The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-12-03
November. 1775...IS7I.

November, 1775-.-IS75.
On the 1st day of November, 1775
the Continental Congress, in session il
Philadelphia, received the royal procla
nation which cut off the last hope OF
terminating the difficulties between the
mother country and the colonies by any
other means than the stern resort tc
arms. In July, as noted in the article
for that month, Congress adopted a peti-
ton to the crown, and four days after its
adoption Richard Penn, one of the pro.
prietors, sailed for England with the
document in charge. Its formal recep-
ten was refused, the Cabinet deciding
that the colonies should be treated with
one by one, and that no recognition
should be made of their confederation.
But, though the petition was not formal
ly received, it was answered 10y royal
proclamation declaring the Americans in
"open and avowed rebellion" Certain
clauses were directed against "divers
wicked and desperate persons" within
the realm, who We're in traitorous cor
respondence with the rebels in the col
onies. At the Royal Exchange hon-
dom the proclamation was received with
general hiss. After the publication of
the proclamation, the American agents,
Penn and Arthur Lee, were permitted
to present the petition of Congress TO
Lord Dartmouth, who informed them
that no official reply was to be expected.
The tidings Of these events, as already
stated, reached America III the early part
of November, together with the intelli-
gence that the British government was
in treaty with other powers for soldiers
and that more ships and more troops
were to be sent over for the subjugation
of the colonies. Step by step, end eau
tiCusiy, Congress proceeded. The
marked measures of this month were
resolutions recommending New Hamp-
shire and North Carolina to establish
forms of government, such as, in their
Judgment, would best produce the hap
piness of the people and secure peace
and good order "during the continu-
ance of the present dispute between
Great Britain and the colonies. Though
in their minds the majority of the dele
gates saw no end TO the dispute but in
the sundering of the relations between
the colonies and the crown, they left
that Interpretation to the people.
In the British Parliament, Richard
Penn, having been summoned as wit
ness before the House of Lords, ex-
pressed p ,sitive opinion that the Am
erican Congress had formed no design
to assert the independence of the colo
MES. The tenor of the petition which
he had brought over supported this
view; and il was moved that the petition
should be made the base of plan o
conciliation. The proposition was re-
jected. In the Commons bill, intro
duced by Edmund Burke, repeating the
acts of Parliament against the colonies,
and granting amnesty for the past, was
rejected by vote of two to one. An
other similar proposition shared the
same fate. There were changes made
in the Ministry 10y which the British
Cabinet became unit on the hostile
policy which had been resolved upon;
and despite of protests from various di-
rections, the government became fixed
in that fatal policy. OF course these
proceedings could not have been known
in the colonies. Enough, however, was
known to lead the Americans to antici-
pate the course of events. And it was
known, also, that the cause OF America
had many friends in England, Ireland
and Scotland, as we'll as ON the continent
of Europe. Thevery phraseology of the
proclamation against " divers wicked and
desperate persons within the realm, ac-
cused of correspondence with America,
fixed, il it did not prompt the appoint
ment of a secret committee to correspond
with those wicked and desperate per-
sons" franklin was chairman of this
committee. Harrison, Johnson, Dickin-
son and Jay were the other members.
The public feeling from one end of the
colonies to the other was intense, and
such letters of the period, from men and
women, as have been preserved, mark
decided patriotism or faint loyalty.
Those were the days that forced men to
the courage of action, and women to the
great courage of endurance. Jefferson
wrote to a friend or refugee who had
sought protection within the British
lines: "There is not in the British En-
pire n man who more cordially loves a
union with Great Britain than i do;
but 1 will cease to exist before yield to
a connection on such terms as the British
Parliament propose. And in this 1
speak kthesentiments of America. Phil
adelphia Ledger.