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SLAVE INSURRECTION ANTICIPATED. 179
determined to push their iniquitous unconstitutional measures by dint of arms.
The sword of civil war has been drawn by the king's troops, and sheathed
in the bowels of our countrymen. May peace, with libert3r, soon present
the scabbard; and may Americans never be obliged again to take up arms
but against a foreign foe. We hope that the union which has so remarkably
taken place throughout the American colonies, may acquire, if, possible, greater
firmness by this unjustifiable, inhuman, murderous attack upon our . countrymen;
for, upon an universal, firmly cemented union of the American colonies, under God,
depends the salvation and establishment of American liberty."
During the sitting of the convention, a committee composed of six gentlemen waited on the governor, and represented that in .consequence of the
disturbed state of affairs, they were apprehensive that the slaves of the
province would revolt, and requested that the arms and ammunition belonging
to the province should be placed in the possession of the people. Governor
Eden, in a letter to his brother, dated April 28th, giving an account of this
proceeding, says:
"I expostulated with them—advised them—and tried to convince them they were
only going to accelerate the evil they dreaded from their servants and slaves. In
vain, however, although I agreed, by the advice of the Council, to commit the care of the
arms to the custody of such gentlemen of the militia (regularly appointed by myself) as
they must place confidence in. They expressed great satisfaction with this; but the next
day (yesterday, 27th April,) applied to me, under the Militia Act of this Province, for
arms for the purpose above mentioned—and by advice of the Council, then sitting at my
house, I agreed to furnish four counties (whose Colonels made a regular application) with
arms, etc., such as they are, and perhaps each county (of those four) will get one hundred
stand, which their Colonels give receipts for, and are to share with the counties that have
not had time to apply."
Congress again met on the 10th of May, 1775. At the opening of the
session, Matthew Tilghman, Thomas Johnson, Jr., William Paca, Samuel
Chase and John Hall were present, and Thomas Stone and Robert Golds-
borough arrived on the 15th. From the beginning the Maryland representatives took a leading and most active part in the proceedings of the body,
particularly Mr. Thomas Johnson, one of the foremost statesmen of the day,
whose name appears on nearly all the committees, and Samuel Chase, the
" Demosthenes of Maryland," who first declared in congress that he " owed no
allegiance to Great Britain." Altogether the delegation constituted a noble
representation of the ability, culture, political intelligence and wisdom of
Maryland at this exciting period.
On the 26th of May, after stating the dangerous and critical situation of
the colonies, from the attempts to carry into execution by force, the oppressive acts of parliament, from the actual hostilities committed in Massachusetts,
and from the large reinforcements of troops expected with the same hostile
views, congress unanimously determined " that, for the express purpose of
securing and defending these colonies, and preserving them in safety against
all attempts to carry said acts into execution by force of arms, the colonies
be placed in a state of defence." They at the same time, expressed a most
| Title | History of Maryland - 2 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000206 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | SLAVE INSURRECTION ANTICIPATED. 179 determined to push their iniquitous unconstitutional measures by dint of arms. The sword of civil war has been drawn by the king's troops, and sheathed in the bowels of our countrymen. May peace, with libert3r, soon present the scabbard; and may Americans never be obliged again to take up arms but against a foreign foe. We hope that the union which has so remarkably taken place throughout the American colonies, may acquire, if, possible, greater firmness by this unjustifiable, inhuman, murderous attack upon our . countrymen; for, upon an universal, firmly cemented union of the American colonies, under God, depends the salvation and establishment of American liberty." During the sitting of the convention, a committee composed of six gentlemen waited on the governor, and represented that in .consequence of the disturbed state of affairs, they were apprehensive that the slaves of the province would revolt, and requested that the arms and ammunition belonging to the province should be placed in the possession of the people. Governor Eden, in a letter to his brother, dated April 28th, giving an account of this proceeding, says: "I expostulated with them—advised them—and tried to convince them they were only going to accelerate the evil they dreaded from their servants and slaves. In vain, however, although I agreed, by the advice of the Council, to commit the care of the arms to the custody of such gentlemen of the militia (regularly appointed by myself) as they must place confidence in. They expressed great satisfaction with this; but the next day (yesterday, 27th April,) applied to me, under the Militia Act of this Province, for arms for the purpose above mentioned—and by advice of the Council, then sitting at my house, I agreed to furnish four counties (whose Colonels made a regular application) with arms, etc., such as they are, and perhaps each county (of those four) will get one hundred stand, which their Colonels give receipts for, and are to share with the counties that have not had time to apply." Congress again met on the 10th of May, 1775. At the opening of the session, Matthew Tilghman, Thomas Johnson, Jr., William Paca, Samuel Chase and John Hall were present, and Thomas Stone and Robert Golds- borough arrived on the 15th. From the beginning the Maryland representatives took a leading and most active part in the proceedings of the body, particularly Mr. Thomas Johnson, one of the foremost statesmen of the day, whose name appears on nearly all the committees, and Samuel Chase, the " Demosthenes of Maryland," who first declared in congress that he " owed no allegiance to Great Britain." Altogether the delegation constituted a noble representation of the ability, culture, political intelligence and wisdom of Maryland at this exciting period. On the 26th of May, after stating the dangerous and critical situation of the colonies, from the attempts to carry into execution by force, the oppressive acts of parliament, from the actual hostilities committed in Massachusetts, and from the large reinforcements of troops expected with the same hostile views, congress unanimously determined " that, for the express purpose of securing and defending these colonies, and preserving them in safety against all attempts to carry said acts into execution by force of arms, the colonies be placed in a state of defence." They at the same time, expressed a most |
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