'•> Journal of the Provincial Congress, " Die Sabhati, 9 ho., A.M., March "10th, 1776."

"as well to the United Colonies, in general, as to this, " Colony, in particular, rendering it necessary for a " speedy meeting of the Provincial Congress of this "Colony, the Committee of Safety, therefore, ordered Circular Letters to be sent to all the mem- "bers, requesting their attendance, in Provincial " Congress, at New York, on the first day of this inst. "May. On that day, and every day, since, many " members attended, but not a sufficient number to " make a Congress, 6 until this afternoon " [May 8, 1776,] ' when a quorum was found to be present, and the business was resumed and continued until the afternoon of the thirteenth of that month, when the Congress was dissolved. 8

During that short period of about six months, the progress of events, in America, was peculiarly remarkable.

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The entire Colony, as far as Commerce, Trade, and the Mechanic Arts were concerned, was plunged into the greatest distress: 9 the seamen were idle, in the Ports, because there was an interdiction of Commerce with foreign Ports ; and commercial Non-intercourse prevailed : l0 the Mechanics and Working-men in the Cities -- some of whom had been the ever-ready and noisy tools of the demagogues of faction, in the earlier days of the disturbances -- were suffering, unemployed : u to add to

6 That old story of the dilatoriness of the country members, even in the face of the most pressing necessities and of the most urgent calls, certainly confirm the reports that the great body of the Colonists, especially that of the country-people was lukewarm and indifferent, if they were not positively unfriendly, to the Rebellion. If the leaders among the disaffected, and surely no others were sent to the Provincial Congress, were as tardy, in their attendance, even when the most urgent appeals for their attendance were sent, as these were, in the preceding December and in May, 1776, how much more indifferent must those have been, who had other and legitimate demands on their time and attention, and by whom an office was neither looked for nor desired.