USA > Virginia > Exiles in Virginia : with observations on the conduct of the Society of Friends during the revolutionary war ; comprising the official papers of the government relating to that period. 1777-1778 > Part 9
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" Resolved, That the persons whose names are mentioned above be, without further delay, removed to Staunton, in Vir- ginia, there to be treated according to their characters and stations, as far as may be consistent with the securing of their persons. Also,
" Resolved, That Wm. Imlay, said to be a subject of the state of New York, having behaved in like manner as the per- sons above mentioned, and in particular declined to give assu- rance of allegiance to the state of New York, be removed and secured with the rest.
" Ordered, That Colonel Nicola, the town major, secure the prisoners above-named now in the Masons' Lodge, and assist in removing them out of the city.
" Extract from the minutes.
" T. MATLACK,
" Secretary."
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ADDRESS TO THE INHABITANTS.
As we consider this to be the highest act of tyranny that has been exercised in any age or country, where the shadow of liberty was left, we have in the following manner entered our protest against these proceedings.
PROTEST.
9th September, 1777.
TO THE PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL OF PENNSYLVANIA.
The remonstrance and protest of the subscribers, sheweth :
That your resolve of this day was this afternoon delivered to us, which is the more unexpected, as last evening your Se- cretary informed us you had referred our business to Congress, to whom we were about further to apply.
In this resolve, contrary to the inherent rights of mankind, you condemn us to banishment unheard.
You determine matters concerning us, which we could have disproved, had our right to a hearing been granted.
The charge against us of refusing "to promise to refrain from corresponding with the enemy," insinuates that we have already held such correspondence, which we utterly and so- lemnly deny.
The tests you proposed, we were by no law bound to sub- scribe, and notwithstanding our refusing them, we are still justly and lawfully entitled to all the rights of citizenship, of which you are attempting to deprive us.
We have never been suffered to come before you to evince our innocence, and remove suspicions which you have laboured to instil into the minds of others, and at the same time knew to be groundless, although Congress recommended it to you to give us a hearing, and your President this morning assured: two of our friends we should have it.
In vindication of our characters, we who are of the people called Quakers, are free to declare, that,
Although at the time many of our forefathers were con- vinced of the truth, which we their descendants now profess, great fluctuations and various changes and turnings happened
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in government, and they were greatly vilified and persecuted for a firm and steady adherence to their peaceable and inoffen- sive principles, yet they were preserved from any thing tending to promote insurrections, conspiracies, or the shedding of blood ; and during the troubles which by permission of Divine Providence have latterly prevailed, we have steadily main- tained our religious principles in these respects, and have not held any correspondence with the contending parties, as is un- justly insinuated, but are withheld and restrained from being concerned in such matters, by that divine principle of grace and truth which we profess to be our guide and rule through life. This is of more force and obligation than all the tests and declarations devised by men.
And we who are of the Church of England, are free to de- clare to you and to the world, that we never have at any time during the present controversy, either directly or indirectly, " communicated any intelligence whatever to the Commander of the British forces, or any other person concerned in public affairs." And with the same cheerfulness we would have en- ·gaged not to hold any such correspondence in future, had not the requisition been coupled with ignominious and illegal re- strictions, subjecting us to become prisoners within the walls of our own dwellings, and to surrender ourselves to the Presi- dent and Council on demand. This the clear consciousness of our own innocence absolutely forbade us to accede to.
Upon the whole, your proceedings have been so arbitrary that words are wanting to express our sense of them. We do therefore, as the last office we expect you will now suffer us to perform for the benefit of our country, in behalf of ourselves and those freemen of Pennsylvania who have any regard for liberty, SOLEMNLY REMONSTRATE AND PROTEST against your whole conduct in this unreasonable excess of power exercised by you.
That the evil and destructive spirit of pride, ambition, and arbitrary power, with which you have been actuated, may cease and be no more ; " and that peace on earth, and good will to men" may happily take the place thereof in your and all
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men's minds, is the sincere desire of your oppressed and in- jured fellow-citizens.
Israel Pemberton,
Owen Jones, Jr.
John Hunt,
Thomas Gilpin,
James Pemberton,
Charles Jervis,
John Pemberton,
Phineas Bond,
Thomas Wharton,
Thomas Affleck,
Edward Pennington,
William Drewit Smith,
Thomas Coombe,
Thomas Pike,
Henry Drinker,
William Smith, (broker,)
Thomas Fisher,
Elijah Brown,
Samuel Pleasants,
Charles Eddy,
Samuel R. Fisher,
Miers Fisher.
