White Plains Subscription

Westchester Petition, April 13, 1775, New-York Gazette: and the Weekly Mercury, 17 April, 1775

County of Westchester, 13th April, 1775.

Mr Gaine,

Be pleased to insert the following, and you will oblige a Number of your Friends and Subscribers.

ON Tuesday the 11th inst. a very respectable Number of Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of Westchester, assembled at the White Plains, in the said County, agreeable to Notice given, that their Sentiments might be known concerning the choice of a Committee, to meet other Committees in the City of New-York, for the Purpose of choosing Delegates to represent this Colony in the next Continental Congress.

The Friends to Order and Government met at the House of Capt. Hatfield. Those who were for a Committee, put up at another public House in the Town. About 12 o’Clock Word was brought to the Gentlemen at Capt. Hatfield’s, that the opposite Party had already entered upon the Business of the Day. Upon which they immediately walked down to the Court-House, although not half of their Friends who were expected, had yet appeared; where they found the other Company collected in a Body. The Numbers on each Side seemed to be nearly equal, and both together might amount to about 200, or at most to 250. The Friends to Government then declared, that as they had been unlawfully called together, and for an unlawful Purpose, they did not intend to contest the Matter with them by a Poll; which would be tacitly acknowledging the Authority that had summoned them thither ; but that they came only with a Design to Protest against all such disorderly Proceedings, and to shew their Detestation of all unlawful Committees and Congresses. They then declared their determined Resolution to continue steadfast in their Allegiance to their gracious and merciful Sovereign King George the Third,— to submit to lawful Authority, and to abide by and support the only true Representatives of the People of this Colony, the General Assembly. Then giving three Huzza’s, they returned to Capt. Hatfield’s singing as they went, with a loyal Enthusiasm, the grand and animating Song of,

God save great George our King,

Long live our noble King, &c.

At their return finding that many of their Friends had arrived during their Absence, and that many still kept coming in, they proceeded to draw up, and sign the following Declaration, which they seemed to do with as much patriotic Zeal, as ever warmed the Hearts of true and faithful Subjects, and afterwards dispersed to their different Habitations.

WE the Subscribers, Freeholders and Inhabitants of the County of Westchester, having assembled at the White Plains, in Consequence of certain Advertisements, do now declare, that we met here to express our honest Abhorrence of all unlawful Congresses and Committees, and that we are determined, at the hazard of our Lives and Properties, to support the King and Constitution, and that we acknowledge no Representatives but the General Assembly, to whose Wisdom and Integrity we submit the Guardianship of our Rights, Liberties and Privileges.

The following Persons, not being able to attend at the Plains, requested by their Friends that their Names might be added to the List of Protesters, viz.

The foregoing Account is strictly true, as can be proved by the Testimony (or if necessary by the Affidavits) of a Number of Persons, of the most unexceptionable Characters in this County. What then must we think of such Persons as have propagated a Report that the Friends of Government were upon this Occasion out numbered 5 to 1, and that many of the Persons whose Names were subscribed to the foregoing Declaration were not on that Day present at the White Plains? They must be conscious to themselves, that they have spread abroad a Falshood, and they are hereby called upon if they dare to set their Names to those Assertions.

In what Manner those Gentlemen who chose the Committee at the Plains proceeded, we cannot positively say: But this we can declare with Truth, that we do not believe they can produce to the Public the Names of an Hundred and Fifty Persons who voted for a Committee that Day, and we are verily persuaded they did their utmost to make their Party as numerous as possible. How then can they justify their choice of a Committee? Or how can they presume to impose upon the World, and to insult the loyal County of West-Chester, in so bare faced a Manner?

It is well known here, that two thirds at least of the Inhabitants of this County, are Friends to Order and Government, and opposed to Committees and all unlawful Combinations; and it will be made apparent to the World that they are so, as soon as certain Resolves now signing freely by the People, shall be ready for Publication.— And one principal Reason why the Friends to Government did not assemble in greater Numbers than they did on Tuesday last, was, that many of them had already, by signing those Resolves, testified their Loyalty to the King, their Attachment to the Constitution, their Enmity to Committees, and their acquiescance in the prudent Measures taken by their Assembly in the late Session, for accommodating the unhappy Difference between the Mother Country and the Colonies; and consequently thought they had already done their Duty.

The Committee that was chosen, may, with some kind of Propriety, be said to represent those particular Persons who chose them: But how they can be denominated the Representatives of the County of West-Chester, who in general abhor Committees, and Committee Men; and are determined to take no Steps that may have  the least Tendency to leas them into Rebellion, we cannot conceive. Certainly the Friends to Government who were collected at Capt. Hatfield’s, had a better Right, from their Number, to determine that there should be no Committee, than the opposite Party had to appoint one, and might with much greater Propriety be said to shew the Sense of the County than the few who acted without Authority, and in direct Opposition to Government, and to the Determinations of our worthy Assembly. And we doubt not but that the impartial Public will consider the Matter in this Light, and not esteem the Act of a few Individuals unlawfully assembled, as the Act (which is most assuredly is not) of the very respectable, populous and loyal County of West-Chester.