The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-01-03
sVEPORT LOUISIANA WEDNESDAY,, JANUARY 3 1885,


t perty seemed to him security against violence
and he fattered himself that he had increase
y the perplexities of the committee.
5 "Ihe decisive day draws nearer and neare,
: On the morning of Monday, the 3Oth, the com
j. mittee of the five towns are at Faneui] hall
with that of Boston. Now that danger wa
S really at hand, the men of the little town q
Maiden, offered their blood and their treasure
for that which they once esteemed the mothe
country had lost the tenderness of a parent an,
became their great oppressor. we trust i,
! God,' wrote the men of Lexington, that. shoult
the state of our affairs require it, we shall b.
ready to sacrifice our estates and every thins
dear in life, yea, and life ITSELF in support of th
common cause Whole towns in Worcheste
county were on the tiptoe to come down. 'Gt
on as you have begun wrote the committee O
Leicester, on the 18th, 'and do not suffer an,
teas already come or coming to be landed o.
pay one farthing of duty. You may depend OF
our aid and assistance when needed
"The line of policy adopted was, if possible
to get the tea carried back to London uniniurec
in the vessel in which it came. A meeting o
the people on Tuesday afternoon directed, ane
as it were, compelled Rotch, the owner of the
Dartmouth, to apply for clearance. He die
so, accompanied by Kent, Samuel Adams, and
eight others as witnesses. The collector was al
his lodgings, and refused to answer till the mex
morning, the assemblage, on their part, ad
journed to Thursday, the 10Th, the last of the
twenty days before it would become legal fo1
the revenue officers to take possession of the
ship, and to land the teas at the castle In the
evening the Boston committee finished theil
preparatory meetings. After their consultation
on Monday with the committee of the FIVE towns
they had been together that day and the next
both morning and evening, but during the long
and anxious period their journal has only this
entry: No business transacted of record
cat ten o'clock on the l. 5th Rotch was escor-
ted by his witnesses to the customhouse, where
the collector and comptroller unequiyocally and
finally refused to grant his ship clearance till
it should be discharged of the teas
'.Hutchinson began to clutch at victory: for,
said he, it is notorious the ship cannot pass the
castle without permit from me, and that l
shall refuse On that day the people of Fitch
burg pledged theft word never to be wanting,
according to their small ability for 'they had,
indeed, an ambition to be known to the world
and to posterisy as friends Of liberty" The men
of Gloucester also expressed their joy at Bos-
toms glorious opposition, cried with one voice
that mo tea subject to duty should be landed
in their town. and held themselves ready for
the last appeal.
"The morning of Thursday, the 16th of De-
cembcr, 1773, dawned upon Boston, day by
far the most momentous in its annals. Beware
little town-count the cost, and know we'll if
you dare defy the wrath of Great Britain, and
| if you love exile and poverty and death rather
than submission. The town of the Portsmouth
held its meeting on that morning, and, with six
only protesting, its people adopted the princi-
pies of Philadelphia, appointed their committee
OF correspondence, and resolved to make COM
mon cause with the colonies. At ten o'clock
the people of Boston, with at least two thou
sand men from the country, assembled in the
old South. A report was made that Rotch had
been refused clearance from the custom house.
'Then,' said they to him, protest Immediately
against the custom house, and apply to the gov
ernor for his pass, so that your vessel may this
very day proceed on her voyage for London"
"The governor had stolen away to his coun-
try house at Milton. Bidding Rotch make all
haste, the meeting adjourned to three in the af-
ternoon. At that hour Rotch had not returned.
1t was incidentally voted, as other towns had
already done to abstain from the use of tea, and
every town was advised to appoint its committee
of inspection, to prevent the detested tea from
coming within any of them. Then, since the
governor might refuse his pass the momentous
question recurred, 'whethert be the sense and
determination of this body to abide by their
former resolutions with respect to not suffering
the tea to be landed?' On this question Samuel
Adams and Young addressed the meeting,
which was become far the most numerous
There was among them patriot of fervid feel
ing, passionately devoted to the liberty of his
country, still young, his eye bright, his cheek
glowing with hectic fever He knew that his
strength was ebbng. The work of vindicating
American freedom must be done soon. or he
will be no party to the great achievement He
rises, but it is to restrain, and being truly brave
and truly resolved; he speaks the language of
moderaton: Shouts of hosannas will not ter
inmate the trials Of this day, nor popular re-
solves, harangues, and acclamations yanquish
our foes: We must be grossly ignorant of the
value OF the prize for which we contend, of the
power combined against us, of the inveterate
malice and insatible revenge which actuate our
enemies, public and private, abroad and in our
bosom, if we hope that we shall end this con-
roversy without the sharpest conflicts. Let US
consider the issue before we advance to those
measures which must bring on the most trying
IN and terrible struggle this country ever saw
| hus spoke the younger Quincy. Now that
he hand is to the plow,' said others, there
must be no looking back and the whole assem-
'ly of seven thousand voted unanimously that
he tea should not be landed.
"It had been dark for more than an hour
The church in which they met was dimly light
d, when at quarter before six Rotch appeared,
nd satisfied the people by relating that the gov
rnor had refused him pass because his ship !
vas not properly cleared AS soon as he had ;
nished his report Samuel Adams rose and gave =
he word: This meeting can do nothing more :,
0 save the country. On the instant shout was r
card at the porch, the war whoop resounded, 7 7
body of men forty or fifty in number, dis /
uised as Indians, passed by the door, and en- h
outraged by sam'l Adams, Hancock, and others =
epaired to Grifin's wharf, posted guards to i
reyent the intrusion of spies, took possession y
the three tea ships, and in about three hours h
1ree hundred and forty chests of tea, being :,
1e whole nuantity that had heen innorted J.