Oliverbranch PT1

The following is a true copy of the Petition from the general Congress in America to his Majesty, which was delivered to Lord Dartmouth on the 1st day of September, 1775, & to wch his Lordship said no Answer would be given. Richard Penn Arthur Lee To the King’s most excellent Majesty. (Most Gracious) Sovereign, We y(our) Majesty’s faithful Subjects of the Colonies (of) New Ham(pshipre), Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, (and Prov)idence Plantations, (Con)necticut, New (York), New Jers(ey), (Pennsylva)nia, the Cou(nties of New) Castle, Ken(t and Sussex) on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, & South Carolina, in behalf of ourselves (and the in)habitants of these Colonies who have deputed us to represent them in general Congress entreat your Majesty’s gra(cio)us attention to this our humble Petition. The Union between our Mother Country & these Colonies, & the Energy of mild & just Government produced Benefits so remarkably important, & afforded such assurance of their permanency, & increase, that the Wonder & Envy of other Nations were excited, while they beheld Great Britain rising to a power the most extraordinary the World had ever known. Her rivals observing that there was no probability of this happy connection being broken by civil dissentions & apprehending its future Effects if left any undisturbed, resolv’d to prevent her receiving so continued and formidable an accession of s Wealth & Strength by checking the growth of these Settlements from which they were to be deriv’d. In the prosecution of this attempt, events so unfavourable to the design took place, that every friend to the Interests of Great Britain & these Colonies, entertain’d pleasing & reasonable expectations of seeing an additional Force & Extension immediately given to the operation of the Union hitherto experienc’d, by an enlargement of the dominion of the Crown & the removal of ancient & warlike Enemies to a greater distance. At the conclusion therefore of the late War, the most glorious & advantageous that ever had been carried on by British Arms, the loyal Colonies, having contributed to its success by such repeated & strenuous exertions as frequently procur’d them the distinguished approbation of your Majesty, of the late King & of Parliam(ent) doubted not but that they should be permitted with the rest of the Empire to share in the blessings of Peace & emoluments of Victory & Conquest. While these recent & honorable Acknowledgments of their Merits remain’d on Record in the Journals & acts of that august Legislature, the Parliament undefac’d by the imputation or even the suspicion of any offence they were alarmed by a new System of Statutes & Regulations, adopted for the administration of the Colonies that fill’d their minds with the most painful fears & jealousies & to their inexpressible astonishment perceiv’d the dangers of a foreign Quarrel quickly succeeded by domestic dangers, in their Judgement of a more dr(eadful) kind. (N)or were their anxieties allevia(ted) by being tend(ency) in this Syste(m) to promote the (w)elfare of the Mother Country, for though its (effects) were more (immediately felt) by them yet its Influence appeared (to be) inj(urous) to the commerce and prosperity (of) Great Britain.