strong and numerous Settlement as a Barrier and Safeguard of British America: To employ those Persons in effecting this End who were least useful at Home, and others who from the Reasonableness of 'the Proposals, should voluntarily profer their Service: To re'store Liberty and Happiness to those who, oppressed by the common Misfortunes of Mankind, were groaning under the Consequences of those Misfortunes, and incapable to serve themselves or Country at Home: And lastly, to set a Foot such new Manufactures as might be most useful to support the Colony, or tend to rectify the Ballance of Trade of Great Britain 'with Neighbouring Nations. A Design truly great, founded on the the justest Policy, and practicable: To suggest that any low private Design was ever laid down, that might tend to make the Adventurers Slaves, or, at best, Tenants at Will; or that it ' was a Concert to leave the Industry and Substance of the Settlers exposed to satisfy the Ambition or Covetousness of an after Governor, or any particular Courtier or Party; or to imagine 'that the Honourable Board of Trustees, or any of them, could 'be capable of such a Concert; I say, Sir, that such a Thought ⚫ were impious. What Wonder then, if Numbers of Persons, encouraged by his Majesty's most ample Rights and Privileges granted in his Royal Charter to the Honourable Trustees, for the Behalf of the Inhabitants; from the beautiful Description of the Fertility of the Soil and Happiness of the Climate; and lastly, from a View that Mr. Oglethorpe, a Gentleman of the greatest Humanity and Generosity, was willing to sacrifice his Ease, and all those Pleasures and Enjoyments which his easy 'Circumstances of Life intitled him to, in order to be the Pa'tron and Father of the Distress'd, and the distinguish'd Friend of his Country, Society, and Humane Nature; I say, Sir, no Wonder if Numbers, upon those Views, embark'd their Persons, Families and Fates in such an Adventure. Shall any Thing then intervene to render such a noble Design abortive, ' and frustrate those of their expected Happiness, or your Excel'lency of your deserved Honour? GOD FORBID!

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This Colony consists of two Sorts of People; either those whom the Publick sent over and supported, or * Volunteers, who were not burthensome to the Publick; both now I look upon in

By this Word was meant those Persons who settled in Georgia upon their own Expence.

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'the same Light; as either Party have exhausted their Support ' or private Stocks, in endeavouring to prosecute the intended Plan; but it shall suffice for my Argument, that so many of each Kind have applied themselves to this Purpose, as are 'sufficient to confirm the Experiment, that it is impossible for us with British or Foreign Servants, to afford the lowest 'Necessaries of Life, much less to increase our Stocks, or defray 'the many Exigencies and Disappointments that this Soil and 'Climate are inevitably exposed to: This I take to be granted; ' and would to God the Success of the Colony depended on the Laying the most satisfying Proof of it! And as for Persons 'who, from selfish Views, have imposed upon the Credulity of 'the Honourable Trustees, by representing Things in Colours 'distant from Truth, it were superfluous to curse them. I do not say, but in Time Manufactures may be founded more suitable 'to the Strength and Constitution of British Servants, that might support and enrich the Colony; I heartily pray for that happy Period; and should then condemn and dissent from any 'who would not be content with the present Regulation; but as in the Interim Production of Necessaries is absolutely requisite, and under the present Establishment impracticable; it follows ' of Course, that either the Scheme must be altered, or the Design abandoned: At the first it was a Trial, now it is an Experi'ment; and certainly no Man or Society need be asham'd to own, that from unforeseen Emergencies their Hypothesis did 'misgive; and no Person of Judgment would censure for Want ' of Success where the Proposal was probable; but all the World would exclaim against that Person or Society who, through 'mistaken Notions of Honour or Positiveness of Temper, would persist in pushing an Experiment contrary to all Probability, to the Ruin of the Adventurers. How many Methods may be found out by the Wisdom of the Trustees, for Remedying this Inconvenience, I know not; One only occurs to me, which is, the Admitting a certain Number of Negroes, sufficient to ease the white Servants from those Labours that are most fatal to a 'British Constitution: I am very sensible of the Inconveniencies of an unlimited Use of them in a Frontier Colony; but am as sensible, that those Inconveniencies may be prevented by 'prudent Regulations; and their Admission for executing the ' more laborious Parts of Culture, made the Means to attract Numbers of white Servants, who would otherwise fly the Place as a Purgatory or Charnel-House. If our Labour and Toil is not capable of producing mere Necessaries by Cultivation of Land, much less by Trade: For as all the neighbouring Colonies, by Reason of their Negroes, prosecute all Branches of it

