Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin . well disposed to peacealle mea-sures, into hostilities, which might preventthe endeavours of the congress to restore agood understanding with the parent state, andinvolve them in the horrors of a civil war. The congress also published a declara-tion of rights, to which they asserted theEnglish colonies of North Americawere en-titled, by the immutable laws of nature, theprinciples of the English constitution, andtheir several charters or compacts. They then proceeded to frame a petition tothe king, a memorial to the people of GreatBritain, an address to the coloni
Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin . well disposed to peacealle mea-sures, into hostilities, which might preventthe endeavours of the congress to restore agood understanding with the parent state, andinvolve them in the horrors of a civil war. The congress also published a declara-tion of rights, to which they asserted theEnglish colonies of North Americawere en-titled, by the immutable laws of nature, theprinciples of the English constitution, andtheir several charters or compacts. They then proceeded to frame a petition tothe king, a memorial to the people of GreatBritain, an address to the colonies in general,and another to the inhabitants of the provinceof Quebec. These several acts were drawn up withuncommon energy, address, and ability: theywell deserve the attention of statesmen, andare to be found in the annals of Americanhistory. The petition to his majesty contained anenumeration of the grievances of the colonies,humbly praying redress. It wasforwarded to 104 MEMOIRS OF MAGNA BRITANNIA:—HER COLONIES EXPLANATION. Great Britain is supposed to have been placed upon the globe; but theColonies, (that is, her limbs,) being severed from her, she is seen lifting hereyes and mangled stumps to heaven: her shield, which she is unable towield, lies useless by her side; her lance has pierced New England: thelaurel branch has fallen from the handof Pennsylvania: the English oakhas lost its head, and stands a bare trunk, with a few withered branches;briars and thorns are on the ground beneath it; the British ships havebrooms at their topmast heads, denoting their being on sale ; and Britan-nia herself is seen sliding off the world, (no longer able to hold its balance,)her fragments overspread with the label, Date Obolum Bellisario. The Moral. History affords us many instances of the ruin of states, by the prosecu-tion of measures ill suited to the temper and genius of their people. Theordaining of laws in favour of one part of the nation, to the prejudice andoppres
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