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to accommodate the unhappy differences between Great-Britain and the colonies, by conciliatory measures, will be successful.

Upon motion, Agreed, That Mr. Jay, Mr. S. Adams, and Mr. Deane, be a committee to prepare and bring in a letter to the people of Canada.

Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into farther consideration the state of America.

Adjourned till to-morrow at nine o'clock.

SATURDAY, May 27, 1775.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

The president laid before the Congress a letter from the convention of NewJersey, which was read, and referred to the committee of the whole.

Information being given, that there is a gentleman in town who can give a full and just account of the state of affairs in Canada;

Ordered, That he be introduced, which was done.

The committee appointed to draught a letter to the inhabitants of Canada, brought in the letter, which was read, and after some debate, re-committed to the same committee.

Upon motion, Agreed, That Mr. Washington, Mr. Schuyler, Mr. Mifflin, Mr. Deane, Mr. Morris and Mr. S. Adams, be a committee, to consider on ways and means to supply these colonies with ammunition and military

stores.

Upon motion, The memorial of Robert Murray and John Murray," desiring to be restored to their former situation with respect to their commercial privileges," was taken into consideration, and after some time spent thereon,

Resolved, That where any person hath been or shall be adjudged by a committee, to have violated the continental association, and such offender shall satisfy the convention of the colony, where the offence was or shall be committed, or the committee of the parish of St. John's, in the colony of Georgia, if the offence be committed there, of his contrition for his offence, and sincere resolution to conform to the association for the future, the said convention, or committee of the parish of St. John's aforesaid, may settle the terms upon which he may be restored to the favour and forgiveness of the public, and that the terms be published.

Ordered, That this be made public.

Resolved, That the order of the day be postponed till Monday.

Adjourned till Monday, at nine o'clock.

MONDAY, May, 29, 1775.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

The committee, to whom the letter to the inhabitants of Canada, was recommitted, brought in the same, which was read, and approved, and is as follows:

To the oppressed inhabitants of Canada.

FRIENDS AND COUNTRYMEN,

Alarmed by the designs of an arbitrary ministry, to extirpate the rights and liberties of all America, a sense of common danger conspired with the dictates of humanity, in urging us to call your attention, by our late address, to this very important object.

As we

Since the conclusion of the late war, we have been happy in considering you as fellow-subjects, and from the commencement of the present plan for subjugating the continent, we have viewed you as fellow-sufferers with us. were both entitled by the bounty of an indulgent Creator to freedom, and being both devoted by the cruel edicts of a despotic administration, to common ruin, we perceived the fate of the Protestant and Catholic colonies to be strongly

linked together, and therefore invited you to join with us in resolving to be free, and in rejecting, with disdain, the fetters of slavery, however artfully polished.

We most sincerely condole with you on the arrival of that day, in the course of which, the sun could not shine on a single freeman in all your extensive dominions. Be assured, that your unmerited degradation has engaged the most unfeigned pity of your sister colonies; and we flatter ourselves you will not, by tamely bearing the yoke, suffer that pity to be supplanted by contempt.

When hardy attempts are made to deprive men of rights, bestowed by the Almighty, when avenues are cut through the most solemn compacts for the admission of despotism, when the plighted faith of government ceases to give security to dutiful subjects, and when the insidious stratagems and manoeuvres of peace become more terrible than the sanguinary operations of war, it is high time for them to assert those rights, and, with honest indignation, oppose the torrent of oppression rushing in upon them.

By the introduction of your present form of government, or rather present form of tyranny, you and your wives and your children are made slaves. You have nothing that you can call your own, and all the fruits of your labor and industry may be taken from you, whenever an avaricious governor and a rapacious council may incline to demand them. You are liable by their edicts to be transported into foreign countries to fight battles in which you have no interest, and to spill your blood in conflicts from which neither honor nor emolument can be derived: Nay, the enjoyment of your very religion, on the present system, depends on a legislature in which you have no share, and over which you have no controul, and your priests are exposed to expulsion, banishment, and ruin, whenever their wealth and possessions furnish sufficient temptation. They cannot be sure that a virtuous prince will always fill the throne, and should a wicked or careless king concur with a wicked ministry in extracting the treasure and strength of your country, it is impossible to conceive to what variety and to what extremes of wretchedness you may, under the present establishment, be reduced.

We are informed you have already been called upon to waste your lives in a contest with us. Should you, by complying in this instance, assent to your new establishment, and a war break out with France, your wealth and your sons may be sent to perish in expeditions against their islands in the West-Indies. It cannot be presumed that these considerations will have no weight with you, or that you are so lost to all sense of honor. We can never believe that the present race of Canadians are so degenerated as to possess neither the spirit, the gallantry, nor the courage of their ancestors. You certainly will not permit the infamy and disgrace of such pusillanmity to rest on your own heads, and the consequences of it on your children forever.

