1775.
Congress--Dunmore offers the Olive Branch--New Commotions--
Dunmore retires--Courts closed--Correspondence between Dunmore
and Assembly--Washington, Commander-in-chief--Proceedings at
Williamsburg--Proceedings in Congress--Washington at Cambridge--
Lady Dunmore.
THE second congress assembled on the 10th day of May, 1775, in the State
House, Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Peyton Randolph was again elected
president, but finding it necessary to return to Virginia to perform the
duties of speaker, was succeeded by the well-tried patriot, John
Hancock. Many of the leading members, including Washington, still hoped
for reconciliation with the mother country, and few as yet avowed
themselves in favor of independence. But while the congress were pacific
in theory, they were revolutionary in action. A second petition to the
king was adopted; but, at the same time, a federal union was organized,
and the executive power vested in a council of twelve. Measures were
taken for enlisting troops, erecting forts, providing military stores,
and issuing a paper currency. Massachusetts was advised to form an
internal government for herself. Washington was chairman of the military
committees, and the regulations of the army and defensive measures were
mostly devised by him.
Shortly after the affair of the gunpowder, the public agitations were
again quieted upon the reception of Lord North's conciliatory
proposition, commonly called the "Olive Branch;" and Dunmore convened
the burgesses, and Lady Dunmore and her family returned (to the great
satisfaction of the people) from the Fowey, where they had taken refuge
during these disturbances, to the palace. The assembly meeting on the
first day of June, the governor presented Lord North's proposition. The
council's answer was satisfactory; but before the burgesses could reply,
a new explosion occurred. Upon Henry's recent approach toward
Williamsburg some of the inhabitants, to the great offence of the graver
citizens, had taken possession of a few of the guns remaining in the
magazine. On the night of June the fifth a number of persons having
assembled there to furnish themselves with arms, some of them were
wounded by spring-guns placed there by order of the governor. Besides
this, some barrels of powder were found buried in the magazine, to be
used, it was suspected, as a mine when occasion should offer. Early on
the next morning Lord Dunmore, with his family, escaped from
Williamsburg to return no more, and took shelter on board of the Fowey,
leaving behind him a message to the house, ascribing his departure to
apprehensions of personal danger, and declaring his willingness to
co-operate with the assembly in the public business. That body, by a
deputation, requested him to return to the palace, assuring him that
they would unite in whatever measures might be necessary for the
protection of him and his family. Dunmore in reply complained of the
inimical spirit of the burgesses toward him, of the countenance which
they had given to the disorderly proceedings of the people, of his
majesty's magazine having been broken open and rifled in the presence of
members of the house; he further said that while some endeavors had been
made by the committee of the house to prevail upon the people to restore
the arms, no steps had been taken to bring the offenders to justice;
that a body of men had assembled at Williamsburg for the purpose of
attacking the king's troops, and that guards had been mounted under
false pretences. He exhorted them to return to their constitutional
duty; to open the courts of justice; to disband the independent
companies; and to put an end to the persecutions of his majesty's loyal
subjects.
The governor at the same time communicated papers containing terms upon
which a reconciliation might take place--placing his return upon the
condition of their acceptance of the "Olive Branch." The assembly in
their reply, composed by Mr. Jefferson, declared that next to the
preservation of liberty, a reconciliation would be the greatest of all
human blessings; but that they could not consent to the proposed terms.
Leaving the determination of these disputes to the wisdom of congress,
for themselves they avowed that they had exhausted every means for
obtaining redress; they had remonstrated to parliament, and parliament
had only added new oppressions to the old; they had wearied the king
with petitions which he had not deigned to answer; they had appealed to
the native honor and justice of the British nation, but their efforts in
favor of the colonies had as yet proved ineffectual. Nothing remained
but to commit their cause to the even-handed justice of Him who doeth no
wrong, "earnestly beseeching him to illuminate the counsels and prosper
the endeavors of those to whom America hath confided her hopes, that
through their wise direction we may again see re-united the blessings of
liberty and property, and the most permanent harmony with Great
Britain."
The courts of justice upon Dunmore's flight had been closed, the general
court refusing to transact business, under the pretext that the fees of
officers could not be legally taxed without an act of assembly--the real
ground being, it is said, the desire of bringing about an independent
meeting of that body, and of protecting debtors against suits,
principally foreign.
In another correspondence with the governor, the assembly requested him
to give an order for the return of the arms; but this he refused to do,
alleging that they belonged to the king. They also complained of being
compelled to communicate with his excellency on board of one of his
majesty's armed ships, and at the distance of twelve miles from their
usual place of meeting. His lordship laid the whole responsibility of
these inconveniences upon the disorders that had driven him from the
seat of government, and required the house to attend him on board the
Fowey for the purpose of obtaining his signature to bills. Some of the
burgesses were disposed to acquiesce in the proposed arrangement; but it
was rejected upon a member's relating AEsop's fable of the sick lion and
the fox. The assembly declared the governor's message a high breach of
the rights and privileges of the house; they advised the people of
Virginia to prepare for the preservation of their property, their
rights, and their liberties. It was also resolved unanimously that "we
do and will bear faith and true allegiance to our most gracious
sovereign George the Third, our only lawful and rightful king; and that
we will at all times, to the utmost of our power, and at the risk of
our lives and property, maintain and defend his government in this
colony, as founded on the established laws and principles of the
constitution." They furthermore unanimously declared their earnest
desire to preserve and strengthen the bands of amity with their
fellow-subjects of Great Britain.