As it has appeared proper to put the pamphlet on these minutes in the manner it was printed and handed to the public, the daily narrative has been somewhat interrupted, and when re- sumed according to the diary, there will appear to be a repeti- tion of some of the addresses, but this occurs only at this part of the narrative ; many of the events having to be alluded to both in the memorials and in the minutes.
When the remonstrances to the Congress of the United States, and to the Council of Pennsylvania, are mentioned in the journal of the company, and not written out at length, they will be found in the pamphlet, by reference to the pages.
On the 6th of September, 1777, there was brought to us a copy of a remonstrance, which had been presented to the President and Council on our behalf, signed by one hundred and thirteen Friends, which it is proper to insert on the Journal of our transactions, viz. :
Philadelphia, 5th of 9th month, 1777.
TO THE PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL OF PENNSYLVANIA.
A number of our friends and fellow-citizens have been de- prived of their liberty and taken from their families into a
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place of confinement, by your warrant, and denied the just and reasonable request of being heard, and since ordered to be re- moved to a distant part of Virginia,-a proceeding which not only affects the persons immediately concerned, but is an alarming violation of the civil and religious rights of the com- munity.
We therefore think it our duty to our said friends, to our- selves, to our country, and to mankind in general, to remon- strate against such conduct, which we conceive no plea of necessity can justify, lest by our silence on this very interest- ing occasion, it should be understood that we acquiesced therein.
We earnestly wish you to consider this matter in a solid, religious way, and in the fear of God, whom we profess to serve in the Gospel of his Son, at whose judgment seat we shall all ere long appear, and that we may all be prepared for this awful period, is the real desire of your sincere friends,
Townsend Speakman,
Samuel Bettle,
Samuel Lobdell,
Charles Logan,
John Townsend,
Thomas Eddy,
Amos Taylor,
Samuel Coates,
Isaac Forster,
Roger Bowman,
Elias Dawson,
Thomas Wishart,
Caleb Carmalt,
Richard Wells,
Isaac Paxon,
James Bringhurst,
Daniel Dawson,
Daniel Drinker,
Josiah Coates,
Ebenezer Robinson,
Thomas Norton,
Caleb Atmore,
Caleb Offley,
James Starr,
Samuel Taylor,
Benedict Dorsey,
Stephen Maxwell, Samuel Jones,
Joseph Potts,
Richard Jones,
William Compton,
Isaac Parish,
Charles Mifflin,
John Haworth,
Thomas Howard,
Samuel Clarke,
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William Savery, Jr.,
William Wilson,
John Thompson,
John Drinker,
Daniel Offley, jr.,
John Nancarrow, Jr.
Thomas Savery,
Joshua Cresson,
Benjamin Davis,
William Dawson,
Isaac Lewis, Abraham Mitchell, John Guest,
John Todd,
George Guest,
James Cresson,
Charles Dingee,
William Wayne,
Jonathan Worrell,
Caleb Jones,
Job Butcher,
Robert Lewis,
John Eldridge,
Robert Waln, Thomas Say,
Joseph Russel,
Thomas Hallowell,
John Field,
Joseph Richardson,
Richard Price,
Edward Jones,
Joseph Cruikshank,
David Deshler,
William Braver,
Joseph Marriott,
Edward Wells,
Benjamin Hooton,
Richard Adams,
Robert Proud,
William Brown,
John Parish, Abraham Carlisle,
Owen Jones,
William Savery,
Anthony Morris,
Samuel Hopkins,
John Reynell,
Thomas Masterman,
Samuel Rhoads,
Joseph Bringhurst,
Samuel Preston Moore,
John Morris,
Samuel Rhoads, Jr., John Lownes,
Charles West,
Jonathan Shoemaker,
Abraham Mason,
Samuel Richards,
Samuel Noble,
Isaac Cathrall,
David Bacon,
Benjamin Horner.
Philadelphia, 7th of 9th month, 1777.
Being the first day of the week, and we deprived of the pri- vilege of assembling with our brethren as usual, for the per-
Nicholas Waln,
William Pusey,
John Evans,
Anthony Benezet,
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formance of public worship; but unwilling to omit that solemnn indispensable duty, we desired the guards to inform our friends that we inclined to be pretty much alone; accordingly few visited us till evening.
