It was the first, or among the first, to disregard the peculiar selfishness of the popular leaders in Boston, by whom the grievances of that particular Town had been thrust into an undue prominence, for the relief of which, especially, they insisted, the entire efforts of the entire Continent must be directed j 1 and it was the first to propose and to insist on the convention of a Congress of Deputies from all the Colonies, in which all the grievances which were sustained by each and every of those Colonies could be duly considered, and concerted action be secured from the entire Continent, for the relief of all who were aggrieved. 2 How much, in that well-considered

1 The Committee of Correspondence of Philadelphia, after it had received and puhlicly read the opinions of those who had been nominated as members of the similar Committee, in New York, not yet organized, had, to some extent, done so, nt an earlier date ; but the reply of the Committee in New Tork accompanied that of the Committee in Philadelphia, Paul Revere having taken both, at the same time, on his return to Boston.

2 We are not insensible of the fact that the origin of the Congress of the Continent, which was assembled at Philadelphia, in 1774, has been variously stated, by many of those who have preceded us ; and we are equally sensible of the other fact, that individuals, in different Colonies, ■without any connection with each other, had suggested, theoretically, that such a Congress would be useful for various limited and, generally, local purposes, previously to that more general and practical proposition which was made by the Committee of Correspondence in New Tork, on the occasion under consideration.