" ' in the County of , and Colony

" ' of New York, do voluntarily and solemnly engage, " ' under all the ties held sacred among mankind, at " ' the risk of our lives and fortunes, to defend, by " ' arms, the United American Colonies, against the " ' hostile attempts of the British Fleets and Armies, " ' until the present unhappy controversy between " ' the two Countries shall be settled.'

* Journal of the Provincial Congress, "Tuesday morning, June 18, 1776."

HISTOKY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

"And whereas it hath been objected to the said " form of an Association, that, by obliging the sub- "scribers or associators, in such general and express " terms, to defend the United Colonies, by arms, "against the hostile attempts of the British Fleets " and Armies, it deprived them of the Rights reserved " by the Militia Regulations, and imposed on them the " necessity of marching to the most distant of the "Colonies, whenever called upon, which construction " of the said Association, however nice and casuistical, " is inconsistent and fallacious, it being manifest that " the Militia Regulations co\x\A, by no rules of construc- " tion, be supposed to be repealed and abrogated by " any subtle implications drawn from the said Associ- "tion. But, as some of the friends to the American " cause have been influenced, by this objection, to " refuse signing the said Association, and, in conse- " quence thereof, been disarmed, it hath become ex- "pedient that the said Association should be so ex- " plained as to render it free from specious as well as "solid objections; and, therefore,