A Freeholder of Dutchess County

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New-York, May 1, 1775.

Mr. GAINE: In your last Paper appeared an uncommon advertisement, with a Protest annexed, as was said from the Freeholders of seven Precincts, which were said to contain three-fourths of the inhabitants of Dutchess County. I choose to make no reflections on the author, since I would not wish to heighten the resentment or contempt of the County in which he lives; but, in justice to the County of which I am a freeholder, I hereby challenge him to show that that Protest was ever publickly read, or approved by any one of the Precincts he mentions, before it was published. I likewise deny, and call upon him to prove that the seven Precincts, in whose name, (but without whose authority) the above Protest was published, contains above

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half of the freeholders of Dutchess County, after deducting those that voted for Delegates in Poughkeepsie and Charlotte Precincts, although he so confidently asserts that they contain three-fourths. But that the publick may no longer be deceived by more presentations of the state of that County, I am willing to put it upon this issue: the County of Dutchess contains eighteen hundred freeholders; if the author of the Protest will publish a list of six hundred freeholders that are opposed to the election of Delegates, or will sign his Protest, I undertake to show double the number who approve of their appointment.

N. B. No person will be considered as a freeholder, whose Precinct is not annexed to his name, as that is the only way to guard against misrepresentations.

Freeholder of Dutchess County, denying the truth of the statements in the foregoing Protest, which was never publickly read, or approved of by one of the Precincts named in it. [1775-05-01] A Freeholder of Dutchess County (pseudo.). [S4-V2-p0304] [Document Details][Complete Volume]