autobiography-第2部分

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ses。

　　　　　　　　The　origination　of　these　commees　of　correspondence　between　the　colonies　has　been　since　claimed　for　Massachusetts；　and　Marshall　II。　151；　has　given　into　this　error；　altho'　the　very　note　of　his　appendix　to　which　he　refers；　shows　that　their　establmt　was　confined　to　their　own　towns。　　This　matter　will　be　seen　clearly　stated　in　a　letter　of　Samuel　Adams　Wells　to　me　of　Apr。　2。；　1819；　and　my　answer　of　May　12。　I　was　corrected　by　the　letter　of　Mr。　Wells　in　the　information　I　had　given　Mr。　Wirt；　as　stated　in　his　note；　pa。　87；　that　the　messengers　of　Massach。　&　Virga　crossed　each　other　on　the　way　bearing　similar　propositions；　for　Mr。　Wells　shows　that　Mass。　did　not　adopt　the　measure　but　on　the　receipt　of　our　proposn　delivered　at　their　next　session。　　Their　message　therefore　which　passed　ours；　must　have　related　to　something　else；　for　I　well　remember　P。　Randolph's　informing　me　of　the　crossing　of　our　messengers。

　　　　　　　　The　next　event　which　excited　our　sympathies　for　Massachusets　was　the　Boston　port　bill；　by　which　that　port　was　to　be　shut　up　on　the　1st　of　June；　1774。　　This　arrived　while　we　were　in　session　in　the　spring　of　that　year。　　The　lead　in　the　house　on　these　subjects　being　no　longer　left　to　the　old　members；　Mr。　Henry；　R。　H。　Lee；　Fr。　L。　Lee；　3。　or　4。　other　members；　whom　I　do　not　recollect；　and　myself；　agreeing　that　we　must　boldly　take　an　unequivocal　stand　in　the　line　with　Massachusetts；　determined　to　meet　and　consult　on　the　proper　measures　in　the　council　chamber；　for　the　benefit　of　the　library　in　that　room。　We　were　under　conviction　of　the　necessity　of　arousing　our　people　from　the　lethargy　into　which　they　had　fallen　as　to　passing　events；　and　thought　that　the　appointment　of　a　day　of　general　fasting　&　prayer　would　be　most　likely　to　call　up　&　alarm　their　attention。　　No　example　of　such　a　solemnity　had　existed　since　the　days　of　our　distresses　in　the　war　of　55。　since　which　a　new　generation　had　grown　up。　　With　the　help　therefore　of　Rushworth；　whom　we　rummaged　over　for　the　revolutionary　precedents　&　forms　of　the　Puritans　of　that　day；　preserved　by　him；　we　cooked　up　a　resolution；　somewhat　modernizing　their　phrases；　for　appointing　the　1st　day　of　June；　on　which　the　Port　bill　was　to　commence；　for　a　day　of　fasting；　humiliation　&　prayer；　to　implore　heaven　to　avert　from　us　the　evils　of　civil　war；　to　inspire　us　with　firmness　in　support　of　our　rights；　and　to　turn　the　hearts　of　the　King　&　parliament　to　moderation　&　justice。　　To　give　greater　emphasis　to　our　proposition；　we　agreed　to　wait　the　next　morning　on　Mr。　Nicholas；　whose　grave　&　religious　character　was　more　in　unison　with　the　tone　of　our　resolution　and　to　solicit　him　to　move　it。　　We　accordingly　went　to　him　in　the　morning。　　He　moved　it　the　same　day；　the　1st　of　June　was　proposed　and　it　passed　without　opposition。　　The　Governor　dissolved　us　as　usual。　　We　retired　to　the　Apollo　as　before；　agreed　to　an　association；　and　instructed　the　commee　of　correspdce　to　propose　to　the　corresponding　commees　of　the　other　colonies　to　appoint　deputies　to　meet　in　Congress　at　such　place；　_annually_；　as　should　be　convenient　to　direct；　from　time　to　time；　the　measures　required　by　the　general　interest：　and　we　declared　that　an　attack　on　any　one　colony　should　be　considered　as　an　attack　on　the　whole。　　This　was　in　May。　　We　further　recommended　to　the　several　counties　to　elect　deputies　to　meet　at　Wmsbg　the　1st　of　Aug　ensuing；　to　consider　the　state　of　the　colony；　&　particularly　to　appoint　delegates　to　a　general　Congress；　should　that　measure　be　acceded　to　by　the　commees　of　correspdce　generally。　It　was　acceded　to；　Philadelphia　was　appointed　for　the　place；　and　the　5th　of　Sep。　for　the　time　of　meeting。　　We　returned　home；　and　in　our　several　counties　invited　the　clergy　to　meet　assemblies　of　the　people　on　the　1st　of　June；　to　perform　the　ceremonies　of　the　day；　&　to　address　to　them　discourses　suited　to　the　occasion。　　The　people　met　generally；　with　anxiety　&　alarm　in　their　countenances；　and　the　effect　of　the　day　thro'　the　whole　colony　was　like　a　shock　of　electricity；　arousing　every　man　&　placing　him　erect　&　solidly　on　his　centre。　　