On the fourteenth day of June, George Washington, upon the nomination of
Mr. Thomas Johnson, of Maryland, was unanimously elected by the
congress, commander-in-chief of the armies of the United Colonies. John
Adams, of Massachusetts, the eloquent and indomitable advocate of
independence, had, on a previous occasion, recommended him for the post,
as "a gentleman, whose skill and experience as an officer, whose
independent fortune, great talents, and excellent universal character,
would command the approbation of all America, and unite the cordial
exertions of all the colonies better than any other person in the
union." Mr. Adams had discovered that the preference of the Southern
members for Washington was very strong. The pay of the commander-in-chief
of the continental army was fixed at the sum of five hundred dollars a
month. Washington, impressed with a profound sense of the arduous
responsibility of the trust, while he gratefully accepted it, declared
at the same time that he did not think himself equal to it. He declined
all compensation for his services, and made known his intention to keep
an account of his expenses, which he should rely on congress to
discharge. A fac-simile copy of his account, published in recent times,
attests the fidelity with which he performed this engagement. It is
remarkable that while the Southern members in general preferred him,
among those, who at the first suggestion of his name by Mr. Adams, were
opposed to his appointment, were several of the Virginia delegates, and
Mr. Pendleton, in particular, was absolutely against it; but upon
further conference and reflection all objection was withdrawn. Four
major-generals were appointed, Ward of Massachusetts, Charles Lee, an
Englishman, Schuyler, of New York, and Putnam, of Connecticut. In
compliance with General Washington's request, his old comrade, Major
Horatio Gates, then on his estate in Virginia, was appointed
adjutant-general. Washington was likewise warmly in favor of the
appointment of General Charles Lee; yet not without misgivings as to
his violent temper.
The Shawnee hostages had disappeared at the time with the governor; and
George Washington, Thomas Walker, James Wood, Andrew Lewis, John Walker,
and Adam Stephen were appointed commissioners to ratify a treaty with
that tribe. It was determined that Lord Dunmore had voluntarily
abdicated the post of governor, and that the president of the council
should discharge the duties. The abdication was, no doubt, as
"voluntary" as that of James the Second. The burgesses adjourned to the
twelfth of October, and were summoned to meet in convention on the
seventeenth of July.[622:A] It was on this occasion that Richard Henry
Lee, standing on the 17th of June, 1775, with two other burgesses, in
the portico of the capitol, inscribed with his pencil, on a pillar,
these lines,--
"When shall we three meet again,
In thunder, lightning, and in rain?
When the hurlyburly's done,
When the battle's lost and won."
On the twenty-fourth the arms were removed from the palace, and lodged
in the magazine of which Dr. Bland had the charge. Among those engaged
in removing them were Theodorick Bland, Jr., Richard Kidder Meade,
Benjamin Harrison, of Berkley, George Nicholas, Harrison Randolph, and
James Monroe.
On the twenty-sixth of June Mr. Jefferson was added to a committee of
congress appointed to draw up a declaration of the grounds of taking up
arms. He prepared one, but it proving too strong for Mr. Dickinson, of
Pennsylvania, he was indulged in preparing a far tamer statement, which
was accepted by congress. Yet disgust at its humility was general, and
Mr. Dickinson's delight at its passage was the only circumstance which
reconciled them to it. The vote being passed, although farther
observation on it was out of order, Dickinson could not refrain from
rising and expressing his satisfaction, and concluded by saying: "There
is but one word, Mr. President, in the paper which I disapprove, and
that is the word _congress_." On which Benjamin Harrison rose and said:
"There is but one word, Mr. President, of which I approve, and that is
the word _congress_."
The commander-in-chief received his commission from the president of
congress on the twentieth of June, and on the following day set out for
Boston on horseback, accompanied by General Lee, General Schuyler, and
an escort of Philadelphia cavalry. They had proceeded about twenty
miles, when they were met by an express bringing intelligence of the
battle of Bunker's Hill. Amid cheers and the thunder of cannon he
reached the headquarters of the army at Cambridge, on the second of
July, and on the third assumed the command. The future was full of
difficulty and of danger; but he confided in that Divine Providence
which wisely orders human affairs.
Late in June the Magdalen sailed from York with Lady Dunmore, and the
rest of the governor's family, bound for England. The Magdalen was
convoyed down the York and across the bay, by the Fowey. This
oft-mentioned old twenty-gun man-of-war was shortly afterwards relieved
by the Mercury, and sailed with Captain Foy on board for Boston.
Dunmore issued a proclamation commanding all subjects on their
allegiance, to repair to his standard.
FOOTNOTES:
[622:A] Williamsburg invited the assistance of an additional volunteer
force to guard the town.