We, for our parts, are determined to live free, or not at all; and are resolved, that posterity shall never reproach us with having brought slaves into the world.

Permit us again to repeat that we are your friends, not your enemies, and be not imposed upon by those who may endeavor to create animosities. The taking of the fort and military stores at Ticonderoga and Crown-Point, and the armed vessels on the lake, was dictated by the great law of self-preservation. They were intended to annoy us, and to cut off that friendly intercourse and communication, which has hitherto subsisted between you and us. hope it has given you no uneasiness, and you may rely on our assurances, that these colonies will pursue no measures whatever, but such as friendship and a regard for our mutual safety and interest may suggest.

We

As our concern for your welfare entitles us to your friendship, we presume you will not, by doing us injury, reduce us to the disagreeable necessity of treating you as enemies.

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76

JOURNALS OF CONGRESS, 1775.

We yet entertain hopes of your uniting with us in the defence of our common liberty, and there is yet reason to believe, that should we join in imploring the attention of our sovereign, to the unmerited and unparalleled oppressions of his American subjects, he will at length be undeceived, and forbid a licentious ministry any longer to riot in the ruins of the rights of mankind. Ordered, That the above letter be signed by the president.

Ordered, That Mr. Dickinson, and Mr. Mifflin, be a committee to get the letter translated into the French language, and to have one thousand copies of it, so translated, printed, in order to be sent to Canada, and dispersed among the inhabitants there.

Upon motion, Resolved, That no provisions or necessaries of any kind be exported to the island of Nantucket, except from the colony of MassachusettsBay, the convention of which colony is desired to take measures for effectually providing the said island, upon their application to purchase the same, with as much provision, as shall be necessary for its internal use, and no more.

The Congress deeming it of great importance to North-America, that the British fishery should not be furnished with provisions from the continent through Nantucket, earnestly recommend a vigilant execution of this resolve to all committees.

Ordered, That the above resolve be immediately published.

As the present critical situation of the colonies renders it highly necessary that ways and means should be devised for the speedy and secure conveyance of intelligence from one end of the continent to the other,

Resolved, That Mr. Franklin, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Lee, Mr. Willing, Mr. S. Adams, and Mr. P. Livingston, be a committee to consider the best means of establishing post for conveying letters and intelligence through this con

tinent.

Resolved, That the order of the day be postponed till to-morrow.
Adjourned till to-morrow, at nine o'clock.

TUESDAY, May 30, 1775.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

A member informed the Congress, that a gentleman, just arrived from London, had brought with him a paper, which he says he received from Lord North, and which was written, at the desire of his lordship, by Mr. Grey Cooper, under-secretary to the treasury, and as the gentleman understood it to be his lordship's desire that it should be communicated to the Congress, for that purpose he had put it into his hands. The member farther observed, that he had shewn the paper to a member near him, who was well acquainted with the hand writing of Mr. Cooper, and that he verily believes the paper was written by Mr. Cooper.

The paper being read, is as follows:

"That it is earnestly hoped by all the real friends of the Americans, that the terms expressed in the resolution of the 20th of February last, will be accepted by all the colonies, who have the least affection for their king and country, or a just sense of their own interest.

"That these terms are honorable for Great-Britain, and safe for the colonies. "That if the colonies are not blinded by faction, these terms will remove every grievance relative to taxation, and be the basis of a compact between the colonies, and the mother country.

"That the people in America ought, on every consideration, to be satisfied with them.

"That no further relaxation can be admitted.

"The temper and spirit of the nation are so much against concessions, that if it were the intention of administration, they could not carry the question.

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But administration have no such intention, as they are fully and firmly persuaded, that further concessions would be injurious to the colonies as well as to Great-Britain.

"That there is not the least probability of a change of administration.

"That they are perfectly united in opinion, and determined to pursue the most effectual measures, and to use the whole force of the kingdoin, if it be found necessary, to reduce the rebellious and refractory provinces and colonies.

"There is so great a spirit in the nation against the Congress, that the people will bear the temporary distresses of a stoppage of the American trade. "They may depend on this to be true.'

Ordered, To lie on the table.

Agreeable to the order of the day, the Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the state of America, and continued so to do the day following, when after some time, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Ward reported from the cominittee, that they had proceeded in the business, but not having come to a conclusion, desired him to move for leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration the state of America.

