But the revival, with largely increased authority and without any diminution of malignancy, of the notorious political Inquisition -- the Committee to detect Conspiracies -- afforded abundant evidence of the purpose of the master-spirits of the new-formed Conviention to keep apart those who might have been united, had a redress of grievances been the only purpose of the movements; and to drive over into the ranks of the Royal Army or into the service of that Army, those who, under a more judicious policy, would not have become enemies, eager for retaliation, even if they had not become very active friends. The outlawry of Richmond and Queens-counties and the terrible outrages which had been inflicted on their peaceful inhabitants, under the authority or with the permission of the earlier Provincial Congresses, had already produced their legitimate results, in the eagerness with which the persecuted and outraged inhabitants of each of these Counties had accepted the protection of the Royal Army and taken up arms for retaliatory action ;^ and

^ Jotmml of Ihe ProHncuil Cougnse, "Wednesday luorniiig, White "Plains, July 10th, 1T76."

Doctor Sparks erroneously stated, ( Wriliiigs of George M'lKhiiigtoii, iii., 470, note,) that that change in the title of the Provincial Congress was made on the iiiiUh of July, and cited the Manuscript Jounml of the Oangren, of the ninth of July, as his authority : we have preferred to depend on the official copy of that Juunuil, as it was printed by order of the Legislature, in 1842, which clearly indicates that the change was made on the following day.