Critical support to King George?

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

(In John Oakes's highly informative "The Ruling Race: a history of American
Slaveholders",  I just discovered that the Crown Governor General of
Virginia offered freedom to any slave or indentured servant willing to
fight for the counter-revolution. But wait, isn't emancipation supposed to
be a goal of a bourgeois democratic revolution? Hard to keep track of these
things.)

By His Excellency the Right Honorable JOHN Earl of DUNMORE, His Majesty's
Lieutenant and Governor General of the Colony and Dominion of VIRGINIA, and
Vice Admiral of the same.

A PROCLAMATION

As I have ever entertained Hopes, that an Accommodation might have taken
Place between GREAT-BRITAIN and this Colony, without being compelled by my
Duty to this most disagreeable but now absolutely necessary Step, rendered
so by a Body of armed Men unlawfully assembled, firing on His MAJESTY'S
Tenders, and the formation of an Army, and that Army now on their March to
attack his MAJESTY'S Troops and destroy the well disposed subjects of the
Colony. To defeat such treasonable Purposes, and that all such Traitors,
and their Abettors, may be brought to Justice, and that the Peace, and good
Order of this Colony may be again restored, which the ordinary Course of
the Civil Law is unable to effect; I have thought fit to issue this my
Proclamation, hereby declaring, that until the aforesaid good Purpose can
be obtained, I do in Virtue of the Power and Authority to ME given, by His
MAJESTY, determine to execute Martial Law, and cause the same to be
executed throughout this Colony: and to ****** the Peace and good Order may
the sooner be restored, I do require every Person capable of bearing Arms,
to resort to His MAJESTY'S STANDARD, or be looked upon as Traitors to His
MAJESTY'S Crown and Government, and thereby become liable to the Penalty
the Law inflicts upon such Offenses; such as forfeiture of Life,
confiscation of Lands, &. &. And I do hereby further declare all indented
Servants, Negroes, or others, (appertaining to Rebels,) free that are able
and willing to bear Arms, they joining His MAJESTY'S Troops as soon as may
be, foe the more speedily reducing this Colony to a proper Sense of their
Duty, to His MAJESTY'S Crown and Dignity. I do further order, and require,
all His MAJESTY'S Liege Subjects, to retain their Quitrents, or any other
Taxes due or that may become due, in their own Custody, till such a Time as
Peace may be again restored to this at present most unhappy Country, or
demanded of them for their former salutary Purposes, by Officers properly
***** to receive the same.

GIVEN under my Hand on board the Ship WILLIAM by Norfolk, the 7th Day of
November in the SIXTEENTH Year of His MAJESTY'S Reign.

http://collections.ic.gc.ca/blackloyalists/documents/official/dunmore.htm


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