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at a sixth Part of the Expence we can; they would forever preclude us of any Benefit therefroin. And supposing, what cannot be admitted, that the Nation would consent to give a 'perpetual Fund for making up all those Deficiencies, What 'Benefit could ever accrue to the Nation? or What to the Settlers but a present bare Sustenance? and What the certain 'Consequence but the Bequeathing a numerous Legacy of Orphans to the Care of Providence, since no Period of Time can be affixed when such a Support would enable us to provide for ⚫ ourselves? A second Reason which disables us to improve ' either by Land or Trade, is our Want of Credit: You know 6 very well, that both the mercantile and mechanick Part of Mankind, live more by Credit than Stock; and the Man who ' has a probable Scheme of improving Credit, is naturally entitled 'to it: As we have no Stock further to dispense, either in Cultiva'tion or Trade, we are reduced to need the Support of Credit; 'which the present Restrictions of our legal Rights and Titles to our Land deprive us of: It is true, indeed the Trustees have 'assured us, That those and other Restrictions are only Temporary, and for the Welfare of the first Settlement, until a proper Body of Laws, which was upon the Carpet, should be perfected; and I am far from disputing the Reasonableness of that Resolution, 'while either the publick Support or private Stocks kept us from 'needing Credit; but that now the Case is alter'd, the Necessity of Removing those Restrictions is arrived, to preserve the 'Remains of the Colony not yet dissolved, and far too late for Hundreds whom Necessity has dispersed in other Corners of the World: This is a Truth, Sir, too obvious to need further "Enlargement.

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Hence it is clear, we can insist on demanding our Privileges 'as British Subjects, from the Trustees Promises; but we likewise claim them as Law, Justice and Property. Your Excellency was pleased, in the Court-House of Savannah, to use a Comparison to satisfy the Minds of the People, of a Man who would lend his Horse but not his Saddle, which one refusing another accepted of: This, I humbly take it, no Ways meets the Case; the King's Majesty was Owner both of Horse and Saddle, of Lands and Rights, and gave us both in his Charter; we ask but what is there given us. The Reliance on the Pub'lick Faith brought us to this Colony; and to endeavour to ob'viate or disappoint the Effects of those Promises which tempted * us here, were to justify the Decoying us to Misery, under the Sanction of the Royal Authority, than which Nothing could be more injurious to the Fountain of Honour. I shall suppose, ' that were full and ample Rights given, that some idle Persons,

