The

the Island had thoroughly organized their system, and had become the radiating arms of the central committee which had lately assumed the title of Congress. power of these Committees was felt at first, as we have seen, through a neighborhood espionage, that exasperated every loyalist, with what seemed to him its unwarrantable impertinence. The gentlemen of wealth felt it to be an intolerable annoyance; and the royal officers, justices, and other crown adherents, looked upon it as an illegal and unjustifiable assumption of authority, to which they submitted with the same grace which would have been accorded to a horde of banditti. The agents of recently acquired power have not in any nation or time been characterized by moderation, and amenity of manners; but when the governed, long deprived of association in the national control, seize at one grasp the reins of government, there is but a short step for the conquered between submission and hatred.

By September, the designs of the republicans had sufficiently matured to permit them to undertake more active and aggressive measures. They were now prepared to sustain such violent operations by organized force, while the loyalists had remained in sullen indolence and inactivity. On such pretexts as the ingenuity of the Committees of Safety could devise, or the impatience and annoyance of the royalists furnished, the latter were arrested, and held in durance. Early in that month Abraham Laurence, a prominent loyalist of Queens county, was arrested by the "New Levies," and confined in New York jail. Brought before a committee of Congress, sitting at Scott's tavern, in Wall street, he received

a reprimand for his conduct from these persons, upon whom he doubtless looked with some disdain as a self-constituted junta to whom he owed no allegiance. Thus made to feel that the despised hand of republican power might one day prove to be cased in mail, he was dismissed.

The Kings and Queens county militia had been organized early in 1775, and the enrolment probably included only those citizens who volunteered for the service; but a draft of all the able-bodied inhabitants had been ordered, and the numbers thus obtained were styled the New Levies. The ranks were filled with many who were far from friendly to the cause for which the forces were organized. When the combatants closed in the first deadly struggle, and the cause of liberty hung balanced in the scale of battle, the proclivities to loyalty of some, joined to the timidity of others, hastened the disasters of that bloody field.

Among the residents of Long Island who attracted the consideration of Congress, was one George Bethune, of Jamaica, who was suspected of correspondence with his Majesty's army and navy, against the liberties of America. Col. Lasher was charged with his arrest, and ordered to bring him, with his letters and papers, before the committee. The evidence was thus obtained that the loyalists contemplated hostility more serious than moody aversion; and the revolutionary authorities nerved themselves for a contest which they would gladly have avoided, less perhaps from the danger, than from the scandal of the conflict of authorities. To avoid at once the hazard of open rupture, and the confession of strong opposition to the republican authority on the Island, some device must be adopted that would cover the design of awing the royalists, at least

into acquiescence. To disarm them, without the appearance of arbitrary measures, was the first step; to deal with them afterwards would be less difficult. A resolution was therefore adopted, Sept. 16th, "that all such arms as are fit for the use of the troops raised in this colony, which shall be found in the hands of any person who has not signed the general Association, shall be impressed for the use of the troops." The arms thus seized were "to be appraised by three indifferent persons of reputation," whose certificate should entitle the proprietor to compensation or return of the weapon.1

This measure was well calculated to incense still further a populace already fired with vindictive feelings; but the scheme was plausibly urged as a temporary necessity, rather than an aggressive affront. The loyalists generally forbore resistance to the measure, enforced, as it was, by the presence of two companies of Col. Lasher's battalion of Long Island militia.

The work of disarming the loyalists proceeded for a few days without serious opposition, but, as we subsequently learn, with little success. On the 25th of September, however, alarming news was communicated by Abraham Skinner, regarding the threatening attitude of the people at Jamaica. He had hastened from that place with the information that the collection of arms had proceeded slowly; but in the meanwhile he had discovered that the loyalists were mustering, having himself seen numbers of them marching to the rendezvous. Apprehensive of fierce

'The lengthy resolutions of the provincial Congress, containing a full statement of the condition of Queens county, will be found in their journal, page 149.

resistance to the disarming force, he urged the detachment of a battalion to its assistance. This, of all measures, was the last which the Congress was solicitous to adopt; as the first clash of arms, between its forces and the sturdy loyal farmers, might arouse an angry populace, almost to a man, against them. A nucleus of resistance, thus formed, would aggregate all the elements of opposition around it, and, protected by the British vessels of war in the harbor, would soon become too formidable for the feeble forces of the revolutionists to cope with.

A gentleman, whose name was singularly associated with the subsequent history of Jamaica, was selected by Congress from its members to proceed thither, and endeavor, by more pacific arguments than loaded muskets, to dissuade the loyalists from resort to them. Egbert Benson, a delegate from Dutchess county, was the person selected. Endeared, as this gentleman is, to all students of American history, not only for his labors in behalf of the independence of our country, but for his zeal in the study of its history, we cannot but feel gratified at such testimony to his high character and eminent fitness for this mission, as his selection furnishes. Mr. Benson proceeded on his errand, but doubtless found the irritated populace too angry for argument; and, in consequence, his report is confined to the repetition of the statements of others. From Major

Williams, the officer in command of the disarming detachment, and other gentlemen residents of Jamaica, he had obtained information that confirmed all which had been stated, relative to the threatening demonstrations of the loyalists; and he added, in order to prevent mistakes, that he had obtained a written communication from the com

manding officer, which he submitted as his report. "I have endeavored in the towns of Jamaica and Hempstead to carry the resolutions of Congress into execution; but without the assistance of the battalion of Col. Lasher, I shall not be able to do it to any good purpose. The people conceal all their arms that are of any value, and many declare that they know nothing about the Congress, nor do they care anything for the orders of Congress; and say they would sooner lose their lives than give up their arms, and that they would blow any man's brains out that should attempt to take them. We find there are a number of arms that belong to the county, in the hands of the people. Some persons are so hardy and daring, as to go into the houses of those that are friendly, and take away by force those county arms that our friends have received from the clerk of the county. We are told, the people have been collecting together and parading in sundry places, armed, and firing their muskets by way of bravado. We also have it from good authority that Governor Colden yesterday sent his servant round to some of the leading people, advising them to arm and defend themselves, and not deliver their arms. In consequence of which, a number of people collected themselves this morning to retake the few arms we collected yesterday, but for some reason did not proceed. Captain Hewlett, of Hempstead, told us he had his company together last Sunday, and said, 'had your battalion appeared, we should have warmed their sides.' On the whole, had we the battalion, we believe we should be able to collect a very considerable number of good arms, and support the honor of Congress; but without it, I shall not. I think, if the battalion is sent up, the