200 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONVENTION [1776.

That this convention never intermeddled, nor was disposed to
interfere with the affairs of Virginia, but hath at all times shewn a
due and proper respect to the convention of that colony, and all
occasions must have, evinced their sincere and tender regard for the
people thereof; and this convention cannot be of opinion, that the
convention of Virginia could believe that this convention promo-
ted governer Eden's passage "to assist in their destruction under
a pretence of his retiring to England."

That this convention, and the council of safety for the time being,
where the only proper and adequate judges of the propriety and ex-
pediency of suffering governor Eden to depart out of this province,
and have proceeded in that matter upon evidence which was
satisfactory to themselves, and to which the convention of Virginia
were strangers.

That had the convention of Virginia been in possession of the
evidence upon which the council of safety and this convention
proceeded, they could not have been at a loss to account for the
council of safety their declining to seize governor Eden, or for the
convention having promoted his passage (not as is unjustly insinu-
ated in the resolution of the Virginia convention, to assist in their
destruction, but really) to England, whither this convention hath
the best grounds to believe he would go by the first opportunity.
Nor can the address alluded to in the said resolution of the con-
vention of Virginia, in the opinion of this convention, be consid-
ered as enabling, nor was it meant to enable governor Eden to
assume the character of a public agent, nor can this convention
discover how the said governor would thereby be enabled to pro-
mote divisions and disunion amongst the colonies; but the same
was presented as a testimony due to the governor of the sense
this convention entertained of his fair and impartial representations
of the principles, motives, and views of the people of this colony,
- so far as the same had come to their knowledge.

That although this convention was sensible that in the absence of
the governor the government in its old form would devolve to the
president of the[council of state, and although such president should
be under equal obligations with the governor to perform the minis-
terial mandates, yet was the convention fully satisfied that it would
not be equally, if at all, in the power of the president to perform
such mandates; and therefore this convention cannot but consider
the imputing their proceedings "to some undue influence of gov-
ernor Eden under the mask of friendship to America, and of the
proprietary interest to Maryland," as groundless and unjust; nor
is this convention able to discover how their vote for the departure