New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-04-03
IProm the Commonwsaith
Historical March Annlversarics
BY SAMUEL d. MOVES.

Only to recall that one hundred and three
wears ago this day, on the sixth day of March,
l1'o, at eleven O'Clock in the forenoon, ga
town meeting was held in Faneuil Hall, and
the affairs OF the previous night were re-
counted by several speakers. The crowd was
immense, and an adjournment to the Old
South became necessary" 1t was the day
alter the cruel massacre" on Kings street
Samuel Adams, John Hancock, William
Molineaux, William Phillips, Joseph Mann,
Joshua Henshaw, and Samuel Pembcrton
were present at that meeting, and after the
passage OF a vote that it was impossible for
the soldiers and people to live together in
the town, they were chosen a committee of
seven, out Of a committee of fifteen that had
been appointed in the early part of the meet
ing, to request the immediate removal of the
soldiers. The Governor and Council being
IN session, were Immediately waited upon by
that committee of fifteen, and were answered
by the Lieutenant Governor, Hutchinson,
that he had no authority to remove the SOL
ders, nor could IT be done except by the
orders OF the General, at New York; that
the Council also desired their removal, and
Col. Dalrymple had consented to take the
responsibility of removing the Doth regiment
to the castle, that being the one to which
the soldiers belonged who had fired on the
people and had the fights at the rope-walks.
When this was reported to the meeting in
the Old South the answer was voted to be
unsatisfactory; one individual only dissent
ing. Then the committee of seven was
chosen out of the former committee, and
what Il committee was that! One wishes, as
he reads the names of that committee, that
he had been born a century and half ear
lier, and had been Il citizen of this old city
OF Boston in those patriotic days for, per-
chance, he might have been participant in
those memorable acts. This committee was
instructed mark the word instructed
carry the vote of the town to the Governor
and Council, which was that their former an
swer was by no means satisfactory, and that
nothing less will satisfy than q total and i'm
mediate removal of the troops.
MIR. Adams was chairman of that commit
tee, and it is recorded that she discharged
his duties with such intrcpidity, consum-
mate ability, and firmncss as not only to Sc
cure the object then demanded, but also the
admiration of the world through all coming
ages" The committee was received, as be-
fore, by the Lieutenant Governor, who re-
turned similar answer that he had not the
power to comply. But Mr.. Adams showed
conclusiyely, though briefly, that, by the
charter, he had the power. And Hutchin-
son, not being able to meet the argument
advanced, consulted Col. Dalrymplc in
whisper, and then remarked that one of the
regiments should be sent away. ''At this
critical moment" says Tudor, ,"Mr. Adams
showed the most noble presence of mind.
The officers, civil and military, were abashed
before him. They shrank from the AFRO
gance they had hitherto maintained, and their
reliance upon standing armies fOrsook them,
while the speaker, seeming not to represent,
but to personify, the universal feeling and
opinion, with unhesitating promptness and
dignilied firmness replied:
''lf the Lieutenant Governor OF Colonel
Dalrymplc, or both together, have authority
to remove ono regiment, they have authority
TO remove two! And nothing short of the
total evacuation of the town by all the regu-
lar troops will satisfy the public mind and
preserve the peace of the province"
Colonel Dalrymple wilted, and pledged his
honor that the troops should be removed, and
that Immediately. Ind they rcre reu.ored.
Who that walks down Washington street
this sixth day Of March, A. ID. 1873, can take
in, can realize the full import of that memoir
able assembly. Here stands the Old South !;
here is its steeple; here is its clock here is
the room which covered the patriots, and re-
sounded to their eloguence in behalf of the
liberties we now enjoy, about IL hundred
years ago. Then the suburban population
was small and was widely scattered. In
1904, III inc tlilc Oh inc DulnS ECnCltlou,
from the suburban towns and cities the patri-
otto, liberty-lovng citizens rallied and filled
the streets. In 100, the men of Boston
town alone managed the business. And yet
the active participants in the affray which
precipitated the events which led TO the revo-
luton, came from the country towns! There
were patriots out here, this south side of Bos-
ton. There were the lIcaths, the Yields,
and Scavcrs, in old RoXbury. There was
minister Samuel Dunbar, in Stoughton, now
Canton. There were the Fishers, and Endi-
colts, and Ameses, of Dcdhani. And their
flint lock guns were ready strung and waiting
in their Kitchens for the summons.
Sitting here, and recalling the events Of the
day, one feels small and dwarf-like, and is
ashamed Of what he is and of what he does.
For the deeds of the men of that day were SO
grand, SO noble, so classically heroic, SO his
torically pre-cminent, that one is almost
ashamed To claim relationship with them
ashamed because one feels how inferior he is
in all that gocs to make up real manlincss of
character to the men of that day. "Why,
in that elder day, to be BostoHfm was
greater than a king
Canton, Mass, March e, 1873.
| Our COlOreSl l.abOrers.