The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-30

Richard Henry Lee. Dabney Carr and
Thomas jefferson, radicals all, drew to-
gether, a self-cC instituted committee of
guidance.
Evening after evening they met in a
private room at the Raleigh. with now
and again one or two other like spirits
called into counsel, to consult what
should be done.
Richard Henry Lee proposed that the
colonies should be invited to join Nir-
ginia in appointing committees. OF cor
respondence, through which to devise
steady concert of action. and that Vir-
efnia's committee, to be appointed at
once, should be instructed to look into
the character Of the new court of trial
.ately established in Rhode Island.
An Understanding with New
England.
Dabney Carr was directed to move the
resolutions. and the eloquence Of Lee
and Henry won for them an instant
and hearty acceptance.
Dunmore promptly dissolved the As
sembly, and Washington was free TO set
out for New York to place Jacky Gus
lis at Kings College. lingering on the
way in Philadelphia to see the races.
and pick up the talk of the hour dur
ing half a dozen evenings at the rooms
tl EIt JDfhtN N1uDs at lHt bdAls anu
assemblies of the gay town. and at the
hospitabIe tables OF his friends.
wuxhIngton's Amusing Letters.
Tho opening of the year had found
Washington in a very genial humOr.
hts letters touched with pleasantly and
gossip. our celebrated fortune. Miss
French. whom half the world was in
pursuit Of" he wrote, in February. to
Col. Bassett bestowed her hand on
Wednesday last. being her birthday
6you perceive. ! think myself under
necessity of accounting for the choice.
on Mr.. Ben Dulany. who is to take her
to Maryland Mentioning of
one wedding puts me in mind OF an
Uther"-ahd so through the news of
Miss More, remarkable for a very
frizzled head and good singing. and the
rest of the neighborhood talk.
Trouble ut Mount vernon.
But the year turned out a very sad
one for him.
lie had been scarcely ten days back
from New York when Patsy Custis.
whom he loved as his own daughter.
died. 1t called forth all the latent
Christian faith of the thoughtful. stead
fast man to withstand the shock.
And Master Jack Gusts. the girls
wayward brother. gave him little but
anxiety He would not study. for all
Washington was so soiicitous he should
have the Iberalizing outlook OF books.
and be made lit for more useful pur-
poses than horse-racer," and though he
was but twenty, could hardly be induced
to see the year out at college before get
ting married.
The Boston Ten Party.
II was no doubt very well that pub
lie affairs of the first consequence called
Washingtons mind imperatively of from
these private anNieties, which could not
but be dwarfted in the presence of trans
actions which threatened to shake the
continent
As the year drew on. the government
In England undertook to force Cargoes of
the East India Company's tea into the
ports. When all resisted. and Boston,
more forward even than the rest. threw
go odd chests of tea into the harbor, acts
passed Parliament giving dangerous in
crease of power to the Governor OF Mas
sachuSetts, and directing that Boston
port be closed to all commerce on and
after the LIST day of June, and it became
evident that vigorous action must be
taken I'm response.
4 Day OF Prayer and Fasting.
The Burgesses in Virginia May. I7Tp.
resolved that June should be set apart
as a day of fasting and prayer-prayerI
that civil war might be averted and the
people OF America united in common
cause.
Again Dunmore dissolved them. hut
they gathered in the long room sof the
Raleigh Tavern, and there resolved to
urge a congress Of all the colonies. and
to call convention for Virginia to
meet at that place on the first day OF
August 20 take action for the colony.
Dimes with Lord Dunmore.
They showed no spleen toward the |
Governor. Washington dined with him |
the very day OF the dissolution. spent |
the evening at the palace, even rode out |
with him to his farm on the following |
morning. and breakfasted there: and the |
Burgesses did not fail TO give the ball
they had planned in honor OF Lady Dun
more and her daughters on the evening |
Of the day they had held their meeting
in the "Appolo room at the Raleigh.
But there were fasting and prayer on l
the LIST of June: the convention met on
the first day of August: very outspoken
were adopted; and Peyton
Randolph. Richard Henry Lee. Patrick
Henry. Richard Bland, Edmund Pendle-
ton, George Washington, and Benjamin
Harrison were directed to attend the con-
gress Of the colonies appointed to meet
in Philadelphia on the fifth day OF
|
Sets Out for Congress.
When the time came for the journey.
Henry and Pendleton joined Washington /
at Mount Vernon. II must have been
with many grave thoughts that the three
got to horse and turned to
ride through the long August day TO-
ward the North
In the Congress of IVA the leaders
OF Virginia were for the first time
brought into face-to-faee conference win
the men Of the other colonies.
In 1865 Fauquier had dissolved the
Burgesses with such a sharp dispatch,
upon the passage of Mr.. Henry's reso-
lutions, that theyawere all gone home
before the call for a congress to act
upon the stamp duties could reach them
The Patriot Leaders Independent.
But in 177i they were not to be 50
They had themselves issued
the call for a Congress this time. and I
dissolution could not drive them home.
Their leader could at least ltnger at
the Raleigh and concert means to have
their WAY, House or no House.
A convention took the place OF the
Assembly, and seven leading members
on the House were sent to Philadelphia,
with as full authority to speak and act
for the colony "a II the Burgesses
themselves had commissioned them
BIuG Ben Harrison.