two months, without a farthing advanced from the continental treasury.

The present is a good time for relating what the congrefs have been doing..

They agreed to a Declaration, in behalf of the colo- July nies, fetting forth the causes and neceffity of their taking up arms. After enumerating the injuries they had fuffered, they reprobated the principles of lord North's conciliatory plan, without naming it, and faid, "Parliament adopted an infidious manoeuvre calculated to divide us, to establish a perpetual auction of taxations, where colony should bid against colony, all of them uninformed what ransom would redeem their lives." They went on to mention, the perfidy of general Gage in breaking his agreement with the inhabitants of Bofton-the wanton burning of Charlestown, and a confiderable number of houses in other places-the feizure of their fhips and veffels-the inftigating of the Canadians and Indians to fall upon them. They then faid, "We are reduced to the alternative of choofing an unconditional fubmiffion to the tyranny of irritated minifters, or refiftance by force.-The latter is our choice,-We have counted the coft of this conteft, and find nothing fo dreadful as voluntary flavery.-Honor, juftice and humanity, forbid us tamely to furrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent pofterity have a right to receive from us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of refigning fucceeding generations to that wretchednefs which inevitably awaits them, if we bafely entail hereditary bondage upon them."

"Our cause is juft. Our union is perfect. Our internal refources are great, and if neceffary, foreign affiftance is undoubtedly attainable." This intimation of foreign affiftance, was not founded upon any private information, but flowed folely from the perfuafion, that one or more foreign powers will readily embrace the opportunity of a fixed breach between Great Britain and the colonies, to weaken the power of the first by affifting the laft. But that they might not by their declaration, difquiet the minds of their friends and fellow fubjects, congrefs affured them, that they meant not to diffolve that union, which had fo long and fo happily fubfifted between them and Britain. They concluded thus, "With an humble confidence in the mercies of the fupreme and impartial Judge and Ruler of the universe, we most devoutly implore his divine goodness to protect us happily through this great conflict, to difpofe our adverfaries to reconciliation on reasonable terms, and thereby to relieve the empire from the calamities of civil war."

The declaration of congrefs has been read with religious folemnity by the chaplains, to the different bodies of the American army about Boston, and received with loud acclamations by the troops, and the numerous fpectators who were prefent upon the occafion. The fame day that congrefs agreed upon the declaration, they refolved upon a letter of thanks to the lord mayor, aldermen, and livery of the city of London, for their virtuous and fpirited oppofition to the oppreffive and ruinous fyftem of colony administration adopted by the British ministry.

8.

The petition to the king being ready, it was figned July by the members prefent. It is a decent, dutiful, and truly filial petition, and deferves to be written in letters of gold, for the fentiments it breathes toward the parent ftate. Had money been wanting to have purchased it, it would have been wifdom to have bought it at any price. If properly received, it may be made the basis of an eternal compact, between Great Britain and her. American colonies, which may to all ages bid defiance to the intrigues of France, and the murmurs of rottenhearted men either in Britain or America. The fince- : rity of it may be called into queftion by the ministry. Let them then put the fincerity of it to the teft, by promoting a compliance with the contents; and fo overreach those individual delegates, who may wish a continuance of the prefent quarrel. The colonies as yet defire no more than a redress of grievances, and fecurity, against a repetition of them. They moft ardently long for a firm and indiffoluble union with the parent state. upon these grounds. Thus is it with the army. It is the wish of general Washington particularly; and fuch is its reasonableness, that he hopes and expects, that the contest will be shortly terminated, fo as to admit of his eating his next Christmas dinner, at his own delightful refidence on Mount Vernon.

The fame day the congrefs agreed to an Address to the inhabitants of Great Britain. In it they said, "We have again presented an humble and dutiful petition to our fovereign; and to remove every imputation of ob ftinacy, have requested his majesty to direct fome mode, by which the united applications of his faithful colonists may be improved into a happy and permanent reconci

liation, We are willing to treat on fuch terms as can alone render an accommodation lafting; and we flatter ourfelves, that our pacific endeavours will be attended with a removal of minifterial troops, and a repeal of thofe laws, of the operation of which we complain, on the one part, and a disbanding of our army, and a diffolution of our commercial affociations on the other." They, after that, infinuated the danger the inhabitants of Britain would be in of lofing their freedom, in case their American brethren were fubdued. The addrefs is intended to conciliate the minds of the inhabitants of Britain, to the measures that the colonifts have already taken, or may be obliged further to take, and to obtain the countenance of the former.

The petition to the king, the addrefs to the inhabitants of Great Britain, and the letter to the lord mayor, &c. were ordered to be fent under cover to Richard Penn, efq; whom the prefident was to request, in behalf of the congrefs, to join with the colony agents in prefenting the petition to the king. Mr. Penn failed four days after this order for England.

The congrefs agreed upon appointing commiffioners to fuperintend Indian affairs in behalf of the colonies, Proper talks to the Indians were ordered to be prepared, 13. which were reported the next day, and accepted.

The congrefs refolved to recommend to all able-bodied effective men in each colony, between fixteen and fifty, immediately to form themselves into regular companies of militia; to acquire military skill, and to be well prepared for defence; and that a fourth part of the militia in every colony be felected for minute mén, and be ready to march wherever their affiftance may be re

quired. It was earnestly recommended to thofe, who could not confcientiously bear arms in any cafe, to contribute liberally to the relief of their diftreffed brethren and to do all other fervices to their oppreffed country, which they could confiftently with their religious principles. They also proposed that each colony fhould appoint a committee of fafety, to direct all matters neceffary for the fecurity of their respective colonies, in the recefs of their affemblies and conventions; and fhould. make fuch provision by armed veffels or otherwife, as might be judged 'expedient, for the protection of their harbours and navigation on their fea coafts, against all hoftile cutters and fhips of war.

This being the day appointed for the continental fast, congrefs agreed to meet, and go in a body to divine fervice, both parts of the day. of the day. They requested Mr. Duché to preach before them in the morning, and Dr. Allifon in the afternoon. But before fervice, they met time enough to read some dispatches brought by express from general Schuyler; and a letter from the convention of Georgia, fetting forth that that colony had acceded to the general affociation, and appointed delegates to attend the congrefs,

The day was kept at Philadelphia, as the most folemn faft ever held in that city. It was religiously obferved throughout the united colonies. The united fynod of New York and Philadelphia, had published pastoral letter fome time before: it was read on that day, in the churches under their care, which are very numerous. They faid in it, "As the whole continent, with hardly any exception, feem determined to defend their rights by force of arms, it becomes the pe