USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester County, New York, during the American Revolution > Part 26
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Lord of the Provincial Congress, " Die Luna 4 ho., P.M., May 29th, pages 22, 88, ante.
Gather Counties or Detrusts who have not appoint ment ; and there is very little evidence, as far as we ed Committee, a shall be appointed by the mem- , have been able to find any, which indicates that the several Towns throughout the County paid any atten- tion to the recommendation of the Congress, for the appointment of Town-committees; ' and there is no evidence whatever, that any attempt was made, in body of the inhabitants of the County, to the General Lavoriation which had been enacted by the Con- tinental Congress of 1774, nor to any other such Association -the Provincial Congress had done no more than, nominally, to "recommend" to the inhabitants to sign the Association ; " it not only did not authorize the employment of force in order to obtain signatures thereto, but it expre-sty disclaimed, in advance, the entertainment of any such idea; " the Congress itself, by a formal vote, had post- poned a formal approval of that General Association as well as all of the other doings of the Continental Congress, who had enacted it ; " and, for these reasons, as well as for others with which the reader is already familiar, the conservative yeomanry of Westchester- county was not in a hurry to either recognize or sign it.
The Committee of the Provincial Congress who had been appointed to consider the very important subject of the Currency, for the support of the Rebel- lion, made a very clear and able Report, on the thir- tieth of May, in which some of the commercial troubles produced or likely to be produced by the Rebellion were very graphically presented; andan issue
4There were Committees in a small number of the Towns, at a later period; but there is no evidence, as far as we have knowledge, that they originaled in the recommendation of the Provincial Congress, nor as carly as in 175.
3 The .t. cocintio, duty signed by those who woubl sign it and duly noting those who declined to do so, was to be returned to the secretary of the Provincial Congress, on or before the fifteenth of July, 1577. The files of that Congress, which are preserved in the office of the secretary of State, at Albany, show, however, that the only Countries of Towny which made any Returns of Associators, in response to this Resolution, were Orange, Ulster, Suffolk, Duchess, one District in Charlotte, three Districts in Cumberland, and a few scattering names, not more then fifty, in Queens; but there is no such Return from Westchester county ; there is no such Return among the archives of the County, in the office of the County .clerk ; and we have failed to find anything resembling such a Return, in the offices of the Town-clerks, in the several Towns. The signer of the following, which was sent from Amonia, in Duchess-county, is classed among the "3 Tories" of that " Precinct : " "Junte yo stb; A+ 1775. This may serty ly all pepel whome In may "cornsern that t the Svoseriber am willing to do what is lust and "wright to secure The privilig, of a mariga both sivel atl siered atl to " follow the advise of our Reverend congres so far as they do the word " of God and the example of Jews's Christ and I hope in the grace of God " no more will be required, as witness my haml,
6 see the Resolutions of the Provincial Congress, page 94, alite. i See the general Circular Letter of the Congress, on this page, ante. The Nuur declaration, more distinctly uttered, may be seen in the Letter of the Provincial Compress to Christopher Yates and Major Ville Findlot, of Tryou county ; in that from the same for Colour honey Borgers, at Kort. in Cumberland county : and in that from the saan to datech hotdry and Codonel Peters, of filosrester county-all of theta dated" Is PROvis. "CIAL CONGRESS, NEW YORK, the Best May, ITT."
" Journal of the Provincial Congress, "5 ho., f. M., May 29th, " pages 93, ante.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
of that Currency by the Continental Congress, with specified provisions for the payment of it, was recom- mended 1-the original proposition for the emission of those immense amounts of " Continental-bills," which, subsequently and with the help of friendly legislation in the Continental Congress, afforded so favorable an opportunity for repudiation by the United States, " the faith of the Nation " to the con- trary notwithstanding.
The Report of the Committee was " fully debated " and considered," by the Provincial Congress, and, by an unanimous vote, it was adopted, with an order transmitting a copy of it to the Delegates of the Col- ony, in the Continental Congress.
A circumstance occurred, within the Provincial Congress, early in its Session, which requires partie- ular notice in this place.
