Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/348

 colonies, by the assistance of whose blood and treasure the said country was conquered from France.

"Also, the act passed in the same session, for the better providing suitable quarters for officers and soldiers in his majesty's service, in North America.

"Also, that the keeping a standing army in several of these colonies, in time of peace, without the consent of the legislature of that colony in which such army is kept, is against law.

"To these grievous acts and measures Americans cannot submit; but in hopes their fellow subjects in Great Britain will, on a revision of them, restore us to that state, in which both countries found happiness and prosperity, we have, for the present, only resolved to pursue the following peaceable measures: 1. To enter into a non-importation association. 2. To prepare an address to the people of Great Britain, and a memorial to the inhabitants of British America: and 3. To prepare a loyal address to his majesty, agreeably to resolutions already entered into."

Congress prepared and adopted an agreement for strictly abstaining from all commercial intercourse with Britain, and recommended Americans universally to carry out the same. It was also advised that the names of all persons rejecting or violating this agreement should be publicly proclaimed as enemies to the rights of America. Following the instructions of many of their constituents, they denounced the slave trade as injurious and pernicious to the best interests of America.

The "Address to the People of Great Britain" was drawn up by John Jay, and justly deserved admiration for its manliness and dignity of tone and expression. Richard Henry Lee drafted the Address to the Inhabitants of British America." Patrick Henry was charged with the preparing the Petition to the King; but the draft presented by him did not give satisfaction, and Dickinson drew up another which Congress approved. Dickinson also prepared the "Address to the Inhabitants of Canada;" but for reasons alluded to on a previous page, it did not produce any effect towards inducing them to join with the colonies represented in the Continental Congress.

"We shall not attempt to give an abstract of these able documents; we prefer to let the reader have the opportunity of judging for himself, by a careful perusal of them. He will find them in the Appendix to the present chapter.

In this connection Mr. Curtis well remarks, that "an examination of the relations of the first Congress to the colonies which instituted it, will not enable us to assign to it the character of a government. Its members were not elected for the express purpose of making a revolution. It was an Assembly convened from separate colonies, each of which had causes of complaint against the imperial government, to which it acknowledged its allegiance to be due, and each of which regarded it as essential to its own interests, to make common cause with the others, for the purpose of obtaining redress of its own grievances. The idea of separating themselves from the mother country