FIRST PROVINCIAL CONGRESS.
A. D. 1774.
1774. By this time the propriety of holding a general or Continental
Congress, composed of delegates or representatives duly chosen by
the several colonies, had suggested itself to men of sagacity in
every portion of the country. Wherever made, the suggestion at
once found a lodgment in public favor, and by the time summer had
come it was a generally accepted fact that such a congress would
be held, and the time and place of its session pretty well agreed
upon. During the month of June, 1774, each colony, through its
Committee of Correspondence, was invited to send delegates to a
Continental Congress, to be held in Philadelphia during the
coming September.
2. From its first agitation, the project of a Continental
Congress, to consider the best ways and means of redressing the
grievances of the colonists, was exceedingly distasteful to
Governor Martin, for he regarded it as a most efficient way to
organize rebellion. He resolved that he would prevent North
Carolina from participating in such a Congress, as Governor Tryon
had prevented her from participating in a similar one in 1765.
To this end he determined that during the continuance of the
existing disturbed condition of the colonies no Legislature
should meet in North Carolina, thinking thereby to prevent the
due election of delegates from the province.
3. To this fixed purpose on the part of Governor Martin, made
known to John Harvey through Mr. Biggleston, the Governor's
Private Secretary, the Congress held at New Bern in August, 1774,
owed its existence. When Mr. Biggleston told him the Governor
did not intend to call another Legislature "until he saw a chance
to get a better one," Harvey replied, "then the people will
convene one themselves." Accordingly, about the first of July,
in accordance with a plan agreed upon three months before between
Willie Jones of Halifax, Samuel Johnston of Chowan and Edward
Buncombe of Tyrrell, Harvey, the Speaker of the House of
Assembly, issued handbills calling upon the people to elect
delegates to a Provincial Congress, as it was called, to assemble
in New Bern on the 25th of August, to express the sentiments of
the people on the acts lately passed by the Parliament of Great
Britain, and to appoint delegates to represent the province in a
Continental Congress. The handbills of this bold Speaker also
invited the people to invest the deputies whom they might send to
New Bern "with powers obligatory on the future conduct of the
inhabitants."
4. The elections for deputies were duly held about the first of
August, and the Governor, finding himself thus completely
checkmated, was furious. The calm audacity of the Speaker, in
summoning such a body to meet in New Bern, in the very presence
of the King's represent representatives, as the Governor said,
"to concert treasonable schemes against the Crown," astounded
him.
5. Up to this time Governor Martin had not at all realized how
weak had become the ties that bound the people of the colony of
North Carolina to the mother country. Nor did he believe they
would, with any degree of unanimity whatever, take so bold and
defiant a step in the direction of open rebellion as that
involved in the election of a Congress with powers obligatory on
the people, but owing no obedience to the authority of the Crown.
Yet, at the appointed times and places, with few exceptions, the
people throughout the provinces openly assembled and elected
delegates to the proposed Congress, clothing them with most
extraordinary powers.
6. This evidence of the condition of popular sentiment in the
province could neither be doubted nor disregarded. Accordingly,
on the 12th of August, 1774, the Governor asked his Council to
advise him what to do in a state of affairs so inconsistent with
the peace and good order of the government and so injurious to
the maintenance of the authority of the Crown. After deliberating
for a day on the matter, the Council advised him to issue a
proclamation, and he did so, condemning the elections just held
as highly illegal, and warning all officers of the King, both
civil and military, to do all in their power to prevent such
assemblages of the people, and especially the meeting of the
deputies or delegates at New Bern on the 25th instant.
7. In spite of all this, the first Provincial Congress in North
Carolina met at New Bern, August 25th, 1774, and elected John
Harvey as Moderator or President. Richard Caswell, Joseph Hewes
and William Hooper were chosen as delegates to the Continental
Congress. Protesting their loyalty to the Crown, but expressing
a full determination to defend their rights as freemen, the
members entered into an agreement that unless their grievances
were redressed they would discontinue all trade with English
merchants.
8. This Congress was the first great step in the Revolution,
which was to deliver North Carolina and America from the dominion
of a distant King and Parliament. The men of America were soon
to be free from all foreign interference in their government. It
was a bold and hazardous step in Colonel Harvey and the men over
whom he presided as Moderator, but safety in the end was the
reward of those who thus dared to be free.
QUESTIONS.
1. What important step was suggesting itself to the people? How
was the suggestion received? What was done in June, 1774?
2. How did Governor Martin regard this matter? What did he
determine to do?
3. What vas the result of the Governor's plan? What was done by
John Harvey?
4. How was Governor Martin affected by Harvey's success?
5. What had the Governor begun to realize? What was done by the people?
6. What advice did the Governor seek? What was given?
7. When and where did the first Provincial Congress of North
Carolina meet? Who was Moderator? Who were chosen as delegates to
the Continental Congress?
8. What is said of this Provincial congress?