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It will now be necessary to say something of the little fleet which had been fitted out under the command of Commodore Ezekiel Hopkins. It consisted of two ships, two brigs and a sloop, all well manned and armed, and having on board about two hundred marines. We have already mentioned that the operations of this fleet had been of considerable service to the Provincial cause, having at various times with great courage made themselves masters of the most important articles of military stores. Early in March they landed at New Providence and stripped the island of all its stores except the powder which the Governour had taken the precaution to remove; and on their return home were somewhat disgraced by an unsuccessful action with the British ship Glasgow of 20 guns, which they suffered to escape after an engagement of two hours, with the whole fleet.

As the army under General Washington at Boston remained unmolested after the evacuation of that town by the British, he had an opportunity of disposing of them where they were most wanted; and as no military affair of importance immediately demands our attention, we shall endeavour to give such a view of political matters as will lead us to the declaration of independence.

Such was the deep rooted attachment of the Colonists generally to Great Britain, under whose constitutional government they fancied there was greater security, and happiness, than under any other form of government whatever, that until the last critical moment, very few even of those who bore the largest share in the measures before related, either desired or thought of a separation. And it must remain forever a subject of inexplicable wonder, by what magick in

fluence, the few daring spirits in Congress who from the first cherished a hope of independence, were enabled to attain the adoption of those measures which so gradually but so successfully led them to the summit of their wishes.

We have heretofore mentioned several addresses forwarded by Congress to the inhabitants of Canada. The people of that Province had on many occasions evinced a friendly disposition, and steps were now taken, by the formal appointment of Commissioners, to negotiate an union. Doctor Franklin, Samuel. Chase, and Charles Carroll, were clothed with authority from Congress for this purpose; but though many of the inhabitants of that Province had experienced nothing but oppression and cruelty at the hands of Sir Guy Carleton, and the rites of the church were denied to all who had the courage to avow their dislike of the Quebec Bill, yet they were either too tame in dispo-, sition or too much in fear of the power of Sir Guy, to listen to the terms proposed by the Congress. Mr. Carroll, afterwards Arch-Bishop of Baltimore, a gentleman every way qualified for the task of persuasion, was sent from Maryland to offer the services of the Church to those to whom they had been refused, and to join his influence with the Commissioners, but to no purpose the Canadians preferred to groan longer under the yoke of tyranny.

The Congress had waited with considerable patience, and some anxiety, the result of the late Session of Parliament; they had forebore to do any thing which might not be justified upon the fair principles of self defence, until it appeared that the Ministry were resolved, that nothing short of the most abject submission should be the price of accommodation. Early

in May therefore the Congress adopted a measure intended to sound the sentiments of the Colonies, on the subject of independence. They stated the rejection of their petitions, the Prohibitory Act, and the employment of foreign mercenaries to reduce them to obedience, and concluded by declaring it expedient that all the Colonies should proceed to the establishment of such a form of government as their representatives might think most conducive to the peace and happiness of the people. This Preamble and Resolution, was immediately forwarded to all the Colonies; and in a few days afterwards Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, gave notice to the Congress that he should on an appointed day move for a declaration of independence. This was accordingly done, but the consideration of the question was postponed until the 1st of July, so timid, so wavering, so unwilling to break the maternal connexion were most of the members.

The interval was employed in unceasing exertions by the friends of independence to prepare the minds of the people for the necessity and advantages of such a measure. The Press teemed with Essays and Pamphlets, in which all the arts of eloquence were used to ridicule the prejudices which supported an attachment to the King and the Government of England. Among the numerous writers on this momentous question, the most luminous, the most eloquent, and the most forcible, was Thomas Paine. His Pamphlet entitled "Common Sense" was not only read, but understood, by every body. It contained plain and simple truths, told in a style and language, that came home to the heart of every man; and those who regard the independence of the United States as a blessing, will never cease to cherish the remembrance of

Thomas Paine. Whatever may have been his subsequent career-in whatever light his moral or religious principles may be regarded-it should never be forgotten that to him, more than to any single individual, was owing the rapid diffusion of those sentiments and feelings which produced the act of separation from Great Britain.

New-Hampshire, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, for a long time held out against the motion for independence. In Pennsylvania the proposed measure was so warmly opposed by Mr. Dickenson, who had been one of the first and ablest advocates of resistance, that the convention of Deputies left him out in their election of Delegates to Congress, and appointed Dr. Benjamin Rush in his place. In Maryland the Convention instructed their Delegates to vote against the declaration of independence, which on the first question they did, contrary to their own sentiments; and withdrawing immediately from the Congress, they returned to their own Colony. Here Samuel Chase laboured industriously and effectually to procure county meetings, at which the people were induced to instruct their deputies to reverse their former vote; and on the 28th of June the Convention gave an unanimous vote for independence, with which the Delegates lost no time in returning to Congress.

On the day agreed upon for the consideration of Mr. Lee's motion, the 1st of July, Congress resolved itself into a committee of the whole; the debates on the question were continued with great warmth for three days. It had been determined to take the vote by Colonies; and as a master stroke of policy, the author of which is not known to history, it had been propos

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ed and agreed that the decision on the question, whatever might be the real state of the votes, should appear to, the world as the unanimous voice of the Congress. On the first question six Colonies were in the affirmative, and six in the negative-Pennsylvania being without a vote by the division of her delegates. What an awful moment was this for the sanguine friends of freedom! In this state of the business, it is said, on the authority of evidence afterwards adduced before the British Parliament, that Mr. Samuel Adams once more successfully exerted his influence; and that one of the delegates of Pennsylvania was brought over to the side of independence. It is more probable, however, that the influence of Mr. Adams extended no further than to procure one of the dissenting members to withdraw from the House; and that the vote of Pennsylvania was thus obtained. This may be inferred from the circumstance that only nine out of the ten delegates from that Colony subscribed the declaration. It is to be regretted, only as a matter of laudable curiosity, that the Journals of Congress are profoundly silent, as to the minute proceedings on this memorable question, and as to the names of those who espoused or opposed it. We have no reason to doubt the purity of motive which actuated any member. It is sufficient that at length the important decision was made, and whether made by a majority of one or of twenty voices, is a question of no historical importance.

Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and R. R. Livingston, had been appointed on the 11th of June, to prepare a declaration of Independence. It was agreed by this Committee, that each individual of it should draw up such a declaration as his judgment, talents, or feelings

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