Legislatures in each particular State, to settle its revenue, its civil
and military establishment, and to exercise a perfect freedom of
legislation and internal government, so that the British States
throughout North America, acting with us in peace and war, under one
common sovereign, may have the irrevocable enjoyment of every privilege
that is short of a total separation of interests, or consistent with
that total union of force on which the safety of our common religion
and liberty depends." Let me assure you, gentlemen, that the power of
the respective Legislatures in each particular State is most fully
established, and on the most solid foundations. It is established on
the perfect freedom of legislation and a vigorous administration of
internal government. As to the settlement of the revenue and the civil
and military establishment, these are the work of the day, for which
the several Legislatures are fully competent. I have also the pleasure
to congratulate your Excellencies that the country for the settlement
of whose government, revenue, administration, and the like, you have
exposed yourselves to the fatigues and hazards of a disagreeable voyage
and more disagreeable negotiation, hath abundant resources wherewith to
defend her liberties now, and pour forth the rich stream of revenue
hereafter. As the States of North America mean to possess the
irrevocable enjoyment of their privileges, it is absolutely necessary
for them to decline all connection with a Parliament who, even in the
laws under which you act, reserve in express terms the power of
revoking every proposition which you may agree to. We have a due sense
of the kind offer you make to grant us a share in your sovereign; but
really, gentlemen, we have not the least inclination to accept of it.
He may suit you extremely well, but he is not to our taste. You are
solicitous to prevent a total separation of interests; and this, after
all, seems to be the gist of the business. To make you as easy as
possible on this subject, I have to observe, that it may, and probably