One week after that body had been originally or- ganized, [May 30, 1775] Benjamin Kissam, of the City of New York, " moved in the words following, " to wit: 'Forasmuch as a reconciliation between " Great Britain and these Colonies, on constitutional " principles, is essential to the well-being of both The revolutionary faction, led by John Morin " countries, and will prevent the horrors of a Civil ; Scott and Alexander MeDougal, resolutely opposed " War, in which this Continent is now about to be ; the motion ; and the last-named, seconded by Abra- " involved, it is, therefore, the indispensable duty ham Brasher, moved for the previous question, in or- " of this Congress, to communicate to the Delegates " of this Colony, in Continental Congress, their sen- - " tinients respecting the terms of such reconciliation ; " I, therefore, move that a Committee be appointed ---- " to prepare and state the terms on which such re- " conciliation may be tendered to Great Britain, con-
" sistent with the just Liberties and Freedom of the " subject, in America, to the intent that the same, " when approved by this Congress, may be laid before " the said Delegates, as our sense, on this important " subjeet, to be humbly submitted to their considera- " tion."
A question of such great importance and so dis. tasteful to many of the Deputies, was reasonably dis- cussed with much warmth ; and it is very evident that, had the vote been taken, at that time, the mo- tion would have been adopted by the Provincial Con- gress. It was evidently approved by a majority of the Counties; but, if the vote could be postponed, changes might be effected, by fair means or by foul -- there were astute and experienced politicians within and around that Provincial Congress-and three of the Counties who were opposed to the motion re- sorted to the tenth Rule of the Congress," not re- sorted to, on any other occasion, during the entire
period of therevisore of that Congress, to secure that advantage a.d. ti, rebs , if possible, to defeat the motion-" at the request of the Deputies of the City " and County of Albany and the Counties of " Ulster, Suffolk, and Charlotte," it was " ORDERED, " That the same be deferred.".
Although the Rule required the Congress to restune the consideration of the motion on "the next day," the Rule was disregarded ; ' and, on the following day [June 1, 1775, ] Mr. Kissun, with the leave of the Congress, withdrew the motion, "in order to " amend it." 6
On the second of June, the amended motion was submitted by Mr. Kis-am, " in the words following, " to wit: Forasmuch as a reconciliation between " Great Britain and thee Colonies, on constitutional " principles, is essential to the well-being of both " countries, and will prevent the horrors of a Civil " War, in which this Continent is now about to be " involved : I move that a Committee be appointed " to prepare a plan of such accommodation, and re- " port the same to this House."
der to defeat it; but only Ulster, Orange, Suffolk, and Duchess-counties favored the motion for the previous question ; and it was defeated --- Philip Van Cortlandt, differing from all his asso- ciates from Westchester-county, voting with the rev- olutionary faction. The motion of Mr. Kissam was then carried, without any dissent, except that of Philip Van Cortlandt, who recorded that dissent on the Journal of the Congress.
Colonel Woodhull, of Suffolk, one of those who had opposed the motion, then moved, as an amend- ment of the motion, the addition of these words : " That we may be ready, if we shall think it neces- " sary, to communicate our sentiments upon that sub- " ject to our Delegates at Philadelphia;" which was subsequently adopted, without a division, in the fol- lowing words : " LESOLVED, therefore, That, although " we would, by no means, presume to dictate to the " General Continental Congress, yet it is highly nec- " essary that this House be prepared to give onr sen- " timents to our Delegates, in the said Congress,upou " such plan of accommodation." With the ap- pointment of John Morin Scott, Isane Low, Alexan- der MeDougal, Benjardin Kissam, and Thomas Smith, of the City of New York ; John Sloss Hobart, Colo- nel Nathaniel Woodhull, and Thomas Tredwell, of Suffolk; Robert Yates and Peter Silvester, of the City and County of Albany ; Gouverneur Morris, of
1 .Janend of the Provincial Congress, " Die Martin, 9 ho., A.M., May " 30th, 1775.""
: Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Martis, 9 ho, A.M, May "30, 1775."
2 "10th .- That no question shall be determined on the day that it is " agitated, if there Counting shall request that it Is deferred to the "next day." - Body of the Congress, in the Journal of the Prorowiat Com- yrex, Tuesday, 23tl of. May, 1775.)
+ Journal of the Provincial Congress, "5 1.o., P.M., May 3, 1575." 'SJournal of the Proximal Congres. " Die Mercarit, 9 ha., A.M., May "31, 177%."
& Journal of the Provincial Compress, " Die Jovis, 9 ho., June 1. 1775."
