will be continued in the upper; for, once set in motion, it will continue to move till a succession of victims fall. Our principles are few, and founded on the basis of our constitu tion, which were purchased with the dearest blood of our an cestors, and which we swear to transmit to posterity unsul lied, or perish in the attempt;-equality of rights (not of property) is the object for which we contend; and which we consider as the only security for our liberties and lives. Let us shew to the world that we are not that lawless sanguinary rabble, which our oppressors would persuade the higher circles we are, but a brave and generous people, determined to be free. Liberty or death is our motto; and we have sworn to return home in triumph, or return no more! Soldiers! shall you, countrymen, bound by the sacred obligation of an oath to defend your country and your King from enemies, whether foreign or domestic, plunge your bayonets into the bosoms of fathers and brothers, and at once sacrifice, at the shrine of military despotism, to the unrelenting orders or a cruel faction, those feelings which you hold in common with the rest of mankind? Soldiers! turn your eyes toward Spain, and there behold the happy effects resulting from the union of soldiers and citizens. Look to that quarter, and there behold the yoke of hated despotism broke by the unanimous wish of the people and the soldiery, happily accomplished without bloodshed—and shall you who taught those soldiers to fight the battles of liberty refuse to fight those or your own country? Forbid it, Heaven! Come forward then at once, and free your country and your King from the power of those that have held them too, too long in thraldom. Friends and countrymen, the eventful period has now arrived where the services of all will be required for the forwarding of an object so universally wished, and so absolutely necessary. Come forward then, and assist those who have begun in the completion of so arduous a task, and support the laudable efforts which we are about to make, to replace to Britons those rights consecrated to them by Magna Charta and the Bill of Rights, and sweep from our shores that corruption which has degraded us below the dignity of man. Owing to the misrepresentations which have gone abroad

with regard to our intentions, we think it indispensibly necessary to declare inviolable all public and private property; and we hereby call upon all Justices of the Peace, and all others to suppress pillage and plunder of every description; and to endeavour to secure those guilty of such offences, that they may receive that punishment which such violation of justice demands. In the present state of affairs, and during the continuation of so momentous a struggle, we earnestly request of all to desist from their labour, from and after this day, the first of April, and attend wholly to the recovery of their rights, and consider it as the duty of every man, not to recommence until he is in the possession of those rights which distinguishes the freeman from the slave; viz. that of giving consent to the laws by which he is to be governed. We, therefore, recommend to the proprietors of public works, and all others to stop the one, and shut up the other, until order is restored, as we will be accountable for no damages which may be sustained, and which, after this public intimation, they can have no claim to. And we hereby give notice to all those who shall be found carrying arms against those who intend to regenerate their country, and restore its inhabitants to their native dignity, we shall consider them as traitors to their country, and enemies to their King, and treat them as such. By order of the committee of organization for forming a provisional government. Glasgow, April 1, 1820. Britons! God, Justice, the wishes of all good men, are with us; join together, and make it one cause, and the nations of the earth shall hail the day when the standard of liberty shall be raised on its native soil." With intent thereby, to solicit and incite the troops, soldiers, and other the liege subjects of our said Lord the King, to aid and assist in making and levying, insurrection, rebellion, and war, against our said Lord the King, within this his realm, to wit, within that part of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Scotland, and in subverting and destroying the government and constitution of this realm as by law established. And the said Thomas M'Culloch, Andrew Hardie, Benjamin Moir, Allan Murchie, Alexander Latimer, Alexander Johnson, Andrew White, David Thomson, James Wright,

