The mountain Democrat., 1863-06-27
Extracts fror., Our Hl.tary.

House the Boston Port Bill. -FOitwSSUs
ond reading George Byne was the only
one who cried no. "This bill, said Rose
Fuller, shuts up one Of the ports Of the
greatest commerce and consequencein the
English dominions in America. The
North Americans will look upon It IS .
foolish act of oppression. You cannot
carry this bill into execution but by mil
itary force" IF military force is ne
cessary," replied Lord North, 81 shall
not hesitate a moment to enforce due
obedience to the laws of this county,
" "Yhe uifeKSo VI Inc Americans IS fiagi-
tious," said Van. "The town of Boston
ought 10 be knocked about their ears and
destroyed Defends est Carthage. You
will never meet with proper obedience to
the laws of this country until you have
destroyed this nest of locusts."
"With ten thousand regulars" said the
creatures the ministry, 1--WE can march
through the continent"
Sage, the military commander-in-eAief
fo- all North America, was commissioned
as the civil governor Of Massachusetts,,
and directed to shut the port of Boston.
On the first of June, 1774, at noon, the
blockade Of Boston harbor began. The
inhabitants of the town were chiefly ira
ders, shipwrights and sailors; and since
no anchor could be weighed, no sail un-
fnrled, no vessel so much as launched
from the stocks, their cheerful industry
was at an end. No more are they to lay
the keel of the merchantmen, or shape
the rib symmetrically for its frame, or
strengthen the graceful hull by knees Of
oak, or rig the we'll proportioned masts,
Or bend the sails to the guard. The king
of that country has changed the busy
workshops into scenes OF compulsory
idleness, and the most skillful naval arti-
zans in the world, with the keenest eye
for forms of beauty and speed, are forced
bv act of parliament to fold their hands.
Want scowled on the laborer, as he sat
with his wife and children at his board.
The sailor roamed the streets listlessly
without hope OF employment. The law
was executed with rigor that went be-
{ yond the intentions Of its authors. Nota
ecow could be manned by oars to bring
an OK or a sheep, or bundle Of hay from
| the islands. All water carriage from
wharf to wharf, though but Of lumber, or
bricks, or lime, was strictly forbidden.-
The boats between Boston and Charleston
could not carry parcel of goods across
Charles river. The fishermen Of Marble
head, when they bestowed quintals Of
dried fish on the poor of Boston, were
obliged to transport their offering in wag-
ons by circuit of thirty miles. The
warehouses of the thrifty merchants were
at once made valueeSs; the costly wharfs,
which extended far into the channel, and
were so lately covered with the produce
of the tropics and with English fabrics,
were become solitary places the harbor,
which had resounded necessarily with
the cheering voices Of prosperous COM
merce, was now disturbed by no sounds
but from the British vessels Of war.
At Philadelphia, the bells of the church
es were muffled and tolled; the ships In
port hoisted their colors at half f-maSt; and
nine-tenths of the houses, except those
of the Friends (Quakers) were shut during
the memorable first of June. In Virginia,
the population thronged the churches
Washington attended the service, and
strictly kept the fast. No firmer or more
touching words were addressed to the
sufferers than from Norfolk, which was
the largest place Of trade in that well
watered and extensive dominion, and
which, from its deep channel and nearness
to the ocean, lay most exposed to the
ships of war "Our hearts are warmed
with affection for you" Such was its
message: 1--WE address the Almighty
Ruler to support you in your Affections.
Be assured we consider you as suffering
in the common cause, and look upon our
selves as bound by the most sacred ties
to support you"
Don't pay for an ounce of the damned
tea" wrote Gadden on the fourteenth Of
June, as he shipped for the poor of Bos-
ton the first gifts Of rice from the planters
of South Carolina. The colonies We'd
with each other in liberality. The record
kept at Boston shows that the patriotic
and generous people" of South Carolina
were the first to minister to the sufferers,
sending early in June two hundred bar.
rels Of rice, and promising eight hundred
more. At Wilmington, North Carolina,
the sum Of two thousand pounds currency
was raised in few days; the women of
the place gave literally; Parker Ounce
offered his vessel to carry q load of pro-
visions, freight free, and master and ma
rines volunteered to navigate her without
wages. Delaware was so much in earnest,
that it devised plans for sending relief an.
nualy. All Maryland and all Virginia
were contributing literally and cheerful
ly; being resolved that the men Of Boston
who were deprived of their daily labor,
should not lose their daily bread, nor be
compelled to change their residence from
want. In Fairfax county, Washington
presided at a spirited meeting, and headed
a subscription paper with his own gift Of
fifty pounds. a special chronicle could
hardly enumerate all the generous deeds.
Beyond the Blue Ridge, the hardy cmi.
grants on the banks Of the Shenandoah,
MANY of them Governors, met at Wood
stock, and with Muhlenburg, then cler.
gyman, soon to bc a military chief, devo-
ted themselves to the CauSe Of liberty
Higher up the valley OF Virginia, where
the plough already Wed with the ritie,and
the hardy hunterS, not always ranging
the hills with their dogs for game, had
also begun to till the soil, the summer Of
, that year rpened the wheat fields of the
pioneers not for themselves alone. When
the sheaves had been harvested, and the
corn threshed and ground in country
as yet poorly provided with barns or
mills, the backwoodsmen of Augusta
county, without any pass through the
mountains that could be called q road,
noiSeessly and modestly delivered At
Frederick, one hundred and thirty-seven
barrels of -four as their remittance TO the
poor Of Boston.
Chaarnd hv the univarsal avnanakhW