the reign of
his present majesty, and since, continually increasing, have
proceeded to lengths so dangerous and alarming as to excite
just apprehensions in the minds of his majesty's faithful
subjects of this colony that they are in danger of being
deprived of their natural, ancient, constitutional, and
chartered rights, have compelled them to take the same into
their most serious consideration; and being deprived of
their usual and accustomed mode of making known their
grievances, have appointed us their representatives, to
consider what is proper to be done in this dangerous crisis
of American affairs.

"It being our opinion that the united wisdom of North
America should be collected in a general congress of all the
colonies, we have appointed the honorable Peyton Randolph,
Esquire, Richard Henry Lee, George Washington, Patrick
Henry, Richard Bland, Benjamin Harrison, and Edmund
Pendleton, Esquires, deputies to represent this colony in
the said congress, to be held at Philadelphia on the first
Monday in September next. And that they may be the better
informed of our sentiments touching the conduct we wish them
to observe on this important occasion, we desire that they
will express, in the first place, our faith and true
allegiance to his majesty King George the Third, our lawful
and rightful sovereign; and that we are determined, with our
lives and fortunes, to support him in the legal exercise of
all his just rights and prerogatives; and however
misrepresented, we sincerely approve of a constitutional
connection with Great Britain, and wish most ardently a
return of that intercourse of affection and commercial
connection that formerly united both countries; which can
only be effected by a removal of those causes of discontent
which have of late unhappily divided us.... The power
assumed by the British Parliament to bind America by their
statutes, in all cases whatsoever, is unconstitutional, and
the source of these unhappy differences."[101]

The convention at Williamsburg, of which, of course, Patrick Henry was
a member, seems to have adjourned on Saturday, the 6th of August.
Between that date and the time for his departure to attend the
congress at Philadelphia, we may imagine him as busily engaged in
arranging his affairs for a long abse