Record of the descendants of John Alexander

22 The (Descendants of
strength, but a thorough loyalist, and Speaker of the
Provincial Assembly. While he could not resist the
mighty wave of public sentiment calling for a Conti-
nental Congress in 1774, he did what he could to
prevent the separation from the mother country, by
fastening these iron-clad instructions on the members
chosen to Congress ; hence Pennsylvania's negative
vote on the resolution for separation on June 7th, 1776.
This but incited the members of the Provincial Com-
mittee to bold and positive action. They set aside the
authority of the Provincial Assembly, and in the follow-
ing language declared their sense of right and convic-
tions of duty for themselves and their constituents:
' We, the deputies of the people of Pennsylvania,
assembled in full conference, * * * now in this public
manner, in behalf of ourselves, and with the approba-
tion, consent, and authority of our constituents, unani-
mously declare our willingness to concur in a vote of
Congress declaring the united colonies free and inde-
pendent States.'
"These words are part, but true samples of the Declara-
tion of Independence of the colony of Pennsylvania by
the Provincial Conference, signed by its deputies, and
delivered by their President to Congress. Now it is to
the imperishable honor of the Middle Spring church
that in this noted Conference approving of its action,
and signing the address to Congress calling for the
Declaration, were three of its members, John Maclay,
then an elder in this church, Hugh McCormick, and
Hugh Alexander, members of this church. The con-
spicuous place that Middle Spring church occupied in
the Valley, and her influence one hundred years ago,
can be judged from this fact, that from the nine depu-
ties who represented the great county of Cumberland
in the important Conference of 1776, at least three