The real purpose of the Committee of Safety, in the adoption and publication of this Resolution and of these several Orders, was the entire disarmament of every one who, for any reason, had neglected or declined to sign the General Association ; and, for that reason, every class of fire-arms, whether adapted to the uses of the Army or not, was included, in every instance, in the Orders wherein the Arms to be seized were specifically described: It will be seen, also, that the Counties of Queens and Westchester were especially noticed ; and that they, alone, were selected for details of foreign troops, for the enforcement, within each of them, respectively, of the utmost requirements of the Committee's Orders -- besides the local Militia, in each of the two Counties, thus honored by the Committee of Safety's malignant animosity, a large additional force of troops, from beyond the boundaries of the County, in each instance, was placed at the disposal of those who were sent, within those Counties, respectively, for the " impressment " of the Arms, in order to ensure the most complete success of the enterprise.

It must have been peculiarly galling, among those who had been accustomed to hear of the " Rights of " Man " and of the " Constitutional Rights of Engiish- "men " and all the other catchwords and maxims in the science of government -- generally true, in theory, although, practically, they had been seized and employed by demagogues, in those instances, only for the advancement of personal and partisan ends -- when a military force, no matter by whom commanded nor of what troops it was composed, was moved from farmhouse to farmhouse, failing to call only on those who were in favor with the Chairman of a County Committee, for the seizure of whatever " Muskets, Guns, " and Firelocks " the occupants of those several farmhouses owned or had in their possession.