William Clackson, otherwise called William Clarkson, Thomas Pike, otherwise called Thomas Pink, Robert Gray, James Clelland, Alexander Hart, John Baird, John Barr, William Smith, and Thomas M'Farlane, did then and there, to wit, on the said first day of April, in the first year of the reign aforesaid, and on the said other days and times, at the parish of Falkirk aforesaid, in the county of Stirling aforesaid, in that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Scotland, with force and arms, maliciously and traitorously affix, set up, stick, and fasten, and cause to to be affixed, set up, stuck, and fastened to, and upon, divers walls and buildings, in divers public, open, and conspicuous places, with the intent that the same might be seen and read by the liege subjects of our said Lord the King, divers other printed papers, purporting to be addresses to the inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland, containing therein, in the same manner, and to the same effect as is above stated, and set forth as to the said printed papers in the former part of this overt act, particularly mentioned and set forth, with intent thereby to solicit and incite the troops and soldiers, and other the liege subjects of our said Lord the King, to aid and assist in making and levying insurrection, rebellion, and war, against our said Lord the King, within this his realm, to wit, within that part of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Scotland, and in subverting and destroying the government and constitution of this realm, as by law established: And further, to fulfil, perfect, 4th and bring to effect their most evil and wicked treason, and treasonable compassing and imagination aforesaid, they, the said Thomas M'Culloch, Andrew Hardie, Benjamin Moir, Allan Murchie, Alexander Latimer, Alexander Johnston, Andrew White, David Thomson, James Wright, William Clackson, otherwise called William Clarkson, Thomas Pike, otherwise called Thomas Pink, Robert Gray, James Clelland, Alexander Hart, John Baird, John Barr, William Smith, and Thomas M'Farlane, as such false traitors as aforesaid, on the first day of April, in the first year of the reign aforesaid, and on divers other days and times, as well before as after that day, with force and arms, at the parish of Fal

Overt

Act.

kirk aforesaid, in the county of Stirling aforesaid, in that part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Scotland, maliciously and traitorously did publish, and cause and procure to be published, divers other printed papers, purporting to be "Addresses to the Inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland;" and stating therein, amongst other things, that they, the said false traitors, were at length compelled, from the extremity of their sufferings, and the contempt heaped upon their petitions for redress, to assert their rights at the hazard of their lives, and proclaim to the world the real motives which had reduced them to take up arms for the redress of their common grievances: That their principles were few, and founded on the basis of our constitution, which were purchased with the dearest blood of their ancestors, and which they swore to transmit to posterity unsullied, or perish in the attempt: That equality of rights (not of property) was the object for which they contended, and which they considered the only security for their lives: That "Liberty or Death" was their motto: That they had sworn to return home in triumph, or return no more: And interrogating the soldiers, who the said false traitors therein stated were their countrymen, bound, by the sacred obligation of an oath, to defend their countrymen and their King from enemies whether foreign or domestic, whether they, the said soldiers, would plunge their bayonets into the bosoms of fathers and brothers, and at once sacrifice at the shrine of military despotism, to the unrelenting orders of a cruel faction, those feelings which they held in common with the rest of mankind; and recommending, that the soldiers should at once come forward, and free their country and their King from the power of those who held them too long in thraldom. In the present state of affairs, and during the continuation of so momentous a struggle, they, the said false traitors, earnestly requested of all to desist from their labour from and after the first day of April, and attend wholly to the recovery of their rights; and consider it as the duty of every man not to recommence, until he was in possession of those rights which distinguish the freeman from the slave, namely, that of giving consent to the laws by which he is to be

governed. They, the said false traitors, therefore, recommended to the proprietors of public works, and all others, to stop the one, and shut up the other, until order was restored, as they would be accountable for no damages which might be sustained, and which, after that public intimation, the said proprietors could have no claim to; and they thereby gave notice to all who should be found carrying arms against those who intended to regenerate their country, and restore its inhabitants to their native dignity, that they should consider them as traitors to their country, and enemies to their King, and treat them as such; which said last mentioned printed papers purported to be by order of the Committee of Organization for forming a Provisional Government, with intent thereby to solicit and incite the troops and soldiers, and others, the liege subjects of our said Lord the King, to aid and assist in making and levying insurrection, rebellion, and war, against our said Lord the King, within this his realm, to wit, within that part of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Scotland, and in subverting and destroying the government and constitution of this realm, as by law established. And the said Thomas M'Culloch, Andrew Hardie, Benjamin Moir, Allan Murchie, Alexander Latimer, Alexander Johnstone, Andrew White, David Thomson, James Wright, William Clackson, otherwise called William Clarkson, Thomas Pike, otherwise called Thomas Pink, Robert Gray, James Clelland, Alexander Hart, John Baird, John Barr, William Smith, and Thomas M'Farlane, did then and there, to wit, on the said 1st day of April, in the 1st year of the reign aforesaid, and on the said other days and times, at the parish of Falkirk aforesaid, in the county of Stirling aforesaid, in that part of the united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, called Scotland, with force and arms, maliciously and traitorously affix, set up, stick, and fasten to and upon divers walls and buildings, in divers public, open, and conspicuous places, with the intent that the same might be seen and read by the liege subjects of our said Lord the King, divers other printed papers, purporting to be addresses to the inhabitants of Great Britain, and Ireland, stating therein, among other