97
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
Westchester county Epha l'aine. of Daches- county; John Will of throne county; and Pon Muchvan, of Rahmend-county-six of whom, installing Memra Porti. MeDougal, Hobart, Wood- hall. l'une, and Traiwell, were undoubtedly opposed 1 .. !!. ..... hon. ment-for a Committee, with in- structions to ' make report with all convenient speed," the subject rested, temporarily.'
It was Not until the twenty-second of June, that the Commette was ready to report to the Provincial Congran the result of its deliberations on the sub- jeet aloch had been referred to it. On that day, the Report niw prevented, and read, twice, when the tol- lowwere very significant Order therecon was made by
" ORDERED, That the same be taken into consider- " ation on Saturday morning next ; that the mem- " heis of each County have leave to take one copy " thereof, each copy to be numbered by one of the " Secretaries, who shall take a memorandum of the " name of the inember who shall take with him such " copy and the number of the copy by him taken, " that all such copies may, on Saturday next, be re- " turned to and filed with the Secretaries; and all " the members are directed by the President, from " the Chair, to take the utmost care to preserve the " said copies secret, and to keep secret the subject " matter thereof. And it is agreed that no member " shall tranveribe the said Report, or take any copy " from the copies taken out of the House for the use " of the members of each County ; and that all the " said copies shall, on Saturday next, be returned to " the Secretaries." 2
On the following Saturday [June 24, 1775,] the Provincial Congress proceeded to consider the Re- port, agreeable to its Order made on the preceding Tlmirsday ; and, after the Report had been read and re-read, debated and amended, during the greater portion of that day and a portion of the following Tuesday. the proposed "Plan of Accommodation "with Great Britain," thus amended, was adopted, apparently with much cordiality, by all, except by those of the revolutionary faction.3
That very important paper, the " Plan of Accommo- " dation with Great Britain," which is essential to a proper understanding of the character of the doings of the Provincial Congress, at a later period of its existence, was, in its completed form, in these words :
" That all the Statutes and parts of Statutes of the " British Parliament, which are held up for repeal by "the late Continental Congress, in their Association,
" dated the twentieth day of October, 1774, and all the "Statutes of the British Parliament, passed since that "day, restraining the Trade and Fishery of Colonics "on this Continent, ought to be repealed.
"That from the necessity of the case, Britain ought "to regulate the Trade of the whole Empire, for the "general benefit of the whole, and not for the sep- "arate interest of any particular part ; and that, from "the natural Right of Property, the powers of Taxa- "tion ought to be confined to the Colony Legislatures, "respectively.
" THEREFORE, That the monies raised as Duties, "upon the Regulations of Trade, ought to be paid "into the respective Colony Treasuries, and be subject "to the disposal of their Deputies.
"That in those Colonies whose Representatives in "General Assembly are now chosen for a greater term "than three years, such Assemblies, for the future, "ought; in their duration, not to exceed that " terin.
" That the Colonists are ready and willing to sup- "port the Civil Government within their respec- "tive Colonies ; and, on proper requisitions, to "assist in the general defence of the Empire, in " as ample manner as their respective abilities will "admit.
"That if objections be made that a resort to a "variety of Colony Legislatures, for general aids, is "inconvenient, and that large, unappropriated Grants "to the Crown, from America, would endanger the "Liberty of the Empire, then the Colonies are ready "and willing to assent to a Continental Congress, "deputed from the several Colonies, to ineet with a "President appointed by the Crown, for the purpose "of raising and apportioning their general aids, upon "application made by the Crown, according to the "advice of the British Parliament, to be judged of by "the said Congress.
"And as the free enjoyment of the Rights of Con- "science is, of all others, the most valuable branch of " human Liberty ; and the indulgence and establish- "ment of Popery, all along the interior confines of "the old Protestant Colonies, tends not only to "obstruct their growth but weaken their security ; "that neither the Parliament of Great Britain nor " any other earthly Legislature or Tribunal ought or "can interfere or interpose, in any wise, howsoever, "in the religious and ecclesiastical concerns of the "Colonies.
" That the Colonies, respectively, are entitled to a "free and exelusive power of legislation, within "themselves, respectively, in all cases of internal " polity, whatsoever, subject only to the negative of "their Sovereign, in such manner as has been, here- " tofore, aceustomed.
