e a strong speech, in which he asked why a tyrant ever
exercised tyranny, and he answered the question by saying it was because
the people were unable to resist.

"Let us be strong enough to enforce our demands," said he, "and the king
or his ministers will fall back and concede all we ask."

He waited to see the effect of his words.

There was silence.

"Yes, brothers, it is only the strong that obtain justice. The weak
petition and are spurned, the strong ask and they are listened to with
attention, and their demands granted.

"These colonies should be Great Britain's strength, they are her
weakness. Give us the right to make our own laws, to raise the taxation
as we please, to defend our coasts from external assaults and our land
from internal troubles, and we shall honor the king and prove that the
American Confederation of Colonies is the strength of that country. Let
us tell the king plainly what we want. Let our petition be backed by a
good army, and we shall win."

"What do you propose?" asked Jefferson.

"I propose that we organize an army, not of one colony, but of a
confederation of all colonies, and that we appoint a commander-in-chief,
a man who shall be able to organize the army and to lead it, ay, even if
it be necessary until we have entire independence."

"Where could we find such a man?" asked one of the Northern delegates.

"We have one here. The man who saved the wreck of Braddock's army is
just the one to build a nation. I nominate George Washington as the
commander-in-chief of the army of liberation!"

There was an outburst of cheering such as the Quaker City had but seldom
heard.

The delegates knew Washington.

He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and had previously
made a name for himself with Braddock.

When his name was mentioned by Adams he left the hall.

He was afraid to remain for fear he should be called upon to accept.

He wanted time for deliberation.

The congress adjourned until the following Thursday.

The delegates talked the matter over, and when the Congress reassembled
George Washington was the unanimous choice of the delegates.

But before he was asked to give his answer, articles of confederation
were drawn up and signed, and the colonies became one for the purposes of
mutual defense.

"I fear that this day will mark the downfall of my reputation," said
Washington to Patrick Henry when he heard he was unanimously selected to
organize