Committees of Safety are Not Advocacy Groups

 

Committees of Safety are not advocacy groups, nor are they properly able to petition the government (which would require recognition of that government).  Committees of Safety are Executive and Quasi-Legislative bodies that step in to fill; voids created by the de facto government., or in the absence of the de facto government or in the absence to the de facto government go provide for the people.

There have been efforts to make them into a political party (advocacy group); however, there is no historical precedence for such activity.

Prior to the Revolutionary War, Committees of Safety existed in the frontier or wilderness areas where the government did not provide any troops or other protection against Indian attacks.  The community got together and built stockades, enrolled militia, commissioned officers, and set watches, all to secure the property and lives of the Association members form threats from the savages.

As the likelihood of war drew near, Committees were formed to assure that civil authority would continue.  In 1774, Worchester, Massachusetts, established a Committee of Safety; declared independence from British rule (unless it reverted to the original charter); established a Committee of Safety; discharged the militia, then opened the muster rolls, not allowing anybody with Tory sympathies to enroll, and commissioned officers; and, established courts to deal with criminal matters and Tory questions, though with no civil matters heard.  They did not petition, they acted.  The time for petitioning (redress of grievances) was over.  They did not support candidates for the British government; they made their own government.

By April 12, 1775, the Provincial Congress (not that under British rule) called for every plantation and town to establish Committees of Safety.  No advocacy, not candidate support, simply a government entity made by the people, without regard to the colonial government, British rule, or any other influence.

Its structure is from the bottom up.  It was never ruled from the top down, as some are endeavoring to do.  A simple example is that there had been over ninety declarations of independence from British Rule before Thomas Jefferson began to write the Declaration of Independence.  All of the thoughts in the Declaration had been expressed, in writing, by local and county Committees.  Jefferson only consolidated those thoughts into a single, well phrased, document.

Texas followed the same course in disavowing Mexico's right to rule them.  Not advocacy, no candidates, just set up a government.

To attempt to justify an advocacy group is an affront to history, heritage, and the resolve of the Founders.