Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution

" In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands, this eighteenth " day of January, in the fifteenth year of the reign of our sovereign " lord George the third, by the grace of God of Great-Britain, France, " and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, &c, and in the year of our "lord Christ, 1775."

"An Address to the Inhabitants of Cort- " landt's Manor.

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I am one amongst you, tho' yet a ''stranger, an inhabitant of'Cort- " landt's manor; I have nothing to dread or fear "from the resentment of any person or persons, as "I mean to give no offence to any individual; "only wishing, that reason and common prudence " may take place of present bickerings, and the " detestable poison of party faction. It is a matter no "longer to be hid under a cloud, whether we are in " reality, his Majesty's loyal subjects or not ; I have "all the reason in the world to believe, that the " worthy people of this Manor are so to all intents " and purposes; I mean as to their private sentiments; " but alas ! my friends, the time is at hand, when " those sentiments alone will not be of sufficient va- " lidity to justify the loyalty of your hearts.

It re- " quires no great penetration to assign reasons for your " silence in matters of so great importance ; your conduct;, my friends in this last point, is not to be " blamed ; it rather redounds to your credit in the " eyes of every one that knows the life of a farmer. " The farmer is brought up to peace and tranquility ; " politics, and the designs of crafty men are strangers " to his honest minds ; his care and toil, with the " sweat of his brow, is to turn the furrows which give "us subsistence: It is from industry, that worlhy " merchants are enabled to extend their commerce, -- " commerce ! the vitals of a nation, every country has "its share in different commodities, designed by the " will of an omnipotent Being to depend on each other, " linked in a chain of civil society.