They　chose　universally　delegates　for　the　convention。　　Being　elected　one　for　my　own　county　I　prepared　a　draught　of　instructions　to　be　given　to　the　delegates　whom　we　should　send　to　the　Congress；　and　which　I　meant　to　propose　at　our　meeting。　　In　this　I　took　the　ground　which；　from　the　beginning　I　had　thought　the　only　one　orthodox　or　tenable；　which　was　that　the　relation　between　Gr。　Br。　and　these　colonies　was　exactly　the　same　as　that　of　England　&　Scotland　after　the　accession　of　James　&　until　the　Union；　and　the　same　as　her　present　relations　with　Hanover；　having　the　same　Executive　chief　but　no　other　necessary　political　connection；　and　that　our　emigration　from　England　to　this　country　gave　her　no　more　rights　over　us；　than　the　emigrations　of　the　Danes　and　Saxons　gave　to　the　present　authorities　of　the　mother　country　over　England。　　In　this　doctrine　however　I　had　never　been　able　to　get　any　one　to　agree　with　me　but　Mr。　Wythe。　　He　concurred　in　it　from　the　first　dawn　of　the　question　What　was　the　political　relation　between　us　&　England？　　Our　other　patriots　Randolph；　the　Lees；　Nicholas；　Pendleton　stopped　at　the　half…way　house　of　John　Dickinson　who　admitted　that　England　had　a　right　to　regulate　our　commerce；　and　to　lay　duties　on　it　for　the　purposes　of　regulation；　but　not　of　raising　revenue。　　But　for　this　ground　there　was　no　foundation　in　compact；　in　any　acknowledged　principles　of　colonization；　nor　in　reason：　expatriation　being　a　natural　right；　and　acted　on　as　such；　by　all　nations；　in　all　ages。　　I　set　out　for　Wmsbg　some　days　before　that　appointed　for　our　meeting；　but　was　taken　ill　of　a　dysentery　on　the　road；　&　unable　to　proceed。　　I　sent　on　therefore　to　Wmsbg　two　copies　of　my　draught；　the　one　under　cover　to　Peyton　Randolph；　who　I　knew　would　be　in　the　chair　of　the　convention；　the　other　to　Patrick　Henry。　Whether　Mr。　Henry　disapproved　the　ground　taken；　or　was　too　lazy　to　read　it　（for　he　was　the　laziest　man　in　reading　I　ever　knew）　I　never　learned：　but　he　communicated　it　to　nobody。　　Peyton　Randolph　informed　the　convention　he　had　received　such　a　paper　from　a　member　prevented　by　sickness　from　offering　it　in　his　place；　and　he　laid　it　on　the　table　for　perusal。　　It　was　read　generally　by　the　members；　approved　by　many；　but　thought　too　bold　for　the　present　state　of　things；　but　they　printed　it　in　pamphlet　form　under　the　title　of　〃A　Summary　view　of　the　rights　of　British　America。〃　It　found　its　way　to　England；　was　taken　up　by　the　opposition；　interpolated　a　little　by　Mr。　　Burke　so　as　to　make　it　answer　opposition　purposes；　and　in　that　form　ran　rapidly　thro'　several　editions。　　This　information　I　had　from　Parson　Hurt；　who　happened　at　the　time　to　be　in　London；　whether　he　had　gone　to　receive　clerical　orders。　　And　I　was　informed　afterwards　by　Peyton　Randolph　that　it　had　procured　me　the　honor　of　having　my　name　inserted　in　a　long　list　of　proscriptions　enrolled　in　a　bill　of　attainder　commenced　in　one　of　the　houses　of　parliament；　but　suppressed　in　embryo　by　the　hasty　step　of　events　which　warned　them　to　be　a　little　cautious。　Montague；　agent　of　the　H。　of　Burgesses　in　England　made　extracts　from　the　bill；　copied　the　names；　and　sent　them　to　Peyton　Randolph。　　The　names　I　think　were　about　20　which　he　repeated　to　me；　but　I　recollect　those　only　of　Hancock；　the　two　Adamses；　Peyton　Randolph　himself；　Patrick　Henry；　&　myself。　　（*　1）　The　convention　met　on　the　1st　of　Aug；　renewed　their　association；　appointed　delegates　to　the　Congress；　gave　them　instructions　very　temperately　&　properly　expressed；　both　as　to　style　&　matter；　and　they　repaired　to　Philadelphia　at　the　time　appointed。　　The　splendid　proceedings　of　that　Congress　at　their　1st　session　belong　to　general　history；　are　known　to　every　one；　and　need　not　therefore　be　noted　here。　　They　terminated　their　session　on　the　26th　of　Octob；　to　meet　again　on　the　10th　May　ensuing。　　The　convention　at　their　ensuing　session　of　Mar；　'75；　approved　of　the　proceedings　of　Congress；　thanked　their　delegates　and　reappointed　the　same　persons　to　represent　the　colony　at　the　meeting　to　be　held　in　May：　and　foreseeing　the　probability　that　Peyton　Randolph　their　president　and　Speaker　also　of　the　H。　of　B。　might　be　called　off；　they　added　me；　in　that　event　to　the　delegation。

