408 HISTORY OF 



Lodowick Lowman, colonel Bartram Galbraith, colonel 

 Alexander Lowrey, captain Andrew Graaf, Mr. William 

 Brown, Mr. John Smiley, major James Cunningham, 

 major David Jenkins. 



While the convention was holding in Lancaster, the 

 friends of American Independence, having met in con- 

 vention at Philadelphia, and discussed the suject fully 

 and dispassionately, passed a Declaration of Indepen- 

 dence.j on the same day the convention was held in Lan- 

 caster. Nov/ the contest was fairly begun. The diffi- 

 culties, on the pa,rt of the Americans, in supporting their 

 pretensions, as a declared free and independent people, 

 were of the most appalling character. 



After the Declaration, the magistrates who held 

 appointments under the royal authority declined serving 

 longer ; the business of the courts was suspended. Our 

 citizens were left for a while without any constitutional 

 government. In this state of things a committee of 

 safety in Philadelphia -undertook the management of 

 affairs, under the unassuming name of recommendations^ 

 prescribed to the people of the state. 



'' On Monday the 15th of Ju'y, 1776, a convention for 

 forming the constitution of Pennsylvania, met at Phila- 

 delphia, and elected Benjamin Franklin, president ; col- 

 onel George Ross, vice president; John Morris, secre- 

 tary, and Jacob Garrigues, assistant secretary. The dele- 

 gates from Lancaster county, were George RosSj Philip, 

 Marsteller, Thomas Porter, Bartram Galbraith, Joseph 

 Sherer, John Hubley, Henry Slaymaker and Alexander 

 Lowrey. The convention, after framing the first consti- 

 tution of the State of Pennsylvania, adjourned the 2Sth 

 September.* 



*Several of the provinces had adopted state constitutions 

 before and after Pennsylvania. New Hampsnire adopted the 



