I Essays 5 
own, which, once made, cannot be repealed without 
the assent of the crown. 
The last charge, that we are dishonest traders, and 
arm at defrauding our creditors in Britain, is suffi- 
ciently and authentically refuted by the solemn de- 
clarations of the British merchants to Parliament 
(both at the time of the Stamp Act and in the last 
session), who bore ample testimony to the general 
good faith and fair dealing of the Americans, and de- 
clared their confidence in our integrity, for which we 
refer to their petitions on the journals of the House 
of Commons. And we presume we may safely call 
on the body of the British tradesmen, who have had 
experience of both, to say whether they have not 
received much more punctual payment from us, than 
they generally have from the members of their own 
two Houses of Parliament. 
On the whole of the above it appears that the 
charge of ngratitude towards the mother country, 
brought with so much confidence against the col- 
onies, is totally without foundation; and that there 
is much more reason for retorting that charge on 
Britain, who, not only never contributes any aid, nor 
affords, by an exclusive commerce, any advantages to 
Saxony, her mother country, but, no longer since 
than in the last war, without the least provocation, 
subsidized the king of Prussia while he ravaged that 
mother country and carried fire and sword into its 
capital, the fine city of Dresden! An example we 
hope no provocation will induce us to imitate. 
775] 19+