In union there is strength！ The citizens of theColonies had been waging disorganized warfareagainst the British soldiers， through incidents similarto the Boston riot， but nothing of benefit had beenaccomplished. Their individual grievances had notbeen consolidated under one Master Mind. No groupof individuals had put their hearts， minds， souls， andbodies together in one definite DECISION to settletheir difficulty with the British once and for all， untilAdams， Hancock， and Lee got together.
Meanwhile， the British were not idle. They， too，were doing some PLANNING and “Master-Minding” on their own account， with the advantage of havingback of them money， and organized sol-diery.
The Crown appointed Gage to supplant Hutchinsonas the Governor of Massachusetts. One of the newGovernor’s first acts was to send a messenger to callon Samuel Adams， for the purpose of endeavoring tostop his opposition—by FEAR.
We can best understand the spirit of what happenedby quoting the conversation between Col. Fenton，（the messenger sent by Gage）， and Adams.
Col. Fenton： “I have been authorized by GovernorGage， to assure you， Mr. Adams， that the Governorhas been empowered to confer upon you suchbenefits as would be satisfactory， [endeavor to winAdams by promise of bribes]， upon the conditionthat you engage to cease in your opposition to themeasures of the government. It is the Governor’sadvice to you， Sir， not to incur the further displeasureof his majesty. Your conduct has been such as makesyou liable to penalties of an Mt of Henry VIII， bywhich persons can be sent to England for trial fortreason， or misprision of treason， at the discretion ofa governor of a province. But， BY CHANGING YOURPOLITICAL COURSE， you will not only receive greatpersonal advantages， but you will make your peacewith the King.”
Samuel Adams had the choice of two DECISIONS.
He could cease his opposition， and receive personalbribes， or he could CONTINUE， AND RUN THE RISKOF BEING HANGED！
Clearly， the time had come when Adams was forced to reach instantly， a DECISION which couldhave cost his life. The majority of men would havefound it difficult to reach such a decision. Themajority would have sent back an evasive reply，but not Adams！ He insisted upon Col. Fenton’sword of honor， that the Colonel would deliver to theGovernor the answer exactly as Adams would give itto him.
Adams’ answer， “Then you may tell GovernorGage that I trust I have long since made my peacewith the King of Kings. No personal considerationshall induce me to abandon the righteous cause ofmy Country. And， TELL GOVERNOR GAGE IT IS THEADVICE OF SAMUEL ADAMS TO HIM， no longer toinsult the feelings of an exasperated people.”
Comment as to the character of this man seemsunnecessary. It must be obvious to all who read thisastounding message that its sender possessed loyaltyof the highest order. This is important. （Racketeersand dishonest politicians have prostituted the honorfor which such men as Adams died）.
When Governor Gage received Adams’ caustic reply， he flew into a rage， and issued a proclamationwhich read， “I do， hereby， in his majesty’s name， offerand promise his most gracious pardon to all personswho shall forthwith lay down their arms， and return tothe duties of peaceable subjects， excepting only fromthe benefit of such pardon， SAMUEL ADAMS ANDJOHN HANCOCK， whose offences are of too flagitiousa nature to admit of any other consideration but thatof condign punishment.”
As one might say， in modern slang， Adams and Hancock were “on the spot！” The threat ofthe irate Governor forced the two men to reachanother DECISION， equally as dangerous. Theyhurriedly called a secret meeting of their staunchestfollowers. （Here the Master Mind began to takeon momentum）. After the meeting had been calledto order， Adams locked the door， placed the keyin his pocket， and informed all present that itwas imperative that a Congress of the Colonistsbe organized， and that NO MAN SHOULD LEAVETHE ROOM UNTIL THE DECISION FOR SUCH A
CONGRESS HAD BEEN REACHED.
Great excitement followed. Some weighed the possible consequences of such radicalism. （Old ManFear）. Some expressed grave doubt as to the wisdomof so definite a decision in defiance of the Crown.
Locked in that room were TWO MEN immune to Fear， blind to the possibility of Failure. Hancockand Adams. Through the influence of their minds，the others were induced to agree that， through theCorrespondence Committee， arrangements shouldbe made for a meeting of the First ContinentalCongress， to be held in Philadelphia， September 5，1774.
Remember this date. It is more important thanJuly 4， 1776. If there had been no DECISION to holda Continental Congress， there could have been nosigning of the Declaration of Independence.
Before the first meeting of the new Congress，another leader， in a different section of the countrywas deep in the throes of publishing a “SummaryView of the Rights of British America.” He wasThomas Jefferson， of the Province of Virginia，whose relationship to Lord Dunmore， （representativeof the Crown in Virginia）， was as strained as that ofHancock and Adams with their Governor.
Shortly after his famous Summary of Rights waspublished， Jefferson was informed that he wassubject to prosecution for high treason against hismajesty’s government. Inspired by the threat， one ofJefferson’s colleagues， Patrick Henry， boldly spokehis mind， concluding his remarks with a sentencewhich shall remain forever a classic， “If this betreason， then make the most of it.”
It was such men as these who， without power，without authority， without military strength， withoutmoney， sat in solemn consideration of the destiny ofthe colonies， beginning at the opening of the FirstContinental Congress， and continuing at intervalsfor two years—until on June 7， 1776， Richard HenryLee arose， addressed the Chair， and to the startledAssembly made this motion：