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who had no Judgment to value or Inclination to improve their Properties, no Affections for their Families or Relations, might dispose of their Rights for a Glass of Rum; but I absolutely ' deny, that the Colony could lose by such an Exchange: 1 own 'such Persons were much safer if bound than at Liberty; but 'where the Affection of the Parent and the Reason of the Man die, the Person is a fitter Inhabitant for Moorfields than Geor'gia. I must notice further, That not only are Parents incapable, for Want of Credit, to provide for themselves, being ⚫ necessitated to dispose of their Servants for want of Provisions; 'but if they could, only their eldest Son could reap the Benefit, "their younger Children, however numerous, are left to be fed by Him who feeds the Ravens; and if they have no Children, their Labour and Substance descends to Strangers: How, Sir, 'could you, or indeed any free-born Spirit, brook such a Tenor? Are not our younger Children and Daughters equally entitled to Our Bowels and Affections? And does humane Nature end with our First-born, and not extend itself to the Rest of our Progeny ⚫ and more distant Relations? And is it not inverting the Order ' of Nature, that the eldest Son should not only enjoy a double 'Portion, but exclude all the younger Children? and having an 'Interest independant of the Parents, how natural is it he should ' withdraw that Obedience and Subjection which proceeds from 'paternal Authority and filial Dependance! The Trustees are but a Channel to convey to us the King's Rights, and cannot 6 in Law or Equity, and, I dare say, will not abridge those Rights. Can we suppose that we are singled out for a State of Misery and Servitude, and that so many Honourable Per'sonages are Instruments of it? Far be the Thoughts from us! The Genius of the British Nation, so remarkably zealous for · Liberty and the Rights of Mankind, will never suffer British Subjects, who have not fled their Country for Crimes, but ' voluntarily proffered their Service, and risqued their ALL, upon the Confidence of the Publick Faith and the Trustees Honour, to accomplish a Settlement upon the most dangerous Point ' of his Majesty's Dominions; I say, it will never allow such to 'be depriv'd of publick Promises of the natural Liberties of • British Subjects. As we are on a Frontier, where our Lives and Fortunes may more frequently come into dispute than other 'People's; our Privileges and Supports should be proportionably greater; for who would venture his Life to secure no Property, 'or fight to secure to himself Poverty and Misery; and no doubt our cunning and vigilant Adversaries, the French and Spaniards 'would know how to make their own Advantage: The King has been very gracious, and your Endeavours generous and

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⚫ useful, in procuring a Regiment for our Protection; but let me add a Truth equally certain, that only the Flourishing of the Colony can support that Regiment; and not only the Support of the Soldiers, but your own Honour, Glory and Reputation ' are intermixed with the Fate of the Colony, and must stand or 'fall with it.

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To come closer to the Point, please to consider the Consequences of Refusing the Representation of the Colony, whereof 'your Excellency as one of the Honourable Board will be fur'nished with a Copy, and how these Consequences may affect 'the COLONY, the NATION, the TRUSTEES, the MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT in this Province, the INDIANS and YOUR EXCEL

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As to the COLONY, the deferring hitherto the necessary Relief, has already too tragically affected it, by dispersing a great Part of the Inhabitants; the Remainder, in a languishing Condition, supported more with faint Hopes and a continued 'Reliance on the Honour of the Nation and Trustees, than Victuals; while want and meagree Famine guard the Door of Imany, and render them equally incapable to stay or go: The Town, so beautifully situated to the Honour of the Contriver, 'bearing the most visible Signs of Decay and Mortality before it is fully born; and the once cultivated Plantations now over'grown with Weeds and Brush, are so many Hic jacets of such and such Persons and Families! I wish it were possible to draw a Veil over this tragick Scene! But, Sir, our Case is more 'clamant than a thousand Tongues, and will reach the Ears and pierce the Hearts of every TRUE BRITON. If such the "Effects of Delay, what will the total Dissolution of the Colony produce? Such a Body of miserable People, Orphans and Suppliants, will be heard by the Justice of the Nation; and if 'it shall appear, that the too positively adhering to an impracti'cable Scheme, and the refusing those obvious Means that would answer the proposed End, or with-holding those just Rights 'which we are entitled to, have been the Cause; we should have Right to recover Damages from the Authors of our Miseries. In all Places where Settlements were attempted by the English, and found untenable, the Settlers were taken Home upon Publick Charge, their Losses recompensed, and they made other'wise Useful to the Community; while we are neither allowed to do for ourselves here or elsewhere. As to the second Point, how the NATION would be affected by it; it is first obvious, That all the noble Ends and Advantages they propos'd are lost, and Sums of Money expended to no Purpose but to inform the French and Spaniards of the Importance of a Pass which they

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