72 Journal and Correspondence

C. S. J.

as in time of alarm & that such of the Militia officers & Men

as shall be draughted & employed shall be allowed a daily
pay & Ration equal to the Pay allowed in the new raised
Regiments of Foot: That if any just Complaint shall be made
ag^t any officer in the militia or that there any vacancys in any
of the Regiments or Companies of militia in this Colony, &
that Commis, cannot be procured in the usual channel, the
Council of Safety may in such Cases remove such officer &
forthwith appoint another in his stead & appoint officers where
there are or may be vacancies as afs^d.
That one Mode of Exercise shall be used by the Militia
throughout this Colony, & that the Council of Safety do with-
out delay fix on some proper manual Exercise & cause the
same to be printed & dispersed.
Council to invite 50 Catawba Indians.
That in general the Council of Safety be impowered &
authorised to do all such Matters & Things relative to the
strenghthening securing & defending the Colony as shall by
them be deemed & judged expedient & necessary.
That upon any vacancy happening in the Council of Safety
during the Recess of the Congress the general Commee shall
be authorized to fill up such vacancy by Ballot after having
given three weeks notice thereof in the Gazette.

Original
draft.

[Council to Governor Eden.]

May it please y^r Ex.
We are persuaded that a proclamation wou'd serve only to
enflame & irritate, there has already been sufficient Experience
not only of the Inefficacy; but of the Impolicy of this Measure
in the Colonies where it has been pursued & had the Effect of
it been foreseen we presume it wou'd not have been recom-
mended. We are aware of your Excellency's delicate Situa-
tion, for want of a full Information of the State of this Prov-
ince, of the Temper of the people, & the principles by which
they are animated, it may be expected in England that you
take a part, w^ch on a just Information, hardly attainable at so
great a distance, wou'd not, we imagine be desired, & an
Address to the people in a Mode apparently less imperative
than that of a Proclamation, we are apprehensive wou'd not
be more conciliatory. We most sincerely deplore the present
unhappy Condition of the Colonies, & looking forward to the
consequences of rigorous coercive Measures, & a determined
vigorous Resistance to them, are deeply affected by the pros-
pect of dreadful impending Calamities, permit us Sir, to
observe, that whilst the Ideas of Authority, & Dignity on the
one side are so opposite to the Ideas of Justice, & Liberty on