Confederation among ourselves or Alliances " with foreign nations are not necessary to a perfect separation from " Britain ; that is effected by extinguishing all authority under the " Crown, Parliament, and Nation, as the Resolution for instituting " Governments has done, to all intents and purposes. Confederation " will be necessary for our internal concord, and Alliances may be " so for our external defense." -- (John Adams to Mrs. Adams, " Phila- ," dklphia, May 17, 1776.")

Afl the writer of this paragraph was the Chairman of the Committee who framed the Preamble, and as he probably wrote it, there need be no better authority concerning the intent of bim who framed it, as well as concerning his understanding of the meaning and of the consequences of it. ^

See, also, Stephen' Hopkins to Governor Cooke, of Rhode Island, "Phila- " delphia, May 15, 1776."

3 The Delegation from Pennsylvania, subsequently such determined

that, after they had been adopted, those of the Delegation from the Colony of New York who had been among those who had opposed that favorable action, very soon retired from their seats in the Continental Congress and occupied seats in the Provincial Congress of New York, 4 where, by means of a similar line of action, adverse to the adoption of a new form of local Government and to the evidently approaching question of Independence, both those radical measures might be successfully opposed, at least until the Royal Commissioners whom the Home Government had sent to effect a Reconciliation, should have arrived and presented their proposals, and until those who were anxious to figure, in New York and at London, as diplomatists and as peace-makers, rather than as friends or promoters of Independence, should have had an opportunity to dispense with Independence ; to restore the old order of the Colonial Government, with here and there a revision which would be favorable to themselves or to their faction ; and to establish for themselves, at least, such a substantial claim on the gratitude of the Crown and of the Nation, as would ensure to them the control of the restored Colonial Governments, at home, if not something more acceptable, abroad. 5