Difference between revisions of "Virginia Delegates to the Virginia Convention, 18 May 1776"

From Wythepedia: The George Wythe Encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Line 1: Line 1:
 
[[File:VirginiaDelegatesToTheVirginiaConvention18May1776.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Incorrectly dated draft of a letter from the delegates from Virginia in Congress to the Virginia Convention, in [[George Wythe|George Wythe's] hand.]] Image from the [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mtj.mtjbib000142 Library of Congress,] ''The Thomas Jefferson Papers.'' With [[Thomas Jefferson|Thomas Jefferson's]] notes on coin production.]]
 
[[File:VirginiaDelegatesToTheVirginiaConvention18May1776.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Incorrectly dated draft of a letter from the delegates from Virginia in Congress to the Virginia Convention, in [[George Wythe|George Wythe's] hand.]] Image from the [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mtj.mtjbib000142 Library of Congress,] ''The Thomas Jefferson Papers.'' With [[Thomas Jefferson|Thomas Jefferson's]] notes on coin production.]]
On May 18, 1776, [[George Wythe]] wrote a letter from the delegates of Virginia at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, to the members of the fifth Virginia Convention in Williamsburg (presided by Edmund Pendleton). Enclosed were resolutions reached after a report by a committee made up by Benjamin Harrison, Edward Rutledge, Robert Goldsborough, Robert Treat Paine, and Caesar Rodney regarding two letters from General Lee of April 19 and May 7, 1776.
+
On May 18, 1776, [[George Wythe]] wrote a letter from the delegates of Virginia at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, to the members of the fifth Virginia Convention in Williamsburg (presided by Edmund Pendleton). Enclosed were resolutions reached after a report by a committee made up by Benjamin Harrison, Edward Rutledge, Robert Goldsborough, Robert Treat Paine, and Caesar Rodney, regarding two letters from [[wikipedia:Charles Lee (general)|General Charles Lee]] of April 19 and May 7, 1776, regarding measures for defending Virginia,<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ljQSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA363 ''Journals of the Continental Congress,''] ed. Worthington C. Ford, Vol. 4, ''January 1-June 4, 1776'' (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1906), 363-365.</ref> as well as a resolution of May 15, which ordered the publication of a 'preamble' prepared by John Adams, Edward Rutledge, and Richard Henry Lee, which was published as a broadside.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ljQSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA363 ''Journals of the Continental Congress,''] ed. Worthington C. Ford, Vol. 4, ''January 1-June 4, 1776'' (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1906), 357-358. The text of the preamble reads:
 +
<blockquote>
 +
Whereas, his Brittanic majesty, in conjunction with the lords and commons of Great Britain, has by a late act of parliament, excluded the inhabitants of these United Colonies from the protection of his crown; And whereas, no answer, whatever, to the humble petitions of the colonies for redress of grievances and reconciliation with Great Britain, has been, or is likely to be given; but the whole force of that kingdom, aided by foreign mercenaries, is to be exerted for the destruction of the good people of the colonies; And whereas it appears absolutely irreconcilable to reason and good Conscience, for the people of these colonies now to take the oaths and affirmations necessary for the support of any government under the Crown of Great Britain, and it is necessary that the exercise of every kind of authority under the said Crown should be totally suppressed, and all the powers of government exerted, under the authority of the people of the colonies, for the preservation of internal peace, virtue, and good order, as well as for the defense of our lives, liberties, and properties, against the hostile invasions and cruel depredations of our enemies...[.]
 +
</blockquote>
 +
</ref>
  
"The resolutions enclosed in this letter, dealing with a variety of measures for
+
The letter was read at the Virginia Convention on May 27, 1776, and referred to the Committee on the State of the Colony.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=Y_hOAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA141 ''Journal of the Convention,''] May, 1776 (Richmond, Virginia: Ritchie, Trueheart, and Du-val, 1816), 25.</ref>
the defense of Virginia, were adopted on May 18. See JCC, 4:363-65.  
 
  
 
2 For the resolve of May 6, see JCC, 4:330.
 
2 For the resolve of May 6, see JCC, 4:330.
Line 17: Line 20:
 
|}
 
|}
  
The inclosed resolutions were reported by a committee appointed to consider of a letter from general Lee to the president. We have nothing to observe upon them unless it be, that the surgeons whom the director general of the hospital is empowered to appoint, and the regimental surgeons to be nominated by the convention, according to a resolution lately forwarded to you,<ref>2</ref> are different officers. Upon the arrival of two ships of war, two frigates and one tender at Quebeck, the 6th instant, the garrison, consisting, with the forces the vessels brought, of no more than about a thousand men, made a sally upon our army there, and routed it. The resolution of the 15th of May we send a printed copy of, lest the manuscript, which we desired the secretary to furnish us with, should not come time enough to go by this opportunity. We are,
+
The inclosed resolutions were reported by a committee appointed to consider of a letter from general Lee to the president. We have nothing to observe upon them unless it be, that the surgeons whom the director general of the hospital is empowered to appoint, and the regimental surgeons to be nominated by the convention, according to a resolution lately forwarded to you,<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ljQSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA330 ''Journals of the Continental Congress,''] ed. Worthington C. Ford, Vol. 4, ''January 1-June 4, 1776'' (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1906), 330.</ref> are different officers. Upon the arrival of two ships of war, two frigates and one tender at Quebeck, the 6th instant, the garrison, consisting, with the forces the vessels brought, of no more than about a thousand men, made a sally upon our army there, and routed it. The resolution of the 15th of May<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=ljQSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA357 ''Journals of the Continental Congress,''] ed. Worthington C. Ford, Vol. 4, ''January 1-June 4, 1776'' (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1906), 357.</ref> we send a printed copy of, lest the manuscript, which we desired the secretary to furnish us with, should not come time enough to go by this opportunity. We are,
 
