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NAPOLEON HILL THINK AND GROW RICH

When Governor Gage received Adams' caustic reply, he flew into a rage, and is-
sued a proclamation which read, "I do, hereby, in his majesty's name, offer and
promise his most gracious pardon to all persons who shall forthwith lay down
their arms, and return to the duties of peaceable subjects, excepting only from
the benefit of such pardon, SAMUEL ADAMS AND JOHN HANCOCK, whose of-
fences are of too flagitious a nature to admit of any other consideration but that
of condign punishment."

As one might say, in modern slang, Adams and Hancock were "on the spot!" The
threat of the irate Governor forced the two men to reach another DECISION,
equally as dangerous. They hurriedly called a secret meeting of their staunchest
followers. (Here the Master Mind began to take on momentum). After the meet-
ing had been called to order, Adams locked the door, placed the key in his pocket,
and informed all present that it was imperative that a Congress of the Colonists
be organized, and that NO MAN SHOULD LEAVE THE ROOM UNTIL THE DE-
CISION FOR SUCH A CONGRESS HAD BEEN REACHED.

Great excitement followed. Some weighed the possible consequences of such
radicalism. (Old Man Fear). Some expressed grave doubt as to the wisdom of so
definite a decision in defiance of the Crown. Locked in that room were TWO MEN
immune to Fear, blind to the possibility of Failure. Hancock and Adams. Through
the influence of their minds, the others were induced to agree that, through the
Correspondence Committee, arrangements should be made for a meeting of the
First Continental Congress, to be held in Philadelphia, September 5, 1774. Re-
member this date. It is more important than July 4, 1776. If there had been no
DECISION to hold a Continental Congress, there could have been no signing of
the Declaration of Independence.

Before the first meeting of the new Congress, another leader, in a different sec-
tion of the country was deep in the throes of publishing a "Summary View of the
Rights of British America." He was Thomas Jefferson, of the Province of Virginia,
whose relationship to Lord Dunmore, (representative of the Crown in Virginia),
was as strained as that of Hancock and Adams with their Governor.

Shortly after his famous Summary of Rights was published, Jefferson was in-
formed that he was subject to prosecution for high treason against his majesty's
government. Inspired by the threat, one of Jefferson's colleagues, Patrick Henry,
boldly spoke his mind, concluding his remarks with a sentence which shall re-
main forever a classic, "If this be treason, then make the most of it."

It was such men as these who, without power, without authority, without military
strength, without money, sat in solemn consideration of the destiny of the colo-