The Virginia Gazette
October 31, 1755
On Tuesday last the General Assembly of this Colony met here, when His Honor the Governor was pleased to open the Session with the following SPEECH.
Gentlemen of the Council, Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses,
I SHOULD gladly have spared you the Trouble of meeting at this Season, after so many Fatigues in your Country's Service, and so short a Recess, but the Urgency of our affairs made a Session unavoidable.
The great Terror of our back Inhabitants, arising partly from the horrid Barbarities of our brutal Enemies, and partly from the Misbehaviour of many among our own People, has almost made the Frontier Settlements desolate, and will probably extend the Evil very fast, unless timely prevented by your Interposition.
Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses,
Last Assembly you were pleased to vote Forty Thousand Pounds, for the Protection of our County, and conducting the necessary Expedition, in Consquence [sic] thereof, I have granted Commissions, and ordered the raising of a Thousand Men, to be incorporated into a Regiment under the Command of Col. George Washington. You then enacted two Acts, the one a Militia Law, the other against invasions, &c, but these Laws are very deficient for conducting the Forces in the Pay of the Country, in a proper Manner. I therefore recommend to you, to put the Forces now raised, under the Military Law, as the Troops in his Majesty's immediate Pay are subjected to. Without this, the Money you have voted, and the Intention proposed, by raising these Forces, will prove abortive, unless the Commanding Officer be enable to keep them under strict Discipline, and in a proper Submission to their Officers; I therefore intreat that you will form such a Law as will answer the Design of raising the Forces.
I think it necessary to acquaint you, that repeated Complaints have been made me, of the great Obstructions given to the service, by many of the Magistrates and other civil Officers, some of whom have even given Protection to those who have shamefully deserted with their Arms and Cloathing; and other, with an unparalled and most criminal Undutifulness to their County, have discouraged, and prevented the enlisting Men, tho' to protect themselves; I therefore recommend to you to make an Act that may effectually deter such unworthy and corrupt Members of the Society, from doing further Injury to the public Welfare, and may encourage the detecting and taking up of Deserters; without such a Law, I conceive, the Money voted, and my Endeavours in raising Men, will prove ineffectual.
Gentlemen,
I also observe the Reward given by the Act "For preventing and repelling the hostile Incursions of Indians at Enmity with the Inhabitants of this Colony, and giving an Encouragement of Ten Pounds for the Scalps of Indian Enemies," is confined to our People; I am of Opinion if this Act was enlarged and extended, by giving our friendly Indians some proper Encouragement to scalp our Enemies, it would be of great Service; for if you please to observe, our Enemies, the French, give an Encouragement to their Indians for scalping our Fellow-Subjects, I therefore desire you will take this into your mature Consideration.
Gentlemen,
I am also to acquaint you, That I have received a Letter from General Shirley, dated the Ninth Day of September last; in which he proposes a Meeting of Commissioners from all the Colonies, as far to the Southward as this Colony, to meet at New-York next Month to consult on the most proper Measures to be taken for the general Interest of the common Cause, next Spring. As I conceive this may be attended with essential good Service, I therefore most heartily recommend the same to you; and that you may the better know that Gentleman's View, in appointing the above Congress, I shall cause his Letter to me to be laid before you; these Commissioners, if appointed, may be restrained by proper Instructions, formed and given them by a Committee of the Two Houses.
Gentlemen of the Council, Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses,
As there are but few Matters recommended to your Consideration, I hope you will dispatch them with Expedition, so as to make a short Session.
SIR,
We His Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Council of Virginia, now met in General Assembly, return your Honor our sincere and hearty Thanks, for your affectionate Speech at the Opening of his Session.
As we are truly sensible of the defenceless Situation of our Frontiers, and the great Danger the back Inhabitants are exposed to, from the shocking Barbarities of the cruel and inhuman Enemy, we will exert our utmost Endeavours, to prevent the spreading of an Evil that would tend to depopulate our Country.
To this End, we will, with all the Ardor and Dispatch that the Importance of the Subject requires, join with the House of Burgesses, in such Measures as shall be thought most conducive to quiet the Minds, and secure the Persons and Properties of those unhappy Sufferers.
Our natural Attachment to the Welfare and Prosperity of our Country, will make us disregard every Trouble we meet with in her Service; and we should be guilty of the highest Ingratitude, if we did not acknowledge your Honor's unwearied Diligence and Attention to the same Cause, during the whole Course of your Administration, which has been a continued Scene of Hurry and Fatigue.
Gentlemen of the Council,
It is with great Pleasure I receive your kind and affectionate Address, for which I return my most cordial and sincere Thanks. I have no Doubt, but in Time, we shall vanquish and overcome the Designs of our most inhuman Enemies; when I consider, with what Resolution and Spirit you incline to join with the House of Burgesses, in so necessary and just Affairs recommended to them.
The Fatigue and Care I have hitherto taken for the Service of his Majesty, and this Country, is most agreeable to me, when I have your Approbation of what is done, and your kind Promises of Assistance in what hereafter may be proper for these salutary Ends.
SIR,
We His Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the Burgesses of Virginia, now met in General Assembly, return your Honor our sincere Thanks for your Speech at the Opening of this Session.
As we are again called upon to provide for the Security and Preservation of our Country, against the barbarous Depredations of the French; permit us, Sir, to renew our Assurances, that we will continue to exert ourselves in the Cause of Religion and Liberty, with the same Vigor and Resolution that have always influenced our Conduct, and will pursue the most effectual measures for repelling from our Frontiers, and Enemy whose Ambition nothing can satisfy, and who have always despised the Obligations of the most sacred Treaties.
Give us Leave, further to assure your Honor, that we will proceed, in our Consultations, with all possible Dispatch.
Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Burgesses,
I heartily thank you for this your Address. What I recommend to you in my Speech, was most seriously considered, and I am convince, absolutely necessary for the conducting our Forces, and the Preservation and Defence of our Country, from the cruel Insults of our barbarous Enemies.
I am persuaded, if you think as I do, you will, with Chearfulness and Dispatch, provide proper Laws for the Defence of our religious and civil Rights.
Exploration, Settlement and Conflict (1600-1799)