" That your Memorialist conceives that Morrisania is perfectly secure from any dangers either from foreign invasion and internal insurrection, that no naval force can arrive at Morrisania without passing by New York, and of course possessing that city, or without attempting a passage of ion miles through the Sound, which separates Long Island I'roiu Connecticut, which for a fieet is impracticable, and that .Morrisania being distjiut only twenty miles from the Slate of Connecticut, and eight from the City of New York that it therefore can be amply piotecte<l by the hardy sons of New England on the one side, and the inhabitants of the populous City of New Y'ork on the other ; that as the chief I defuuce of this country in future must be by its militia, that therefore the number of fighting men which might at a short notice be collected at each place proposed ought in some nu'asure to be ascertained-- that by reason of the lands in the neighbourhood of ^lorrisjinia l>eing {Hircelled out into small farms, and the vicinity of several towns, together with the city of New York, there are more fighting men within a sweep of thirty miles around Morrisania than perhaps within the same distance around any other place in .\nierica, as there are many populous places which contain large proportions of inhabitants who are principled by religion against bearing arms, and other places which contain many negro inhabitants who not only do not fight themselves, but by keeping their masters at home, prevent them from fighting also.'' ^