_"We find these Acts of the English Parliament to oppose the freedom,
safety, and well-being of this island. We, the present inhabitants of
Barbados, with great danger to our persons, and with great charge and
trouble, have settled this island in its condition and inhabited the
same, and shall we therefore be subjected to the will and command of
those that stay at home? Shall we be bound to the government and
lordship of a Parliament in which we have no Representatives or persons
chosen by us?
It is alleged that the inhabitants of this island have, by cunning and
force, usurped a power and formed an independent Government. In truth
the Government now used among us is the same that hath always been
ratified, and doth everyway agree with the first settlement and
Government in this place.
Futhermore, by the above said Act all foreign nations are forbidden to
hold any correspondency or traffick with the inhabitants of this
island; although all the inhabitants know very well how greatly we have
been obliged to the Dutch for our subsistence, and how difficult it
would have been for us, without their assistance, ever to have
inhabited these places in the Americas, or to have brought them into
order. We are still daily aware what necessary comfort they bring us,
and that they do sell their commodities a great deal cheaper than our
own nation will do. But this comfort would be taken from us by those
whose Will would be a Law unto us. However, we declare that we will
never be so unthankful to the Netherlanders for their former help and
assistance as to deny or forbid them, or any other nation, the freedom
of our harbors, and the protection of our Laws, by which they may
continue, if they please, all freedom of commerce with us.
Therefore, we declare that whereas we would not be wanting to use all
honest means for obtaining a continuance of commerce, trade, and good
correspondence with our country, so we will not alienate ourselves from
those old heroic virtues of true Englishmen, to prostitute our freedom
and privileges, to which we are born, to the will and opinion of
anyone; we can not think that there are any amongst us who are so
simple, or so unworthily minded, that they would not rather choose a
noble death, than forsake their liberties.