Free Thoughts on the Proceedings of the Continental Congress, held at Philadelphia, Sept. 5, 1774: Wherein their Errors are Exhibited, the Reasonings Confuted, and the Fatal Tendency of their Non-Importation, Non-Exportation and Non-Consumption Measures are laid open to the Plainest Understandings and the Only Means pointed out for Preserving and Securing our present Happy Constitution: in a Letter to the Farmers and other Inhabitants of North America in general, and to those of the Province of New-York in particular. By a Farmer

[New York]: [James Rivington], 1775. First edition. 24pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Later half red morocco and marbled paper, worn at joints, spine darkened, repair at front hinge. Foxing. Perforated and inked stamps. Provenance: T. B. Chandler (signature on title). First edition. 24pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Samuel Seabury was first bishop of the Episcopal Church in America. At the outset of the American Revolution "Seabury and his colleagues began their major literary struggle to keep the colonies loyal to the Crown. His most important pamphlets were signed A.W. Farmer" (DAB). Alexander Hamilton, at age seventeen, replied to Seabury's Free Thoughts... with A Full Vindication (truncated) of the Measure of Congress. This sparked a pamphlet war between the two, which produced three more publications by Seabury and another one by Hamilton. Through the present work and other pamphlets Seabury sought to nullify the measures enacted by the Continental Congress.

Sabin lists only the present issue as the first edition, but Adams notes three separate American issues and calls this the third. This example with provenance to Thomas Bradbury Chandler, a prominent Loyalist and Anglican clergyman who authored his own Tory pamphlet critical of the Continental Congress, titled What think ye of the Congress Now?, also printed by Rivington in 1775. In May 1775, a mob destroyed Rivington's press. The supposed Loyalist printer, who also printed Alexander Hamilton's works in reply to Samuel Seabury, is now thought to have been a Patriot agent while he remained in New York during the British occupation. Adams, American Independence 136c; Adams, American Controversy 74-70a (note); Evans 13602; Howes S253; Sabin 78574 (Inventory #: 371395)