" RESOLVED: That no one Article of the afore- "going Report be considered preliminary to another, " so as to precinde an accommodation without such "Article; and that no part of the said Report be
Journal of the Prominent Congress, " Die Veneris, 9 ho., A. M., June 2, " Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Jovis, 9 ho., A.M., June 22, The Journal of the Provincial Congress," 4 ho., P.M., Die Martis, June ": 1775." x
98
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
" deemed binding or obligatory upon the Repre- "sentatives of this .Colony, in Continental Con- gress."1
The principles on which that Plan was constructed and the methods which were proposed for the execu- tion of its provisions were so radieally subversive of all the purposes for which Colonies were established and protected ; so singularly presumptuous in claiming all the privileges and benefits enjoyed by English- men withont assuming any of the burdens under which Englishmen were then staggering; so unac- countably inconsistent in conceding the authority of the Parliament to regulate their Trade and to levy Duties on their Imports while, at the same time, they denied the authority of that Parliament to int- pose Taxes on them, for general purposes, in the same manner and to the same extent and for the same purposes that it imposed similar Taxes on Englishmen, in England; so unduly arrogant in dietating to the Home Government and to the Parlia- ment what they should do and what they should not do-including, in the former, a removal of all those obstructions to the "illicit Trade" of the Colonists, which that Home Government and that Parliament had interposed-as the price of their indirect proffer of an abandonment of their rebellious movements and of their return to their duties, as subjects of the Crown, that it is difficult to bring one's self to a belief that the framers and supporters of that pro- posed Plan were really sincere in proposing it, unless with the qualification that their enthusiasm and the sceming indifference of the Home and Colonial Governments had blinded them to its remarkable peculiarities, and indueed them to regard the Colonists as something superior, in their political standing, to other subjects of the Crown-as something more than subjects, owing obedience to those in authority and to the Laws of the land. Such a Plan, had it been submitted to the Home Government and to the Parliament, would, unquestionably, have aggravated instead of conciliated, and have widened the breach which then separated the Colonies and the Mother Country, instead of closing it. It is serviceable, how- ever, to the careful student of the history of that period, to indicate how much the Rebellion had already palled upon the senses of even those who were its local leaders ; how much a reconciliation was secretly hankered for, even among those who were blustering in fictitious bravery ; how much of hypoe- risy there was among those who were loudly pretend- ing to be "patriots," in harmony with similar "patriots" in each of the other Colonies, all of them zealously and noisily crowding the entire Continent into an open and unqualified Rebellion, while, at the same time, they were secretly determining, among themselves, by how slight a bond they were bound to their associates in erime, how delicately constructed
1 Jourand of the Provincial Congress, 4 ho., P. M., Pie Martis, June 27,
were their house and their patriotism, and at what price the Home Government could purchase their ad- herence and their " patriotism " and their sympathy with their compatriots, whenever that Home Govern- ment should incline to enter the market of " patriot- " ism," for such a purpose.
At a very early period, the security of the pass at King-bridge appears to have attracted the attention of the revolutionary faction ; and measures were taken with the evident intention of throwing up some defensive works, at that point, for the protection of the City.
Immediately after the receipt of intelligence con- cerning the raid of the Royal troops on Lexington and Concord, without any formal order from the Committee of One hundred, great numbers of men were employed in hatiling the cannon from the City to Kingsbridge, in readiness for the work of intrench- ment ; " and on the fourth of May, the Committee "ordered, that Captain Sears, Captain Randall, and "Captain Fleming be a Committee to procure proper "judges to go and view the ground at or near Kings- "bridge, and report to this Committee, with all "convenient speed, whether it will answer the pur- " poses intended by it "3-although they were not described, the " purposes " referred to were, evidently, for the protection of the City from any irruption, by land, from the country Towns.
The published Proceedings of the Committee of One hundred, in the City of New York, make no mention of the doings of that Committee ; and it is not proba- . ble that it accomplished anything, in the way of forti- fying Kingsbridge ; but, on the twenty-fifth of May, the Continental Congress agreed to the following Resolutions, "respecting New York," one of which relates to the defence of Kingsbridge. These Reso- lutions were in the following words :
" 1 .- RESOLVED, That a Post be immediately taken "and fortified at or near King's-Bridge, in the Colony " of New-York ; and that the ground be chosen with "a particular view to prevent the communication " between the City of New- York and the country " from being interrupted by land.
