Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1842-01-18


inter.colOnial committees, for The pur.
pose Of discussing among the different
colonies the great question of the Oppres
sive acts of Great Britain. The Boston
Committee of correspondence was estab-
lished in November of l772-the fire.
quent public meetings of the citizens in
The various towns, were the immediate
consequences of the establishment Of
these committees. Early in the follow
ing year, Governor Hutchinson convened
the Legislature, at an unusually early
period, and made a strong effort to abol-
ish these town meetings, which exerted
such an influence on public opinion. In
this design, however, he was nobly and
successfully opposed by Samuel Adams,
John Adams, and other worthy patriots.
1t was after all these proceedings in this
colony, that Dabney Carr, arose in the
House of Bnrgesses Of Virginia, and in-
troduced his famous resolutions. And
here Mr.. Bancroft disclaimed any wish
to rob Virginia of an iota of the fame
which was justly her due, he paid an elo-
quent tribute to tina! colony for her
prompt, and noble, and patriotic respon.
ses TO the doings Of Massachusetts,
Mr.. Bancroft went on TO show that
Samuel Adams was the first mover Of the
mighty engine which resulted in effecting
our independence. He showed also, by
a letter which he read, containing the
most noble sentiments, "a letter which
has never been published,) that he was
we'll aware Of the consequences which
must follow the bold proceedings of the
patriots; and exhibited a wonderful de-
gree of foresight, marvellous sagaclty, and
almost the spirit of prophecy. He also
showed, by extracts of letters from diff
ferent towns, that the colonists were
fully conscious of the might Of the ma
chine, which had been set in motion.
The farmers of the interior even then
dreamed of independence.
Mr.. Bancroft then spoke Of the op.
Pressve act of laying duty on tea, and
the commotion caused by the arrival of
the tea ships in Boston harbor. At this
time the Committee of Correspondence
had frequent meetings. The time al
lowed for the discharge of the tea extern
ded to the 10th of December, twenty days
from the arrival Of the vessels into port.
The Committee, at their meetings, voted
that the lea must not be LGnded-and va.
rious means were suggested to prevent,
BY peaceable means, the discharge of the
obnoxious cargoes. But these sugges,
tions, it appeared, could not be carried
into efect.-The Committee of Cores.
pondence met on the 18th, along with the
Committee of the adjoining towns. Up
to this time, the records Of the Commit.
tee had been, as usual, full and explicit
but, after this meeting a~d two or three
succeeding ones, there occurred on the
records this ominous entry-"No busi
ness transacted, matter of record" The
next entry was in the form of memoran,
dum-"Every chest of tea on board the
ships was destroyed last night, without
any injury to the ships or the crews
The British Government were exceeding.
ly indignant at this act, and promptly de-
manded remuneration for the tea which
had been destroyed; and even BenjamiF
franklin, then in London, and who was
not at that time fully aware of the noble
spirit which prevailed in the colonies
wrote letter recommending to the Citi
zens of Boston to comply with the de-
mands of Great Britain. An answer, il
a gallant spirit, was returned by JOSEPH
Warren, in which that patriot seemed Il
spurn the idea of even the sembIsnce o
submission. He urged activity and pa
tience, declaring that "the mistress VI
court is Liberty, and il is better to di'
than not obtain hers
The next oppressive act on the part 0
the British Government, was the passag
of the Boston Port Bill, the effect @
which was to shut up, 10 virtually sea
the harbor of this city of IA or $4,000 in
habitants--many of whom were depen
dent on commerce for livelihood. TIL
clnk of the hammer was no longer hear
in the ship-yards, and the vessels wer
lying idle at the wharves. All bushes
was suspended--and poverty and distres
reigned in the city. Nevertheless, tn
! spirit of the people was unsubdued. MI
Bancroft read a remarkable doCumen
J which has hitherto been UNKNOWN eli
. cular, sent abroad by the citizens of Boz
D ton, written in calm, but at the sam
/, time, eloquent and determined manner
j, as if emanating from men who had take
3 their measures, counted the cost, an
would not be driven from their purpos
9 Boston was thus, in a great measure, d.
!. prlved Oi The means of suhsistence=-b1
d the hOOd-gates ofchariIy were soon Opel
10 ed, aud generous donations were mac
'. from other towns and other COlonie
rs The planters Of Virginia forwarded trl
n. bills of Exchange to a considerable am
Il. South Carolina sent on large quantiti
- Of rice--and the cold wolf hunter" l
y siding at Brooklyn, in Connecticut, sa