A letter from Col. Arnold, dated Crown-Point, May 23, 1775, was laid before the Congress, informing that he had certain intelligence, that "on the 19th there were then four hundred regulars at St. John's, making all possible preparation to cross the lake, and expected to be joined by a number of Indians, with a design of re-taking Crown-point and Ticonderoga," and earnestly calling for a reinforcement and supplies. This letter being taken into consideration,

Resolved, That the governor of Connecticut be requested immediately to send a strong reinforcement to the garrisons of Crown-Point and Ticonderoga, and that so many of the cannon and other stores be retained, as may be necessary for the immediate defence of those posts, until further order from this Congress, and that the provincial convention of New-York be informed of this resolve, and desired to furnish those troops with provisions and other necessary stores, and to take effectual care that a sufficient number of batteaus be immediately provided for the lakes.

Ordered, That the above resolve be immediately transmitted in a letter by the president, to governor Trumbull, and the convention at New-York.

Ordered, That the president in his letter acquaint governor Trumbull, that it is the desire of Congress, that he should appoint a person, in whom he can confide, to command the forces at Crown-Point and Ticonderoga. Adjourned till to-morrow at nine o'clock.

THURSDAY, June 1, 1775.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

The committee appointed to consider ways and means to supply these colonies with ammunition and military stores, brought in their report, which was read, and referred to the committee of the whole.

Upon motion, Resolved, That it be recommended to the government of Connecticut, or the general of the forces of that colony, to appoint commissaries to receive at Albany and forward the supplies of provisions, for the forces on lake Champlain, from the provincial convention of New-York, and that the said convention use their utmost endeavors in facilitating and aiding the transportation thereof, from thence to where the said commissaries may direct.

As this Congress has nothing more in view than the defence of these colonies, Resolved, That no expedition or incursion ought to be undertaken or made, By any colony, or body of colonists, against or into Canada; and that this

resolve be immediately transmitted to the commander of the forces at Ticonderoga.

Ordered, That the above resolve be translated into the French language, and transmitted, with the letter, to the inhabitants of Canada.

Ordered, That the president transmit a copy of the above to New-York, and the other colonies bordering on Canada.

A petition from the committee representing the people in that part of Augusta county, in the colony of Virginia, on the west side of the Allegheny mountain, was laid before the Congress and read, intimating "fears of a rupture with the Indians on account of lord Dunmore's conduct," and desiring "commissioners from the colony of Virginia, and province of Pennsylvania, to attend a meeting of the Indians at Pittsburgh, on behalf of these colonies." Ordered, That the above be referred to the delegates of the colonies of Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The Congress then, agreeable to the order of the day, resolved itself into a committee of the whole, to take into consideration the state of America, and after some time spent therein, the president resumed the chair, and Mr. Ward reported from the committee, that they had taken the matters referred to them, into consideration, but not having yet come to a conclusion, desired him to move for leave to sit again.

Resolved, That this Congress will, to-morrow, again resolve itself into a committee of the whole, to take into their farther consideration the state of America. Adjourned till to-morrow at nine o'clock.

FRIDAY, June 2, 1775.

The Congress met according to adjournment.

The president laid before the Congress a letter from the provincial convention of Massachusetts-Bay, dated May 16, which was read, setting forth the difficulties they labour under for want of a regular form of government, and as they and the other colonies are now compelled to raise an army to defend themselves from the butcheries and devastations of their implacable enemies, which renders it still more necessary to have a regular established government, requesting the Congress to favour them with "explicit advice respecting the taking up and exercising the powers of civil government," and declaring their readiness to "submit to such a general plan as the Congress may direct for the colonies, or make it their great study to establish such a form of government there, as shall not only promote their advantage, but the union and inteFest of all America."

Ordered, To lie on the table for farther consideration.

Doctor Benjamin Church being directed by the convention of MassachusettsBay, to confer with the Congress respecting such matters, as may be necessary to the defence of that colony, and particularly the state of the army therein; Ordered, That he be introduced.

After he withdrew, an express arriving with despaches from MassachusettsBay, the President laid before the Congress letters from the conventions of that colony, and New-Hampshire, also from governor Trumbull, which were

read.

Upon motion, Resolved, that no bill of exchange, draught, or order of any officer in the army or navy, their agents or contractors, be received, or negotiated, or any money supplied to them by any person in America;

That no provisions or necessaries of any kind be furnished or supplied to, or for the use of, the British army or navy, in the colony of Massachusetts-Bay; That no vessel employed in transporting British troops to America, or from one part of North America to another, or warlike stores or provisions for said troops, be freighted or furnished with provisions or any necessaries, until further orders from this Congress.

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