A Quaker Address to Governor Dunmore of Virginia, 1772

ADDRESS TO GOVERNOR DUNMORE55 some Victuals, of which a prisoner with them partook, and they quietly departed.8 We also find that divers Friends, for refusing to comply with some Military requisitions, such as supplying with Horses for the use of the Armies, or going themselves or Sending a person to drive their Teams when taken from them for that purpose, and for refusing other demands, which they apprehended they could not comply with, without letting Fall the Testimony we have to bear against the nature and Spirit of War ; for such refusal, tho done in great Meekness some suffered imprisonment, some were Cruelly beatten, and others were exposed to great dangers from Officers and Soldiers, who could not brook to have their Commands not obeyed, altho ever so unreasonable, therefore to effect a complyance, very Harsh Means have been used, Pistols and drawn Swords have been held up in view to some, with severe threats unless they complyed what the consequences should be, yet watchful providence preserved in these trying Seasons, that we dont find the Lives of any were Suffered to be taken and the Friends thus tried were supported firm in the Testimony Committed them to bear. Arthur J. Mekeel A QUAKER ADDRESS TO GOVERNOR DUNMORE OF VIRGINIA, 1772 SINCE the seventeenth century it has been the custom of the English Quakers to present an address to each new sovereign on his accession to the throne. In colonial America some of the Quaker groups in the royal colonies adopted the same procedure when new governors were appointed by the Crown. The following item, found in the Robert Pleasants Papers in the Homewood Meeting vault in Baltimore, is a contemporary copy of such an address presented to Governor Dunmore on his arrival in Virginia in 1772. It was during his administration that the Revolutionary War broke out. His dissolution of the Virginia Assembly in June, 1774, for expressing sympathy with Massachusetts on her subjection to the Coercive Acts passed by Parliament in retaliation for the Boston Tea Party, caused the Burgesses to meet unofficially at the Raleigh Tavern and adopt the resolution calling the First Continental Congress. It was this same resolute Governor Dunmore who led an expedition in 1774 against unfriendly Indians in Kentucky, on what was called "Lord Dunmore's War," subjecting them to a sharp defeat. The document is as follows: 8 This is possibly the episode on which the story "Fierce Feathers," by Violet Hodgkin, is based. 56 BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION To John Murray [Lord Dunmore] Governor of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia The Address of the people Called Quakers May it please the Governor — Altho we embrace this occasion to join with our fellow Subjects in expressing our real sorrow for the death of our late worthy Governor 9 whose able behaviour and exemplary conduct endeared him to all ranks & Societies, yet we sincerely Congratulate thee on thy arrival in & accession to the government of this Colony, And at the same time declare our faithful allegiance to King George the third, and a dutiful regard for those in authority — under him. Time and Experience having in a good degree removed the prejudice which formerly subsisted against our profession and fully manifested that our principles and Conduct are not inconsistent with good government Mortality & the Welfair of civil Society, which has proceured us that protection & Indulgence we now enjoy, and we hope will be continued to us under thy Administration. We shall endeavour to promote that peace & harmony which renders government easy to the Magistrate and grateful to the people, And as the Example of Persons in exalted Stations hath great influence on the conduct of others we sincerely desire that God, the fountain of every excellence may direct thy Steps and enable thee to promote virtue & morality and discourage vice and Licentiousness which will make thy administration essentially beneficial to the present Generation and transmit thy name with deserved honour to Posterity. To which the governor made the following Answer I receive this loyal and dutiful Address with great Satisfaction, and thank you for your obliging congratulations to me. You may be assured that you shall during my Administration, find the...