Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 6 (of 8): The United States of North America, Part I
History
Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 6 (of 8): The United States of North America, Part I
America -- Discovery and exploration; America -- History; United States -- History
It was but fair to assume that the objects of the first Congress
would be defined by the instructions furnished by those who sent
or commissioned its members. The delegates from New Hampshire were
bid "to consult and adopt such measures as may have the most likely
tendency to extricate the colonies from their present difficulties,
to secure and perpetuate their rights, liberties, and privileges,
and to restore that peace, harmony, and mutual confidence which once
happily subsisted between the parent country and her colonies."
Massachusetts bade her delegates "deliberate and determine upon wise
and proper measures, to be by them recommended to all the colonies,
for the recovery and establishment of their just rights and liberties,
civil and religious,[663] and the restoration of union and harmony
between Great Britain and the colonies, most ardently desired by all
good men." Rhode Island's charter governor empowered the delegates
"to join in consulting upon proper measures to obtain a repeal of the
several acts of the British Parliament, &c., and upon proper measures
to establish the rights and liberties of the colonies upon a just and
solid foundation." Connecticut authorized its delegates "to consult and
advise on proper measures for advancing the best good of the colonies."
The delegates from New York were trusted without any particular
instructions, having merely a general commission "to attend the
Congress at Philadelphia." So, also, New Jersey appointed its delegates
"to represent the colony of New Jersey in the said General Congress."
Pennsylvania sent a committee from its own Assembly in behalf of the
province "to consult upon the present unhappy state of the colonies,
and to form and adopt a plan for the purposes of obtaining redress of
American grievances, ascertaining American rights upon the most solid
and constitutional principles, and for establishing that union and
harmony between Great Britain and the colonies which is indispensably
necessary to the welfare and happiness of both." The deputies from
the three Lower Counties were "to consult and determine upon all such
prudent and lawful measures as may be judged most expedient for the
colonies immediately and unitedly to adopt, in order to obtain relief
for an oppressed people, and the redress of our general grievances."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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