vi Preface.

The General Congress met in Philadelphia in September 1774, and
agreed upon a definite plan of action. Public meetings to ratify this
policy were held in all the counties of Maryland, committees chosen to
carry it out, and delegates elected to a second Convention, which met
in November, and before it the deputies to the Congress laid the report
of their proceedings. This Convention passed a series of resolutions
approving the action of the Congress, and providing more specifically
for carrying out the non-importation policy, and especially for the
organisation and drill of the militia, and the purchase of arms and
ammunition.

It was now seen that the Convention embodied the spirit of resist-
ance, and all matters and measures connected therewith came within
the scope of its duties. Otherwise, the civil polity of the Province was
unaffected: the courts were still open, the ordinary business of the
government went on, and Governor Eden, an amiable and liberal man
who was both liked and respected, was not only undisturbed in his office,
but treated with undiminished consideration and social regard, notwith-
standing all his efforts to dissuade the leading men from a course which
he believed ruinous. In his correspondence with the Ministry he
endeavored to act the part of a peacemaker, and to represent the con-
duct and character of the leading Marylanders in the most favorable
light (vid. p. 342); and it was probably in consequence of his represen-
tations that the British cruisers, in the first year of the war, abstained
so markedly from serious injury to Maryland.

The Convention met again in April 1775, and during this session the
news arrived of the battle of Lexington. After its adjournment the
battle of Bunker Hill was fought, and open war had begun.

As so large a body as the Convention could not remain continuously
in session, it appointed a certain number of its members a standing
Executive Committee with the title of Council of Safety, which was the
permanent administrative body for all matters and measures connected
with the policy of resistance, within the limits provided in its constitu-
tion; and it had the power to call together the Convention whenever
any matter should arise transcending the Council's authority, or
demanding a wider responsibility. It was assisted by a Committee of
Observation in each county, who kept the Council constantly advised,
and carried out its orders.

There was thus a perfect democratic government existing side by
side with the phantom of Proprietary rule the Convention and the
Council representing the people in their sovereign capacity, chosen by
them and carrying out their will. Even the deputies to the Congress
were appointed by the Convention.

The next meeting of the Convention was on July 26, 1775. As in
Green's published Journals of the Conventions neither the daily pro-
ceedings nor the names of members of this session are given, the
Journal has here been reproduced in full from the original manuscript,
as preliminary to the Journal of the Council of Safety.