" 2 .-- RESOLVED, that a Post be also taken in the " Highlands, on each side of Hudson's River, and Bat- " teries erected in such manner as will most effectaal- "ly prevent any Ves-els passing. that may be sent to "harass the Inhabitants on the borders of said River ; "and that experienced persons be immediately sent " to examine said River, in order to discover where it " will be most advisable and proper to obstruct the " Navigation.
"3 .- RESOLVED, That the Militia of New-York be "armed and trained, and in coustant readiness to act
" Proceedings of the Council of the Cole uy of New York, " Monday, May 1, ": 1775."
3 Minutes of the Committee of One has dred, Adjourned Meeting, " Thum- "dạy morning, Ith Muy, 1775."
99
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
"at a monet's warning ; and that a number of Men Scott, of the City of New-York, they were taken into consideration-that portion of them which directel the fortifying of Kingsbridge, was referred to Cap- , imarladei ras'a dad, and kept in that City, and . me dispensed and as to give protection to the Inhabit- "ants, ma care auy insult should be offered by the tain Richard Montgomery, of Duchess-county, Heury " Fanges that may land there, and to prevent any ; Glenn and Robert Yates, of Albany-county, and Col- " attempts that may be made to gain possession of onel James Van Cortlandt and Colonel James " !!. ties and interrupt its intercourse with the
B> -t. VED.] " That it be left to the Provincial "I agrese! New- York to determine the number of " sufficient to occupy the several Posts above- . . ttnet, and also that already recommended to be fern at or near Lake George, as well as to guard the dies, Provided, the whole do not exceed the number " ... three thousand men, to be commanded by such " Officers as shall be thereunto appointed by said " Provincial Congress, and to be governed by sneh " Rules and Regulations as shall be established by said "Congress, until farther order is taken by this Con- " gress ; Provided, also, that if the said Provincial "Congress should be of opinion that the number pro- "po-ed will not be sufficient for the several services " above recommended, that the said Congress report " their sentiments upon this subject to this Congress, "as soon as may be.
"5."-[RESOLVED.] " That it be recommended to "the said Provincial Congress, that in raising those "Forees, they allow no Bounties or Clothing, and "that their Pay shall not exceed the establishment "of the New-England Colonies.
"6."-[RESOLVED.] "That it be further recom- "mended to the Provincial Congress, aforesaid, that " the Troops be enlisted to serve until the last day "of December next, unless this Congress shall direct " that they be sooner disbanded." 1
On the following day, [ May 26, 1775,] the Conti- nental Congress further " RESOLVED, That it be recom- "mended to the Congress aforesaid, to persevere the "more vigorously in preparing for their defence, as it " is very uncertain whether the earnest endeavours of "this Congress to accommodate the unhappy differences " between Great Britain and the Colonies, by concilia- "tory measures, will be successful ; " and, in addition, it "ORDERED, That the above Resolves, respecting " New-York, be transmitted by the President in a let- "ter, to the Provincial Congress of New-York ; and "that it be particularly recommended to said Con- " gress, by the President, not to publish the foregoing " Resolves, but to keep them as seeret as the nature of " the case requires." 2
On the twenty-ninth of May, the Resolutions which had been thus adopted by the Continental Congress, were received by the Provincial Congress ; 3 and on the following day, on motion of John Morin
1 & aron of the Continental Congress, " Thursday, May 2, 1575." : Journal of the Condoental Congres, " Friday, May 20, 1775." " I need of the Provincial Congress, " Dies Luna, 4 ho., P.M., May "TES, 1735."
Holmes, of Westchester-county, with orders "to view " the ground at or near King's Bridge, and report to "this Congress whether the ground near King's " Bridge will admit of making a fortification there, "that will be tenable; and at what particular place "the ground will admit of making the best and "most tenable fortification ; and that they call to "their assistance such personus as they shall think " necessary, and make report to this Congress, with all " convenient speed :" that portion of them which directed the erection of fortifications in the High- lands, on the Hudson-river, was referred to Colonel James Clinton and Christopher Tappan, both of Ul- ster-county, with orders to "take to their assistance " such persons as they shall think necessary ; to go to "the Highlands, and view the banks of Hudson's "river there ; and to report to this Congress the most " proper place for erecting one or more fortifications ; " and, likewise, an estimate of the expense that will " attend erecting the same." +
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