Three days after the event, John Jay, with more self-respect and, certainly, with more respect for the honor of the Colony, notwithstanding he, also, appeared to take no interest in any other portion of the general subject, wrote a letter to the President of the former Provincial Congress, in which he warmly condemned the proceeding f but, as has been stated, there was, then, no Provincial Congress to receive and to consider his protest.

On the fifth of December, the General Committee of the City and County of New York returned to the subject and adopted a well-written Petition to the Provincial Congress praying that that body would take measures to protect the inhabitants of the Colony from a renewal of such aggressions.*

* Mttmips of the General CoinniHtec for the City and Cnantij of New Yorlc^ " Thursday, November 23, 1775."

2 Miimtis of the General Cnmmillee^ etc., "Friday, November 24, 1775."

3 The following are his words, on the subject of the raid :

* * * "The New-England e.xploit is much talked of, and conjec- " turefl are numerous as to the part the Convention will tuke relative to " it ; some consider it as an ill compliment to the Government of the " Province, and prophesy that you have too much Christian meekness " to take any notice of it. For my own part, I uon't approve of the " feat ; and I think it neither argues much w sdom or much bravery ; at " any rate, if it was to have been done, I wish our own people, and not " strangers, had taken the liberty of doing it.