"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 resolved 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 fystem of colony administration adopted by the British ministry.

The petition to the king being ready, it was figned July by the members prefent. It is a decent, dutiful, and S. truly filial petition, and deferves to be written in letters of gold, for the fentiments it breathes toward the parent state. 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 fincerity of it may be called into question by the ministry. Let them then put the fincerity of it to the teft, by promoting a compliance with the contents; and fo overreach thofe individual delegates, who may wish a continuance of the prefent quarrel. The colonies as yet defire no more than a redrefs 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 Addrefs to the inhabitants of Great Britain. In it they faid, "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 reconciliation.

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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 difbanding 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 cafe their American brethren were fubdued. The addrefs is intended to conciliate the minds of the inhabitants of Britain, to the meafures that the colonists have already taken, or may be obliged further to take, and to obtain the countenance of the former.

The petition to the king, the address 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 requeft, 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.

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The congrefs refolved to recommend to all able-bodied effective men in each colony, between fixteen and fifty, immediately to form themfelves 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 selected for minute men, and be ready to march wherever their afiiftance may be re

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quired. It was earnestly recommended to those, 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 alfo propofed 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 provifion 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 faft, 20, congrefs agreed to meet, and go in a body to divine fervice, both parts 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 fome difpatches 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 solemn fast ever held in that city. It was religiously obferved throughout the united colonies. The united fynod of New York and Philadelphia, had published a paftoral 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

culiar duty of those, who profefs a willingness to hazard their lives in the cause of liberty, to be prepared for death, which to many must be a certain, and to every one is a poffible or probable event. It is well known to you (otherwise it would be imprudent thus publicly to profefs) that we have not been inftrumental in inflaming the minds of the people, or urging them to acts of violence and diforder. Perhaps no inftance can be given on fo interesting a subject, in which political fentiments have been fo long and fo fully kept from the pulpit, and even malice itfelf has not charged us with laboring from the prefs; but things are now come to fuch a height, that we do not wish to conceal our opinions as men. Suffer us therefore to exhort you, by assuring you, that there is no army fo formidable as those who are fuperior to the fear of death. Let therefore every one who, from generofity of fpirit, or benevolence of heart, offers himself as a champion in his country's cause, be perfuaded to reverence the Lord of Hofts, and walk in the fear of the Prince of the kings of the earth, and then he may, with the most unshaken firmness, expect the iffue either in death or victory,"

After several other exhortations, they offered fix advices, in fubftance as follows: "1ft. Let every opportunity be taken to exprefs your attachment to king George and the revolution principles. We recommend esteem and reverence for the perfon of the prince, who has probably been misled into the late and present meafures by those about him; neither have we any doubt, that they themselves have been in a great degree deceived by false information from interested perfons refiding in America.-2dly. Be careful to maintain the union