History of Westchester County, New York, Vol. I

We " are rather induced to do this, because we under- " stand, that three or four persons in the White "Plains, have taken \\\im\ them to declare to the "Committee at New-York, the consent of the "inhabitants of the White Plains to the resolutions " entered into, in New-York, and their acquiescence " with the measures taken there ; when the major " part of the few people who attended the meeting, " did not choose to be concerned in the matter. We " also testify our disaT)probation of many hot and "furious proceedings against the measures taken by "the mother country, as, in our opinion, they will " rather tend to ruin this once happy continent, than " remove grievances. We also declare that we desire "to live and die peaceable subjects to our gracious "Sovereign King GEORGE the Third and his laws. " This is to inform the public, that the above declara- "tion was signed by forty-five freeholders and in- " habitants, in the small precinct of the White " Plains, against the proceedings of the New-York " Committee, besides Miles Oakley."

A few weeks afterwards, Miles Oakley, one of those who had signed it, undoubtedly, for good and sufficient

reasons,' retracted what he had uttered in the aboverecited Declaration ; and we have carefully copied from Holt's New-York Journal, No. 1681, New- York, Thursday, March 23, 1775, what he said on that latter occasion. It was in these words :

" Westchester County, White Plains. "TTTHEREAS, there was a petition published in YV "Rivington's paper, some time past, that "forty five of the freeholders and inhabitants, be- " sides Miles Oakley, did sign a petition -- I did sign " a petition, something like it, by being misled ; and " afterwards being informed into the right state of "the matter, I got the petition, and struck my name "out, and forwarned the Esq.