Thomas Coombe being one of our number, and a minister of the Church of England, with such of us as were his fellow- citizens, collected about nine o'clock in the morning in one of our rooms to perform religious service. About ten o'clock the rest of us sat down, having the company of our friends John Foreman, John Parrish, Samuel Hopkins, David Estraugh, and two other Friends, soon after which the above-mentioned members of the Church of England came and sat with us. John Foreman expressed a few sentences in a very lively and acceptable manner, after which John Hunt was much favoured in setting forth the nature and qualifications of the true gospel ministry, and of that opposite spirit which leads into persecu- tion, directing our attention to that divine Power, which alone can preserve and support us. And although it was a hard time of labour to some of us, yet we were united with him in his supplication for us, and for our near and tender connexions.
This afternoon we were engaged preparing a third remon- strance to the President and Council. A supplement extraordi- nary to John Dunlap's paper was brought to us, containing an epistle from the Meeting for Sufferings, dated 5th of Ist month, 1775 ; two testimonies from the same, dated 20th of 1st month, 1776; a minute of the Quarterly Meeting of Philadelphia, dated 8th month 4th, 1777.
Also three false papers, or papers forged by some person, said to be found on Staten Island, among prisoners' baggage, and forwarded by General Sullivan. All published by order of Congress, and signed by Charles Thomson.
The above we believe was published to make up a charge against us, and prejudice the minds of the people ; and it would appear that some of the officers were privy to getting up these forged papers, in order to throw the odium of such papers and intelligence, and documents upon us, and to have a pretext for
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banishing us, who by leading innocent and quiet lives could not join in heart with such men. It was made known to us before we were apprehended that they would banish us.
Philadelphia, 8th of 9th month, 1777.
This morning we resumed the consideration of the remon- strance to the President and Council, and agreed upon it. A copy was made out and signed by us. Samuel Rhoads and Dr. Hutchinson undertook to deliver it. They returned soon and reported they had delivered it to Timothy Matlack, the Secre- tary, at the Council door. He had offered to introduce them, or to deliver it himself to the Council; they chose the latter mode.
See the third remonstrance to the President and Council of Pennsylvania, 8th September, 1777; as stated in the printed pamphlet at page 107.
After dinner a committee of Friends from the Meeting for Sufferings, attended us, and had a conference with several of our number, on the publications in a Supplement to John Dun- lap's Pennsylvania Packet, as mentioned in the minute of yes- terday, the publishing of which, at this time, appeared to be manifestly intended to mislead the people, to raise their enmity against us, and against the Society of Friends in general, in order to justify the unwarrantable proceedings respecting us, and such others of our Society as our persecutors had in view to take up in the same arbitrary manner. After some time spent in consideration of this matter, it was agreed that the members of the Meeting for Sufferings, and we, should keep it under consideration, and if either found their minds engaged to answer it, an essay should be made and communicated.
After our friends of the Meeting of Sufferings withdrew, on a conference among ourselves, it was thought necessary we
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should draw up a remonstrance to Congress, further to justify ourselves, and to answer the foregoing publications; and a committee was appointed to prepare an essay.
This evening Dr. Hutchinson communicated to us a letter he had received from Timothy Matlack, Secretary to the Council ; a copy of which is as follows :
" Philadelphia, September 8th, 1777. " SIR,-
" The remonstrance delivered by you and Samuel Rhoads, Esq., to me, has been read in Council, and I am directed to acquaint you that the business to which this remonstrance re- lates, is referred to Congress.
"I am, with great respect, Yar humi le servant, TIMOTHY MATLACK, Secretary. " To Doctor Hutchinson."
Which being taken into consideration, we requested Dr. Hutchinson to apply to him for a copy of the minute of Coun- cil, referring our business to Congress, and also to ask him whether the Council considered us as their prisoners or not.
He returned late in the evening and informed us that Timothy Matlack refused to give him a copy of the minute we desired, without leave of Council, and told him the question he asked was artful and insidious, and he was not authorized to an- swer it.
9th day of 9th month.
Being desirous of procuring a copy of the minute of Council last referred to, and an answer to the question proposed last evening, we committed our request to writing, and desired Samuel Rhoads and Dr. Hutchinson to communicate it to Council, and endeavour to obtain an answer : it being as fol- low's :
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The prisoners at the Lodge, request Samuel Rhoads and Dr. Hutchinson to wait on the President and Council, and desire a copy of the minute of Council, referring the business of their remonstrance to Congress, and that they would let them know whether Council consider them their prisoners or not.
