Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/153

 whatever, to forbear purchasing or accepting lands, on the conditions before mentioned.” Of this committee he was of course the chairman; and the other members were Richard Bland, Thomas Jefferson, Robert C. Nicholas, and Edmund Pendleton, esquires.

The convention having adopted a plan for the encouragement of arts and manufactures in this colony, and reappointed their former deputies to the continental congress, with the substitution of Mr. Jefferson for Mr. Peyton Randolph, in case of the non-attendance of the latter; and having also provided for a re-election of delegates to the next convention, came to an adjournment. It is curious to read in the file of papers from which the foregoing proceedings are extracted, and immediately following them, this proclamation of his excellency lord Dunmore:—“Whereas, certain persons, styling themselves delegates of several of his majesty’s colonies in America, have presumed, without his majesty’s authority or consent, to assemble together at Philadelphia, in the months of September and October last, and have thought fit, among other unwarrantable proceedings, to resolve that it will be necessary that another congress should be held at the same place on the 10th of May next, unless redress of certain pretended grievances be obtained before that time; and to recommend that all the colonies of North America should choose deputies to attend such congress: I am commanded by the king, and I do accordingly issue this my proclamation, to require all magistrates and other officers, to use their utmost endeavours to prevent any such appointment of deputies, and to exhort all persons whatever within this government, to desist from such an unjustifiable proceeding, so highly displeasing to his majesty.”

This proclamation was published while the convention was in session, and was obviously designed to have an effect on their proceedings. It passed by them, however, “as the idle wind which they regarded not.” The age of proclamations was gone, and the glory of regal governors pretty nearly extinguished forever.

It ought not to be omitted, however, that this very convention passed resolutions complimentary to lord Dunmore, and the troops which he had commanded in an expedition of the preceding year against the Indians: a compliment which, as we shall see, was afterwards found to be unmerited. As the resolution in regard to lord Dunmore does honour to the candour of the convention, and shows also how little personality there was in the contest, I take leave to subjoin it.

“Resolved, unanimously, That the most cordial thanks of the people of this colony, are a tribute justly due to our worthy governor, lord Dunmore, for his truly noble, wise and spirited conduct, on the late expedition against our Indian enemy—a conduct which at once evinces his excellency’s attention to the true interests of this colony, and a zeal in the executive department which no dangers can divert, or difficulties hinder, from achieving the most important services to the people who have the happiness to live under his administration.”

Lord Dunmore was not a man of popular manners; he had nothing of the mildness, the purity, the benevolence and suavity of his predecessor. On the contrary, he is represented as having been rude and offensive: coarse in his figure, his countenance and his manners. Yet he received from the house of burgesses, the most marked respect. Thus in 1774, while the liberties of the colonies were bleeding at every pore, and while the house was smarting severely, under the recent news of the occlusion of the port of Boston, they paid to lady Dunmore, who had just arrived at Williamsburg, the most cordial and elegant attentions, congratulated his lordship on this increase to his domestic felicity; and even, after their abrupt dissolution, complimented the inhabitants of the palace with a splendid ball and entertainment, in honour of the arrival of the countess Dunmore and her family.