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to do their Duty, not only to protect the Inhabitants, but to make them
easy and quiet. And abstracted from all Considerations, whether
there be any Law in Force to compel the Militia to march or not, the
Gentlemen that were of that House, who are now of This, are now
more unanimous in disapproving your Excellency's Orders for the
March of the Militia from Queen-Anne's, Kent, and Calvert Coun-
ties, than they were in approving those relative to the March of the
Companies from Baltimore and Prince-George's. And it is not with-
out great Concern they reflect, that what was done at a Time when
they believed the Frontiers were under imminent Danger, from
several concurrent Circumstances (besides your Excellency's telling
them in your Message of the 25th of September 1756, " Nothing
less than ordering Detachments from the Militia of Baltimore and
Prince-George's County thither, to cover the Inhabitants, and en-
courage them to remain on their Plantations, would prevent the fine
Settlement of Conococheague being intirely broke up, and all that
Part of the Country abandoned ") should be made use of, as a
Precedent, for ordering the Militia out at a Time when scarce a
Person could be found, who could truly say, he was apprehensive
of any Danger at all.
This shews us the Danger of even being silent, whenever Power
may exceed it's plain and express Limits; and teaches us, that not-
withstanding in such a Case there may be a plausible Appearance of
present Good, yet we ought to suspect some latent Evil is intended,
and guard well against every bad Consequence which may possibly
flow from a Stretch of Power beyond it's due Bounds.
The Seventh of October last, your Excellency was pleased to send
to us the following Message: " I think proper to inform you, that
upon the Application of Capt. Chapline, a Member of your House,
and a great Number of our Frontier Inhabitants, I did, the Third of
August last, order Capt. Delashmutt and Capt. Moses Chapline to
march Part of their respective Companies, and to patrole on the
Frontiers for their Protection. The Time for which they were
ordered out, is now expired; but they tell me, that if other Parties
are not sent to relieve them, the Settlement of Conococheague will,
in all Probability, be immediately broke up, the People being thrown
into the greatest Consternation by an Account that they have re-
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p. 40
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ceived from the Mouth of Opeccan River in Virginia, near which
Place 'tis said, that Seventeen Persons were killed and captivated
by a large Party of Indians the Thirtieth of last Month, while the
Garrison at Fort Frederick is too weak and sickly to send out so
many and such large Parties, as the Inhabitants think necessary for
their Security. I do not choose at this Time, to order out any more
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p. 41
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