10th of 9th month.
Adam Rochenberger, sergeant of the guards, having in- formed some of the prisoners last night, that William Bradford and Lewis Nicola had both denied their having any charge of us, and added they should not hinder any, or all of us from going away, it was thought necessary to send for both William Bradford and Lewis Nicola, to inquire into the truth of this matter.
William Morrell, who waited on William Bradford, quickly returned and informed us that he is indisposed. We therefore agreed to send the following questions in writing.
William Bradford wrote his answers against the questions, and Lewis Nicola attending in person, the same questions were proposed to him.
The questions and their respective answers are as follows :
Ist. Whether we are in his custody ?
Ist. W. B .- No.
1st. L. N .- I apprehend four of you are, and that I have nothing to say to the rest. The four are Mr. Israel Pemberton, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Pleasants, and Mr. Bond. I received no orders respecting the others, except to furnish William Bradford with a guard, by a written order of the President and Council.
2d. If answered in the negative. In whose custody are we ?
2d. W. B .- I suppose Colonel Nicola's.
2d. L. N .- The last-mentioned four gentlemen are in my custody. If the rest are not in Colonel Bradford's, I know not whose they are.
3d. By whose orders were the guards placed here ?
3d. W. B .- The Council's.
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3d. L. N .- Charles Wilson Peale came to me for a guard by order of Colonel Bradford ; in consequence of which I sent down twenty men to Masons' Lodge.
4th. By whose order has it been since continued ?
4th. W. B .- I suppose the Council's.
4th. L. N .- The guard is continued in consequence of the first order by my directions ; and I think it my duty to con- tinue it till countermanded.
5th. Are there any particular orders given to the guards concerning us ; if any, what are they and by whom given ?
5th. W. B .- I know of no orders.
5th. L. N .- I have given no orders to the guards except on some complaint made to me of them on the day the first of the prisoners were committed, and suppose they have received their orders from Colonel Bradford.
10th of 9th month, 1777. - About half past four o'clock, we received a copy of the resolves of the President and Council, for our removal to Staunton, in Virginia.
Having conferred some time on the subject of said resolves, it was concluded to publish the same immediately, and to add thereto a protest against their arbitrary proceedings, and Henry Drinker and Miers Fisher were appointed to prepare an essay.
At half past seven o'clock, Lewis Nicola came to us with a letter directed to him, signed by George Bryan, Vice-President, signifying their intention of our being removed to-morrow, and the manner thereof.
Of this letter we did not obtain a copy. The substance of it was, directions to him to procure a sufficient number of city guards, and remove us over the bridge at Schuylkill, and there to deliver us to a party of horse, who would attend to take charge of us, and escort us to Staunton, Virginia. Lewis Nicola, at the same time informed us that he did not wish us to remove further this day than a short distance out of the city, and proposed our being ready to proceed about five o'clock, P. M.
The committee appointed to prepare a protest, reported an
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essay, which being considered and amended was signed, and at about ten o'clock, P. M., was sent by Doctor Hutchinson and James Morton to be delivered to the Vice-President of the Council ; but he being gone to bed, it was continued under their care, to be delivered to-morrow morning, and a copy was sent to the press, to be added to the remonstrance above mentioned, with the following short introduction.
Philadelphia, Masons' Lodge,
September 9, 1777, 4 o'clock.
TO THE INHABITANTS OF PENNSYLVANIA.
The following is a copy of a paper we received at half past four o'clock this afternoon, and we have since received orders to prepare for our banishment to-morrow.
"IIN COUNCIL.
" Philadelphia, September 9th, 1777.
" Resolved, That
Israel Pemberton,
Thomas Fisher, son of Joshua,
James Pemberton,
Samuel Fisher, son of Joshua,
John Pemberton,
Henry Drinker,
Thomas Wharton, sen.,
Samuel Pleasants,
Miers Fisher,
John Hunt,
Phineas Bond,
Charles Jervis,
William Drewet Smith,
Thomas Pike,
Owen Jones, jun.,
William Smith,
Thomas Gilpin,
Charles Eddy,
Elijah Brown,
Edward Pennington,
Rev. Thomas Coombe,
Thomas Affleck,
apprehended by Council as persons who have uniformly mani- fested by their general conduct and conversation a dispo- sition highly inimical to the cause of America, and now im- prisoned in the Freemasons' Lodge, in this city, they refusing to confine themselves to their several dwellings, and thereby
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making the restraint of their persons in another manner neces- sary ; and having refused to promise to refrain from corre- sponding with the enemy, and also declined giving any assu- rance of allegiance to this State, as of a right they ought, do hereby renounce all the privileges of citizenship ; and that it appears they consider themselves subjects of the King of Great Britain, the enemy of this and the other United States of Ame- rica, and that they ought to be proceeded with accordingly.