　　　　　　　　（*　1）　See　Girardin's　_History　of　Virginia；_　Appendix　No。　12；　note。

　　　　　　　　Mr。　Randolph　was　according　to　expectation　obliged　to　leave　the　chair　of　Congress　to　attend　the　Gen。　Assembly　summoned　by　Ld。　Dunmore　to　meet　on　the　1st　day　of　June　1775。　　Ld。　North's　conciliatory　propositions；　as　they　were　called；　had　been　received　by　the　Governor　and　furnished　the　subject　for　which　this　assembly　was　convened。　　Mr。　Randolph　accordingly　attended；　and　the　tenor　of　these　propositions　being　generally　known；　as　having　been　addressed　to　all　the　governors；　he　was　anxious　that　the　answer　of　our　assembly；　likely　to　be　the　first；　should　harmonize　with　what　he　knew　to　be　the　sentiments　and　wishes　of　the　body　he　had　recently　left。　　He　feared　that　Mr。　Nicholas；　whose　mind　was　not　yet　up　to　the　mark　of　the　times；　would　undertake　the　answer；　&　therefore　pressed　me　to　prepare　an　answer。　　I　did　so；　and　with　his　aid　carried　it　through　the　house　with　long　and　doubtful　scruples　from　Mr。　Nicholas　and　James　Mercer；　and　a　dash　of　cold　water　on　it　here　&　there；　enfeebling　it　somewhat；　but　finally　with　unanimity　or　a　vote　approaching　it。　　This　being　passed；　I　repaired　immediately　to　Philadelphia；　and　conveyed　to　Congress　the　first　notice　they　had　of　it。　　It　was　entirely　approved　there。　　I　took　my　seat　with　them　on　the　21st　of　June。　　On　the　24th；　a　commee　which　had　been　appointed　to　prepare　a　declaration　of　the　causes　of　taking　up　arms；　brought　in　their　report　（drawn　I　believe　by　J。　Rutledge）　which　not　being　liked　they　recommitted　it　on　the　26th；　and　added　Mr。　Dickinson　and　myself　to　the　committee。　　On　the　rising　of　the　house；　the　commee　having　not　yet　met；　I　happened　to　find　myself　near　Govr　W。　Livingston；　and　proposed　to　him　to　draw　the　paper。　　He　excused　himself　and　proposed　that　I　should　draw　it。　　On　my　pressing　him　with　urgency；　〃we　are　as　yet　but　new　acquaintances；　sir；　said　he；　why　are　you　so　earnest　for　my　doing　it？〃　　〃Because；　said　I；　I　have　been　informed　that　you　drew　the　Address　to　the　people　of　Gr。　Britain；　a　prod