NEW-YORK CONVENTION TO THE PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS.

White-Plains, Westchester County,

July 11, 1776.

SIR: In pursuance of the resolution of your honourable House of the 17th of June last, we hare passed a resolve to authorize the Commander-in-Chief to call out all or any part of our Militia whenever he might think it necessary, of which we now enclose you a copy, marked No. 1.

We have also taken into consideration the recommendation of the Congress relative to the providing of clothing for the troops, and passed the resolution of which we enclose you a copy, marked No. 2.

As soon as we had received the resolution of Congress for raising a regiment in the Colony, in order to provide for those officers who had served in Canada, we referred it to a Committee, expecting from them an arrangement which would preserve the rank of those officers, and thereby prevent all disgusts and just grounds of resignation, it being our opinion that inferior officers should not be raised over their superiors, unless in cases of extraordinary and distinguished merit. And although we could not forbear observing that the recommendation of Mr. Dubois tended in some measure to impair that liberty of nomination, without which the privilege would be ineffectual, yet, as we conceived that such instances were not frequent, we had determined to comply with the request.

But, sir, we were much surprised and most deeply affected by the resolution of Congress of the 26th of June, by which it appears that your honourable House had taken from us the right of nominating, not only the Field-Officers, but also the Captains and Lieutenants of that regiment, a measure so contrary to the common usage hitherto observed and practised upon in all similar cases, as to raise a discrimination highly invidious to this State; and it is our great misfortune not to perceive the force of those three reasons which your honourable House have thought fit to assign to us.

The first, sir, is, that the Congress were furnished with a list of the officers who had served in Canada, and were therefore enabled to appoint without our interposition.

We shall readily admit that the Congress may in this and in other cases have sufficient information to enable them to make such appointments; yet we submit it to their superior wisdom, whether the ability they may thence derive to perform an act can constitute a right of doing it; and if, as we suppose, those appointments did (by the common usage) appertain to us, then how far the mere capacity of making them could vest the right in any other body whatsoever.

The second reason, sir, is, "that the Congress have appointed only such officers as were originally appointed and recommended by us; and that we should probably have fixed our choice on the same persons."

We shall acknowledge it to be merely possible, that in the course of human affairs we might, by some chance, have fixed upon those persons which are most agreeable to your honourable House. And it is strictly true, that the greatest part of the officers were appointed and recommended by us the last year, although not to the same rank and commissions which your honourable body have thought fit to confer upon them; but it is equally true, that several of them have never been recommended or appointed by us, and one of them, if not more, has never been in the service at all; and we are really at a loss to conceive that our nomination of officers in a regiment disbanded after the term of inlistment was expired, can, upon the raising of a new regiment, deprive us of that right of nomination, and vest it in the Congress. Nor can we be of opinion that another body ought to claim the right of choosing for us, from the mere conjecture that their choice would be similar to ours, even if that conjecture should be well founded; but we are sorry to observe, sir, that the arrangement made by your honourable House is materially different from that which we had prepared.

The third reason for depriving us, in this instance, of the right of nomination, is, "the good of the service, and the danger of delay."

We are deeply impressed with the idea that your respectable body are actuated by the purest intentions of serving this country; and we entertain so well founded an opinion of their wisdom and integrity, that we shall not presume to apologize for that plainness of speech which distinguishes freemen, and which can never give offence to those who, from the dignity of their private characters, impart lustre to the offices they hold. We shall observe, therefore, that although the necessity of the case has, in all ages and nations, been the fruitful source of extraordinary power, yet it has but too frequently sown with tares the fertile fields of liberty, and blasted the fairest fruits of patriotism and publick spirit. The whole history of mankind bears testimony against the propriety of considering the principle as the parent of civil rights, and therefore a people jealous of their liberties must forever reprobate it. At the same time, we take leave to assure you, sir, that however we may be calumniated by individuals whose censure we consider as praise, we shall ever continue ready and willing, with our lives and fortunes, to support the cause and rights of America.

We are extremely sorry to inform the Congress that the good of the service will not be promoted, nor the dangers of delay prevented, by the measures which they have taken, as many spirited and good officers have been so disgusted that some have resigned, and we have but too much reason to apprehend that others will refuse to accept of their commissions. We beg, therefore, that your honourable House will excuse us from interfering in the further arrangement of this regiment, and make out the few appointments which remain.

We have received from William Goforth, a brave and good officer, who served the last campaign in Canada, a letter containing his reasons for quitting the-service, of which we enclose you a copy, marked No. 3, and also the copy of a letter from Colonel Fleming, on the same subject, marked No. 4.

We daily expect other resignations, and pray leave to observe, that we think the case of Lieutenant-Colonel Cortlandt is attended with singular hardship. He is a young gentleman of affluent circumstances, good family, and extensive connexions. He entered the service last year as a Lieutenant-Colonel, and served with spirit and fidelity, and has done the like this year. He is now inferior in rank to Mr. Dubois, who entered the service last year as a Captain. If by such neglect many respectable inhabitants among us, with their numerous and extensive connexions, be disgusted and remain inactive, we flatter ourselves that this Colony will not be censured for the ill consequences which may result from it.

The day before yesterday we took into consideration the Declaration of your honourable House, proclaiming the United Colonies free and independent States, and thereupon came to a resolution, of which we enclose you a copy, marked No. 5.

Governour Tryon has inlisted into the service of the King of Great Britain certain disaffected persons belonging to this Colony, New-Jersey, &c., some of whom are now in custody. We are really at a loss what to do with them, there being no laws according to which they can be tried and punished, and ex post facto laws are liable to many objections. We unanimously join in requesting the favour of your honourable House to advise us what would be proper to do in this case.

We take the liberty of suggesting to your consideration also, the propriety of taking some measures for expunging from the Book of Common Prayer such parts, and discontinuing in the congregations of all the denominations all such prayers as interfere with the interest of the American cause. It is a subject we are afraid to meddle with, the enemies of America having taken great pains to insinuate into the minds of the Episcopalians that the Church was in danger. We could wish the Congress would pass some resolve to quiet their fears, and we are confident it would do essential service in the cause of America, at least in this State.

We have the honour to be, with the greatest respect, sir, your most obedient and most humble servants.

By order:

NATHANIEL WOODHULL, President.

To the Honourable John Hancock, Esq.

Resolved unanimously, That the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the United Colonies be, and he hereby is, authorized and empowered to impress Carriages and Water Craft within this Colony, when necessary for the publick service; and also to remove Ships and other Vessels in Hudson's and the East Rivers, for the purpose of securing them from the enemy.