" Resolved, That persons of like characters, and in emer- gencies equal to the present, when the enemy is at our doors, have in the other States been arrested and secured upon sus- picion arising from their general behaviour and refusal to acknowledge allegiance to the State, of which they were pro- per subjects ; and that such proceedings may be abundantly justified by the conduct of the freest nation, and the authority of the most judicious civilians. Therefore,
" Resolved, That the persons whose names are mentioned above, be without further delay, removed to Staunton in Vir- ginia, there to be treated according to their characters and stations, as far as may be consistent with the security of their persons. Also,
" Resolved, That William Imlay, said to be a subject of the State of New York, having behaved in like manner as the persons above mentioned, and in particular declined to give assurance of allegiance to the State of New York, be removed and secured with the rest.
" Ordered, That Colonel Nicola, the town major, secure the prisoners above named, now in the Masons' Lodge, and assist in removing them out of the city.
" Extract from the minutes,
" TIMOTHY MATLACK, " Secretary."
As we consider this to be the highest act of tyranny that has been exercised in any age or country, where the shadow of liberty was left, we have in the following manner entered our Protest against these proceedings.
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PROTEST.
TO THE PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL OF PENNSYLVANIA.
The remonstrance and protest of the subscribers, sheweth :
That your resolve of this day was this afternoon delivered to us, which is the more unexpected, as last evening your Secretary informed us you had referred our business to Con- gress, to whom we were about further to apply.
In this resolve, contrary to the inherent rights of mankind, you condemn us to banishment unheard.
You determine matters concerning us, which we could have disproved, had a right to a hearing been granted.
The charge against us of refusing to " promise to refrain from corresponding with the enemy," insinuates that we may have already held such correspondence, which we utterly and solemnly deny.
The tests you proposed, we were by no law bound to suh- scribe, and notwithstanding our refusing them, we are still justly and lawfully entitled to all the rights of citizenship, of which you are attempting to deprive us.
We have never been suffered to come before you to evince our innocence, and to remove suspicions, which you have laboured to instil into the minds of others, and at the same time knew to be groundless, although Congress recommended it to you to give us a hearing, and your President this morning assured two of our friends we should have one.
In vindication of our characters, we who are of the people called Quakers, are free to declare that,
Although at the time many of our forefathers were convinced of the truth, which we their descendants now profess, great fluctuations and various changes and turnings happened in government, and they were greatly vilified and persecuted for a firm and steady adherence to their peaceable and inoffensive principles, yet they were preserved from any thing tending to promote insurrections, conspiracies, or the shedding of blood, and during the troubles, which by permission of Divine Provi-
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dence have latterly prevailed, we have steadily maintained our religious principles in these respects, and have not held any correspondence with any of the contending parties, as it is unjustly insinuated, but are restrained from being concerned in such matters, from that divine principle of light and of truth, which we profess to be our guide and rule through life. This is of more force and obligation than all the tests and declara- tions devised by men.
And we who are of the Church of England are free to de- clare to you, and to the world, that we never have at any time during the present controversy, either directly or indirectly " communicated any intelligence whatever to the commander of the British forces, or to any other person concerned in public affairs," and with the same cheerfulness would have engaged not to hold any correspondence in future, had not the requisition been coupled with ignominious and illegal re- strictions, subjecting us to become prisoners within the walls of our own dwellings, and to surrender ourselves to the Presi- dent and Council on demand ; this the clear consciousness of our own innocence absolutely forbade us to accede to.
Upon the whole, your proceedings have been so arbitrary, that words are wanting to express our sense of them.
We do, therefore, as the last office we expect you will now suffer us to perform, for the benefit of our country, in behalf of ourselves, and of those freemen of Pennsylvania who still have any regard for liberty, solemnly remonstrate and protest against your whole conduct in this unreasonable excess of power exercised by you.
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