the British fisheries, and to every colony or island
subject to the British government; to resolve, that by violation
of their charter, the people of Massachusets Bay were absolved from
allegiance to the crown, and might lawfully establish a new government;
and to prohibit the negociations of bills of exchange or any orders
issued by the officers of army and navy-agents, or contractors. They
also established a general post-office under the superintendence of
Dr. Franklin, who arrived soon after the meeting of congress, and who
greatly helped forward the march of revolution. The congress, though
still delaying their proclamation of absolute independence, pursued
a course after the arrival of Franklin which no longer left their
intentions doubtful to any man, by forming the plan of a confederation
and perpetual union, the chief articles of which fully showed that such
was their aim. After drawing up this plan the congress attended to
the army, and they fixed upon Colonel George Washington to be their
commander-in-chief. A committee was next appointed to prepare a
declaration of the causes that induced them to take up arms against
their mother country. After the adoption of this declaration, in which
it was said "that they had counted the cost of the contest, and found
nothing so dreadful as slavery," Jefferson was placed on a committee
with Dr. Franklin and others, to consider and report on Lord North's
pacificatory resolutions, which was denounced in the same spirit as it
had been scouted previously by the provincial assemblies. Two days after
this, and in the month of July, congress prepared a second address to
the people of Great Britain, in which they vindicated themselves from
the charge of aiming at independence--professed their willingness
to submit to the acts of trade and navigation passed before
1763--recapitulated their reasons for rejecting Lord North's proposals,
and intimated the hazard the people of England would run of losing
their own liberty if America should be overcome. Yet though this address
breathed defiance to government, on the very same day another petition
was drawn up to the king, which was more moderate than that of the
preceding year, and even approached him in a supplicating tone.
Addresses were also got up to the inhabitants of Canada, Jamaica, and
Ireland, and finally to the lord mayor and livery of the city of
London. It is difficult to reconcile the sentiments contained in these
declarat