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military stores. The Committee would therefore conceive themselves most culpable deficient, in the discharge of their important trust, as Guardians of the public security, should they not do all in their power to promote the manufacture of those articles. Without these, the greatest unanimity, virtue, and fortitude can afford us little prospect of success, in the present interesting struggle. To that end, the Committee have thought it necessary to publish the following Essays upon the manufacture of Salt-petre and Gun-powder; not doubting, that a due consideration of the danger of resting the liberties of this large and growing country upon foreign supplies, which will be extremely precarious, and at all events very expensive, will induce the inhabitants of this colony to do every thing in their power to supply the Continent with these necessary articles. And the more effectually to urge to attempt those manufactures, this Committee have thought it proper to preface those Essays with the following Resolution of the Continental Congress.
By Order of the Committee of Safety,
PIERRE VAN CORTLANDT,
Chairman.
In
