41


Parliament  with  respect  to  Massachusetts,
"  so  violent  in  themselves  and  so  truly  alarm-
ing to  the  other  colonies  (many  of  which  are
equally  exposed  to  ministerial  vengeance),
render  it  the  indisjieusable  duty  of  all
heartily  to  unite  in  the  most  proper  measures
to  procure  redress  for  their  oppressed  coun-
trymeu,  now  suffering  in  the  common  cause  ;
and  for  the  re-establishment  of
the  constitutional  rights  of
America  upon  a  solid  founda-
tion." James  Kinsey,  William
Livingston,  John  De  Hart,  Ste-
phen Crane  and  Richard  Smith
were  chosen  to  represent  New
Jersey  in  the  Congress  which
met  at  Carpenters'  Hall  on
Sept.  5,  1774.  They  joined
heartily  iu  its  general  declara-
tion of  rights  and  its  recom-
mendations for  aid  to  the  dis-
tressed jjeople  of  Boston.  Their
doings  were  approved  by  the
General  Assembly  of  the  colony
in  January,  1775,^  in  the  face
of  the  condemnatory  message  of
Governor  Franklin,  who  in-
sidioasly  strove  to  provoke  the
jealousy  of  the  A.ssembly  by  the
argument  that  the  New  Bruns-
wick convention  had,  by  ap-
pointing the  delegates  to  the
Colonial  Congress,  usurped  the
powers  whicli  belonged  to  the
Assembly  alone.  The  Assem-
bly answered  by  re-appointing
these  very  delegates,  but  they
followed  the  recommendations
of  the  Governor  to  present  the  crown  with  still
another  remonstrance  against  its  impositions
upon  the  colonists.  Franklin  .saw  that  the
day  of  reconciliation  was  past.  He  said  in  a
supplementary  message, —

'"Such  members  as  were  Friends  excepting  only  to
such  parts  as  seemed  to  wear  an  appearance  or  might
have  a  tendency  to  force,  as  inconsistent  with  their  re-
ligious principles." —  Oordon's"  llixluru  nj  New  Jersey."


"It  is  HOW  in  vain  to  argue,  as  you  have,  with
the  most  uncommon  and  unnecessary  precipita-
tion, give  in  your  entire  assent  to  that  destructive
mode  of  proceeding  I  so  earnestly  warned  you
against.  Whether  after  such  a  resolution  the  pe-
tition you  mention  can  be  expected  to  produce
any  good  effect,  or  whether  you  have  consulted  the
true  interests  of  the  people,  I  leave  others  to  de-
termine."


CAEPENTERS'  HALL,  PHILADELPHIA.
