History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

452 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1T82.
Conventions the order Tliose wGre pre-emiiieiitly days of conof
the Day. veiitioiis. It was the convention named
at first a " Congress," and held originally
in Massachusetts, that paved the way for the march of
freedom. When tyranny usurped control of the law making
power, the people were called upon to act. The Pro-
vincial Congresses were but conventions of delegates elected
by them to retain those rights in the government, which
were gradually being legislated out of their hands. That
which in time of peril was the salvation of liberty, became
afterwards a menace to the perpetuation of that liberty,
and precipitated civil war within the very birthplace of
liberty.
Their Frequency in ThrOUghout the RcVolutiou COUVeutionS
Hampshire County. f^^ varioUS purpOSCS : — tO COUSult UpOU
the genera] welfare, to stop the courts,
to regulate prices, and to run things in general, had been
held in all parts of the state. Several of those which
occurred in Hampshire County have already been noted.
When, therefore, the struggle was believed to be nearly
ended, and when the accumulation of debt,^ as well as the
financial uncertainty of the future confronted the people,
they turned naturally to the weapon with which thej^ were
familiar. Within the two years of 1782 and 1783, no less
than seven conventions were held in this county^ to con-
sider the evils of the times. Nor were they less frequent in
other parts of the state. A majority of persons undoubtedly
took part in these gatherings at first from patriotic
motives, believing that through such means their grievances
could best be made known to the government. With
no thought whither the heated discussions and lawless
resolves, fomented and formulated by unprincipled agitators,
would lead them, towns sent delegates to these meetings,
hoping that some method might be devised that would
relieve the distress weighing so heavily upon the commu-
nity. But the demagogues saw their opportunity^ Men of
no standing in the community, often of tarnished reputation
but fluent of speech, though meagre of intellect, came to
1 Minot's Insurrections In Mass., pp. 13-15.
2 Sheldon's History of Deerfleld, p. 761.