the time of issuing the first proclamation, appointed three federal
commissioners--Senator Ross, Mr. Bradford, the attorney-general, and
Yates, a judge of the supreme court of Pennsylvania--to visit the
insurgent counties, with discretionary powers to arrange, if possible,
prior to the fourteenth of September, an effectual submission to the
laws, offering lenient terms to the offenders. These were joined by
Chief-Justice M'Kean and General Irvine, commissioners appointed by the
state of Pennsylvania. At the same time, Governor Mifflin issued two
proclamations--one calling the Pennsylvania legislature together; the
other requiring submission on the part of the rioters, and announcing
his determination to obey the president's call for militia.

These commissioners had crossed the mountains together, and at
Parkinson's ferry they found representatives from almost every town of
four insurgent counties, two hundred in number, assembled in convention,
having Judge Cook, of Fayette county, for their president, and Albert
Gallatin, afterward a distinguished officer of the federal government,
for their secretary. The business was in charge of a vigilance committee
of sixty. Near the place of meeting, which was upon a commanding
eminence under the shade of trees, stood a liberty-pole, bearing a
placard with the words, "Liberty and no excise! No asylum for cowards
and traitors!"

The vigilance committee appointed a sub-committee of fifteen to confer
with the state and federal commissioners. On that committee were,
Bradford, the chief leader of the insurgents, Gallatin, Cook, Marshall,
and Brackenridge, the latter a young and ambitious lawyer of Pittsburgh.
All of these, except Bradford, perceiving the dangers with which they
were surrounded, were favorable to submission. Bradford's voice was for
war, and the organization of a separate and independent state west of
the mountains. This committee declared the propositions of the
commissioners to be reasonable, and to the town organizations the whole
matter of submission was referred. These generally refused compliance.
The federal commissioners returned to Philadelphia and reported the
virtual failure of their mission. Then it was that the president issued
his proclamation of the twenty-fifth of September, and prepared to use
coercive measures.

Washington determined to lead the army in person against the insurgents,
if it should appear to be expedient. He accordingly left Philade