Protest of Inhabitants and Freeholders of Westchester County, New-York

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County of Westchester, April 13, 1775.

Mr˙ RIVINGTON: Be pleased to insert the following, and you will oblige a number of your friends and subscribers.

On Thursday, the 11th instant, a very respectable number of freeholders and inhabitants of the County of Westchester, assembled at the White Plains, in the said County, agreeable to the notice given, that their sentiments might be known concerning the choice of a Committee to meet their Committee in the City of New-York, for the purpose of choosing Delegates to represent this Colony in the next Continental Congress.

The friends of order and Government met at the house of Captain Hatfield; those who were for a Committee, put up at another publick house in the Town. About twelve o' clock, word was brought to the gentlemen at Captain 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 two hundred, or, at most, two hundred and fifty. 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 huzzas, they returned to Captain 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˙, &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 patriotick 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 declare 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."

Frederick Philips,
Isaac Wilkins,
Samuel Seabury,
Luke Babcock,
Jona˙ Fowler, Judge,
Caleb Fowler, Judge,
Jona˙ P˙ Horton, Esq˙,
William Sutten, Esq˙,
David Oakly, Esq˙,
Benja' n Fowler, Esq˙,
William Davids, Esq˙,
Wm˙ Anderson, Esq˙,
Wm˙ Barker, Esq˙,
Capt˙ Abram˙ Hatfield,
N˙Underhill, Mayor,
George Cornwell, Esq˙
Philip Pell, Esq˙,
Joshua Pell,
James Pell,
Edward Pell,
John Hunt,
Gilbert Horton,
Adrian Leforge,
Joshua Gidney,
Jonathan Gidney,
Lieut˙ Jona˙ Purdy,
Solomon Gidney,
Joseph Bude,
James Whitmore,
Moses Williams,
Roger Purdy, Jun˙,
Gilbert Pugsley,
Abraham Leadu,
Benjamin Brown,
Isaac Keed,
Aaron Buis,
Moses Weymen,
Israel Underbill,
John Baizley,
David Oakly, Jun˙,
Isaac Smith,
John Hyatt,
Hezekiah Cudney,
Abraham Odall,
Thomas Lawrence,
John Seyseon,
Jeremiah Travies,
Griffen Curey,
Isaac Forsheu,
Gabriel Requeaw,
Samuel Webb,
Benjamin Downing,
Gabriel Archer,
Ellas Secord,
Thomas Veal,
James Peirce,
Edward Bugbe,
David Haight,
Sylvanius Lyon,
Daniel Haight,
Jonathan Budd,
John Whetmore,
Wm˙ Underhill,
Thomas Brown,
Lieut˙ Isaac Gidney,
Nehemiah Tompkins,
Henry Leforge,
Everet Brown,
Benjamin Beyea,
Barthol' w Gidney,
Josiah Brown,
Seth Purdy,
Peter Huggeford,
Jacob Gidney,
John Loce,
Elnathan Appleby,
John Baker,
Jonathan Underbill,
James McChain,
Benjamin Seacord,
Joshua Hunt,
Betts Chatterdon,
William Landrine,
Enoch Hunt,
Peter Corne,
Dennis Kennedy,
James Hains,
Andrew Bainton,
Hezekiah Simmons,
Nathaniel Tompkins,

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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:

John Hunt, Esq˙,
Jeremiah Hitchcock,
Philip Palmer, Esq˙,
William Bond,
John Hitchcock,
Joseph Bond.

The foregoing account is strictly true, as can be proven by the testimony (or, if necessary, by the affidavits) of a number of persons of the most unquestionable character 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 five to one, and that many of the persons whose names were subscribed to the foregoing Declaration, were not on that day present at the

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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 publick the names of a hundred and fifty persons who voted for a Committee that day, and we are verily persuaded that 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 Westchester in so barefaced 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 acquiescence in the prudent measures taken by the Assembly in the late session, for accommodating the unhappy difference between the Mother Country and the Colonies, and consequently thought they had 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 Westchester, who, in general, abhor Committees and Committee-men, and are determined to take no steps that may lead them into rebellion, we cannot conceive. Certainly the friends to Government, who were collected at Captain 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 the impartial publick will consider the matter in this light, and not esteem the act of a few individuals, unlawfully assembled, as the act (which it most assuredly is not) of the very respectable, populous, and loyal County of Westchester.