An attempt is made here to analyze the laws passed for the repression of disaffection in the State, particularly as related to the Commissioners for detecting and defeating conspiracies, whose Albany minutes form these volumes, and to digest some of the main features of the proceedings of these

commissioners, as operated under the laws by which they were to be governed. The spectacular and dramatic conflict between whigs and tories; the philosophical speculation as to the probable economic and political gain or loss to the State by this conflict and its determination, and an impassionate estimate of loyalism as a principle, have been presented ably

IO State of New York

by Van Tyne and by Flick. 2 There is also a superabundance

of biased or partizan literature, on both sides, and pens and printing presses are yet overworked in reproducing such opinions. On February 5, 1778, during its first session (1777-1778), the legislature of New York passed its first bill for the creation of a body of " Commissioners for detecting and defeating Conspiracies " in the State and declaring their powers. The idea was not a new one, for in conserving the State, against the machinations of disaffected, disloyal or even decidely inimical persons, progressive media had been determined and executed by local and county committees, by the Provincial Congresses and Convention and otherwise. There was a definite relationship among all the bodies growing out of the revolution. The Continental Congress stood at the head; then came the Provincial Congress or Convention, then the general committee on tories, then the county committees, and at the base, the district committees." 3 These various bodies varied in size, authority, procedure and effectiveness. With the erection of constitutional government in the State, toryism was more clearly defined and handled in more summary fashion.