408 HISTORY OF 



Lodowick Lowman, colonel Bartram Galbraith, colonel 

 Alexander Lowrey, captain Andrew Graaf, Mr. William^ 

 Brown, Mr. John Smiley, major James Cmmingham^ 

 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 siiject fully 

 and dispassionately, passed a Declaration of Indepen- 

 dence, on the same day the convention was held in Lan* 

 caster. Now the contest was fairly begun. The diffi- 

 culties, on the part 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 July, 1776, a convention foi 

 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 Ross, 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 Hampshire adopted the 



