* John Alsop and Francis Lewis took seats in the Provincial Congress, on the twentieth of May ; John Jay appeared on the twenty-fifth of that month ; James Duane, who had some other place in the Continental service, showed himself on the second of June ; and Philip Livingston lingered until the eighth of June -- all of them were there in season to accomplish, as far as the Provincial Congress of New York could be employed in such a work, all they had Bet out to do, in the work of procrastination, of reconciliation with the Mother Country, and of continued Colonial dependence.
& " Things have come to such a pass, now, as to convince' us that we " have nothing more to expect from the justice of Great Britain ; also, " that she is capable of the most delusive arts ; for I am satisfied that " no Commissioners ever were designed, except Hessians and other " foreigners ; and that the idea was only to deceive and throw us off " our guard. The first has been too effectually accomplished, as many " members of Congress, in short, the representation of whole Provinces, " are still feeding themselves upon the dainty food of reconciliation; " and, though they will not allow t at the expectation of it has any "influence upon their judgment with respect to their preparations for "defence, it is but too obvious that it has an operation upon every part " of their conduct, and is a clog to their proceedings.
It is not in " the nature of things to be otherwise ; for no man that entertains " a hope of seeing this dispute speedily and equitably adjusted by " Commissioners will go to the same expense and run the same hazards " to prepare for the worst event, as he who believes that he must " conquer, or submit to unconditional terms and the like concomitants, "such as confiscation, hanging, and the like." (General Washington to his brother, Augustine Washington, "Philadelphia, 31 May, 1776.")