Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/78

54 HISTORY OP as for me/' he cried, with both arms extended aloft, his brow knit, every feature marked with the resolute purpose of his soul, and with his voice swelled to its loudest note : " Give me liberty/ or give me death. This speech had its desired effect; its noble and fearless sentiments found a home in every patriotic breast. On the fifteenth of June, a resolution was adopted by the Conti- nental Congress, ^^That a general be appointed to command all the Continental forces, raised for the defence of American Liberty.'^ George Washington was unanimously called to assume the responsibilities of this station, who rose in his place, being a member from Virginia, and signified his accept- ance in a brief and appropriate reply ; at the close of which he remarked : As to pay, sir, I beg leave to assure the Con- gress that, as no pecuniary consideration could have tempted me to accept the arduous employment, at the expense of my domestic ease and happiness, I do not wish to make any profit from it. I will keep an exact account of my expenses. These, I. doubt not, they will discharge, and that is all I desire. And while their representatives were assembled, the people themselves were far from being idle. Meetings of citizens were called in every village and district ; to give expressions to their sentiments, to favor liberty or oppression. Committees of vigilance were organized, whose duty it was to report the names of disaffected persons, to correspond with the Greneral Assembly, and to whom was acceded the power of calling out troops in cases of emergency, to repel invasion ; although, I believe, they actually possessed no such power. Such a com- mittee was organized in Tryon county, as early as May, 1775, consisting of members from each of the districts ; and we may perhaps with propriety in this place glance at the peculiar" political condition of the county, in order to better understand the nature of the forthcoming struggle. The population of Tryon was a mixed one, composed of