:::::Gentlemen,
 
:::::Gentlemen,
 
::::::Your most obedient servants.  
 
::::::Your most obedient servants.  
Line 26: Line 29:
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
[http://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/TSJN-01-01-02-0155 The Papers of Thomas Jefferson Digital Edition.]
+
Read this letter in [http://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/TSJN-01-01-02-0155 ''The Papers of Thomas Jefferson Digital Edition.'']
 +
 
 +
Read this book in the [https://archive.org/details/lettersofdelegat04smit Internet Archive].
  
 
[[Category:Letters and Papers]]
 
[[Category:Letters and Papers]]
 
[[Category:Letters from Wythe]]
 
[[Category:Letters from Wythe]]

Revision as of 11:17, 5 February 2014

Incorrectly dated draft of a letter from the delegates from Virginia in Congress to the Virginia Convention, in George Wythe's] hand. Image from the Library of Congress, The Thomas Jefferson Papers. With Thomas Jefferson's notes on coin production.

On May 18, 1776, George Wythe wrote a letter from the delegates of Virginia at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, to the members of the fifth Virginia Convention in Williamsburg (presided by Edmund Pendleton). Enclosed were resolutions reached after a report by a committee made up by Benjamin Harrison, Edward Rutledge, Robert Goldsborough, Robert Treat Paine, and Caesar Rodney, regarding two letters from General Charles Lee of April 19 and May 7, 1776, regarding measures for defending Virginia,[1] as well as a resolution of May 15, which ordered the publication of a 'preamble' prepared by John Adams, Edward Rutledge, and Richard Henry Lee, which was published as a broadside.[2]

The letter was read at the Virginia Convention on May 27, 1776, and referred to the Committee on the State of the Colony.[3]

2 For the resolve of May 6, see JCC, 4:330.

Letter text, 18 May 1776

Page 1

Gentlemen

Philadelphia, 18 April [May],[4] 1776.

The inclosed resolutions were reported by a committee appointed to consider of a letter from general Lee to the president. We have nothing to observe upon them unless it be, that the surgeons whom the director general of the hospital is empowered to appoint, and the regimental surgeons to be nominated by the convention, according to a resolution lately forwarded to you,[5] are different officers. Upon the arrival of two ships of war, two frigates and one tender at Quebeck, the 6th instant, the garrison, consisting, with the forces the vessels brought, of no more than about a thousand men, made a sally upon our army there, and routed it. The resolution of the 15th of May[6] we send a printed copy of, lest the manuscript, which we desired the secretary to furnish us with, should not come time enough to go by this opportunity. We are,

Gentlemen,
Your most obedient servants.

References

  1. Journals of the Continental Congress, ed. Worthington C. Ford, Vol. 4, January 1-June 4, 1776 (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1906), 363-365.
  2. Journals of the Continental Congress, ed. Worthington C. Ford, Vol. 4, January 1-June 4, 1776 (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1906), 357-358. The text of the preamble reads:

    Whereas, his Brittanic majesty, in conjunction with the lords and commons of Great Britain, has by a late act of parliament, excluded the inhabitants of these United Colonies from the protection of his crown; And whereas, no answer, whatever, to the humble petitions of the colonies for redress of grievances and reconciliation with Great Britain, has been, or is likely to be given; but the whole force of that kingdom, aided by foreign mercenaries, is to be exerted for the destruction of the good people of the colonies; And whereas it appears absolutely irreconcilable to reason and good Conscience, for the people of these colonies now to take the oaths and affirmations necessary for the support of any government under the Crown of Great Britain, and it is necessary that the exercise of every kind of authority under the said Crown should be totally suppressed, and all the powers of government exerted, under the authority of the people of the colonies, for the preservation of internal peace, virtue, and good order, as well as for the defense of our lives, liberties, and properties, against the hostile invasions and cruel depredations of our enemies...[.]

  3. Journal of the Convention, May, 1776 (Richmond, Virginia: Ritchie, Trueheart, and Du-val, 1816), 25.
  4. 1
  5. Journals of the Continental Congress, ed. Worthington C. Ford, Vol. 4, January 1-June 4, 1776 (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1906), 330.
  6. Journals of the Continental Congress, ed. Worthington C. Ford, Vol. 4, January 1-June 4, 1776 (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1906), 357.

External links

Read this letter in The Papers of Thomas Jefferson Digital Edition.

Read this book in the Internet Archive.