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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Letter from Maurice Moore to Josiah Martin
Moore, Maurice, 1735-1777
January 09, 1776
Volume 11, Pages 269-270

[B. P. R. O. Am: & W. Ind: Vol: 222.]
(M. Moore to Gov. Martin.)
In Gov: Martin's (No 8.) of 17th May 1777. (1.)


Wilmington Janry 9th 1776.

Sir,

It appears from the King's speech to Parliament of the 26th of October last that the military operations which will probably be pointed against America in the Spring are founded on the principle of retaining the constitutional dependance of the Colonies and preventing them from establishing an independant Empire of their own I am further confirmed in this opinion by a passage in Lord North's speech to the House of Commons (which Doctor Cobham assures me he saw) in which he says that administration wishes for no more than that the Colonies should be put upon the same footing they were in the year 1763. If I am right in my construction of His Majesty's Speech I wish your Excellency would give this unhappy Colony an opportunity of renouncing every desire of independency on the present state and asking the favour of its' Sovereign and a reconciliation with their fellow subjects at home on the terms Lord North says the administration will be satisfied with I verily Believe Sir should your excellency think it proper to call an Assembly it will be found to be the sence of this Province that it is the duty of all the Colonies to submit and to return with cheerfulness to the same political condition they were in in the year 1763.

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I wish your Excellency would favour me with your Sentiments on the subject of my letter as soon as may be

I am Sir
your Excellency's
most obedient and
most humble servant
M. MOORE.
(A true copy)
JO: MARTIN.