This was particularly noticed of fergeant M'Donald, 1776. who being mortally wounded by a cannon ball, employed the interval between the wounding and his death, in exhortations to that purpose. He expired in a few minutes, when Jasper removed the body out of fight, calling out at the fame inftant, " revenge the brave man's death." Charlestown has certainly had a narrow efcape. Gen. Lee wrote to the board of war July the fecond, " For the want of cavalry, Charlestown and its dependencies had certainly been loft, if the enemy had acted with that vigor and expedition we had reafon to expect, but a most unaccountable languor and inertnefs on their parts have faved us." The unfinished ftate of the fort, the danger of its being enfiladed, and the difficulty of a retreat for want of a durable communication between the ifland and the main by a bridge, led the general to view the fort rather as untenable, and to incline to the abandoning of it but when he found that col. Moultrie was determined at all adventures to attempt its defence, he fatisfied himself with advifing to a feasonable evacuation, and against risking too much in its fupport. The colonel and his garrifon have deferved the praises and thanks of their country, and will undoubtedly meet with due honor. Some think there was a capital mistake on the part of the British commanders in stopping at the fort, when Charlestown was the object; and that the fleet fhould have paffed the island, in order to their attacking the town, which, with a leading wind and tide, might have been done with a tenth part of the lofs and damage that the ships have fustained. But had they paffed the fort, *776; a successful attack upon the town was not a necessary confequence. The very attack of the fort would have been fuccessful, had the Acteon got fafe to her station, instead of running aground. The fate of this expedition will contribute greatly to establish the popular government it was intended to overfet while the news of it will fly like a meteor through the continent, and carry with it a moft malignant influence on the royal caufe. Sir Peter Parker will most probably fail foon, with the fleet and troops, for the Hook, in order to join lord Howe.. Now let us refume the momentous bufinefs of independence. The Pennfylvania affembly withdrew from its union with congress, in confequence of inftructions to their delegates, upon the congreffional refolve of May the 15th, for fuppreffing all authority derived from the crown of Great Britain in the united colonies. The committee of the city and liberties of Philadelphia apprehended, that by this ftep an appeal was made to the people; and in compliance with the requeft of a large majority of the inhabitants, iffued letters on the 20th of May (by virtue of a power given to them in the provincial convention held in January 1775) for calling a conference of the committees of the counties, in order to collect the fense of the inhabitants upon the aforefaid refolve of congrefs, and to bring about a re-union of the provinces with the other colonies, by calling a provincial convention, with a view to form a government for that purpose. They intimated their belief, that the affembly had been dragged into a compliance with most of the refolutions of congrefs from the fear of a provincial convention. Meffrs. John Bayard and Daniel Roberdeau were particularly active in this business. The deputies of the people affembled 1776. June in full provincial conference, and unanimoufly declared 24. their willingness to concur in a vote of congrefs, declaring the united colonies free and independent states. A change in their delegates followed. Mr. Dickinson opposed openly, and upon principle, the declaration of independence, and was therefore removed. The Maryland convention had inftructed their delegates, last December, to oppose the queftion of independency. These therefore, having given their vote against it, withdrew; not from a perfonal oppofition, but in compliance with their public reprefentation. Mr. Samuel Chase was strongly attached to it; and when he was returned to Maryland, procured county inftructions to the members of convention, by which the last were induced to alter their own inftructions. He transmitted an account of it to his friend in congrefs, in the following terms," Annapolis, June 28. Friday evening, 28. nine o'clock. I am this moment from the house to procure an express to follow the poft, with an unanimous vote of our convention for independence, &c. See the glorious effects of county inftructions. Our people have fire, if not fmothered. S. Chafe." I. Congress refolved itself into a committee of the whole July upon the fubject of independency: but neither colonies nor members being unanimous, it was poftponed till the next day. They had it under further confideration, 4 when the declaration of independence was agreed to and adopted. The title of it is, A DECLARATION by the reprefentatives of the UNITED 1776. The preamble follows in thefe words: "When, in "the course of human events, it becomes necessary for "one people to diffolve the political bands which have "connected them with another, and to affume, among "the powers of the earth, the feparate and equal station " to which the laws of nature and of nature's God en"title them, a decent refpect to the opinions of man"kind requires that they fhould declare the caufes which "impel them to the feparation. "We hold thefe truths to be felf-evident; that all "men are created equal; that they are endowed by "their Creator, with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the purfuit of happi"nefs:-That to fecure these rights, governments are "instituted among men, deriving their just powers from "the consent of the governed; that whenever any form " of government becomes deftructive of these ends, it "is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and "to institute new government, laying its foundation on "fuch principles, and organizing its powers in fuch form, "as to them fhall feem moft likely to effect their fafety " and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that governments long established, fhould not be changed "for light and tranfient caufes; and accordingly all ex perience hath shown, that mankind are more difpofed "to fuffer, while evils are fufferable, than to right "themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are "accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and ufurpations, pursuing invariably the fame object, " evinces a defign to reduce them under abfolute defpo"tifm, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off "fuch government, and to provide new guards for their "future fecurity. Such has been the patient fufferance 1776. "of thefe colonies; and fuch is now the neceffity which "constrains them to alter their former fyftems of go"vernment." The declaration proceeds to give "a hiftory of repeated injuries and ufurpations, all having "in direct object the establishment of an abfolute tyranny over thefe ftates. To prove this, let facts be "fubmitted to a candid world." It then enters upon a fpecification of injuries, and complains to the following purport Affent has been refufed to laws the most wholefome and neceffary for the public good. Governors have been forbidden to pafs laws of immediate and preffing importance, unless suspended in their operation til affented to in Britain; and when so sufpended, an attention to them has been utterly neglected. Legislative bodies have been called together at places unusual, uncomfortable, and diftant from the depofitory of their public records, for the fole purpose of fatiguing them into a compliance with favorite measures. Houses of reprefentatives have been diffolved repeatedly, for oppofing with manly firmness, invafions on the rights of the people. For a long time after fuch diffolution, it has been refufed to permit others to be elected; whereby the legiflative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercife; the ftate remaining in the mean time expofed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulfions within. Endeavours have been made to prevent the population of these states, by obftructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners, refufing to pafs others to encourage their |