The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-20


The towns ordered tue local police. drew the
jurors Tor the courts, and SO took their part IN
Judicial AFFAIRS. Ihey sent representatives 10 tie
General Court 81 the province, and 50 TOOK part IN
tne highest legislative functions. They assessed,
AT their discretion, and collected taxes ior an
these purposes ana sOe%efcseu sovereign powers
over property. But, chiefly. these town meetings
were palliaments Tor the Tree discussion OF al
questions touching the interests OF me peop.e ana
organs oil popular communication with the lie Is
lature ana Executive. Inc records 81 these town
neeunps are the wonder and ADMIRATION 81 stu.
dents or political philosophy every where. Tney
were new thing IN the WORLDS history. IL mas
been said that ii every other record should perish
the true character and lull history 81 the clvi
struggle from 1860 to l7i5 could De written rom
the recoros OF the town meetings, including the
resolutions adopted and me instructions sent
10 tlelr repreSen tatives IN the General Court.
la The provincial government. 100 we were
iree. We chose representatives. by towns ana lhe
representatives. elected the Council the Judges
were appointed ana paid by ourselves. We or
dered our own militia system, established ana
regulated our ludicature. and persons charged
with crimes were tried within the province oy
Jures drawn by lot ia the towns. we lald anu
collected our own taxes. and no tax had ever been
imposed upon US oy imperial power. we held
allegiance to the crown and were parts OF the
British Empires but we were se,governlng,
home-ruling people, loyal, content, well educated
and industrious, giving no cause o. Just complaint
To the people OF England. In snort. We had been
Tor 1--WE generations the freest, most seligoverninS
people the world had ever known. In an eVn
hour
THE PRIDE, JEALOUSY AND GREED
or the mother country and quite as much OF Its
trading, manufacturing and middle classes, as
OF us mobiles ana gentry, set IT'S eye upon tne
colonies for imperial taxation. We denied the
right Burke wonld not argue the abstract ques-
ton OF rignt which. ne sald could only oe safely
disc ssed in the schools, but stood On the practl-
cal position that Parliament had never taxed the
colonies; that 1t was a novelty, OF glnatlng in a
mere theory OF Parliamentary omnlpotence, was
lett by the colonies 10 be unjust and oppressive,
and might ne dangerous aud would not pay Tor
ltsel; aud those, he SAID, were reasons enough
Tor statesmen. Tne Stamp act was pas ed re-
sisted, peacefully, but perttnaciously, and re-
pealed The Parliament returned TO me charge
leagues ana covenants noC 10 import or use, TO
ingJan resolved. in words when few but a New
England towns MN cal III ly appreciate, ~ any
head OF a family IN this town ur am person shall
taken oil, purchase any tea or sell and consume
any tea in the r Iamiy, sucn person shall
and 10 MS country, aud snan by TINS town
be treated with neglect and contempt Peace
ul resistance al tals-save in the case or two
cargoes at Boston, 10 when water cold and salt,
was prematurely and urscientldcsly applied)
The Boston Port bill was cruel In ITSELF highly
tyrannical and mean appeal TO the Jealousy OF
other towns and provinces, IN which IL failed TO
their in1nlte credit, and only exasperated to the
last point OF endurance the senslbllities or
a brave and generous people. The Restrain
ing acts restricted our commerce and sought
TO banisn Us from the nsneries Bur, bad
as we're these vel known measures, and
dangerous 10 peace and liberty, IL was not they
tnat aimed tn fatal blow lie our accustomed
rights aud lioertes-the DOW that must be fatal
ether 70 our system VI sell government aud home
ru G, or to parllamenary ana klngly omulpo ieuce,
onclabe counlct. Inc acts or 1874, geneIlcally
Known "a the Regulation acts, were radical and
revolutionary. IheyMent to the foundations OF
our puOIc system. ana songht 70 reconstruct 10
rom the base on a theory q parliamentary ON
impotence aud klngly sovereignty =
We WE'RE NOT THE REboLUTIoNIsTS.
The King ana Parliament were the revolutonists.
they were the radical nnoyators. We were me
conservators Of eXlstlng institutions Iney were
seeking 10 overthrow ana reconstruct on theory
OF parliamentary omnpotence. We stood upon
;he dc ence Of what We mad founded ana Dult up
nader their ucuuleSceuCe. ana w tnOut Wllcl we
had always been We broke no cnaln We pre-
pared 10 strike down any nand that might at
tempt u lay one upon US. inere was no one in
stituton, liw on custom, political or social, from
the mountain top 10 the seashores that we cared
10 change. We were then content 70 go on as
parts OF the British Empire, holding that slacS
and easy allegiance we had always neld on the old
terms OF self-goverament and nome rule. II was
not until more than year alter Lexington
and Bunker Hin tnat, nndng the Two
things nopelessy inconsistent. we de-
ciared our dynastic Independence, and IN
that sense am ior mat purpose only became
revolutoalsts. Against these su1yersive reyou-
ttOnary measures the cooniSts prepared 70 re-
sst ~ lorce Tor 70 mat tney knew Il must come.
Meetings, caueuses and con sresses or towns,
counties. oil tile province ana o All the provinces,
b the o der ~ the day They were all illegal
under the new system. and we neld them at our
PERI. Inc Proytnc al Congress collected milltarY
stores called on tue towns u organize the town
Massacnusetts.n The oil militia recO9nlzed by
the Royal Governor, had IN appeared, and the new
militia aas ias lorminS, still lncnoate, but u
IL al our ri. GJge ueterm ned 70 dIsarin and
dlsperse the new militia, 70 destroy toe military
stores ana. Ia short, as LORD Dartmouth sug-
gested. 70 eject 81 me troops "a genera dis
arming or tue cOlnnlsts.' These DECORATIONS
1egan % be put Into execution Toe troops
marched out into the country snow themselves
to the people. force u il00 visited Jamaica
pain. A BODY o. iOl vas permanently chartered
1T Marsnleld, IN the OH COiOuy.
THE TROOPS SEIZED OUR POWDER
at CharestOwn ana TWO hed pieces ~ Cambridge.
a rs y weeks before the 10TH 0f Aprl large iorce
w : salem % destroy the stores
collected there; tae militia gathered, tie people
tnron4ed the way. instructions were interposed,
and the !orce wltnurew without DoOdsned. me
troops cut IN supplies intended lor rs, aud we cut
on supplies intended Tor them. Sull 50 lar there
had been no cOnnict. No irretrieYdole act nad
been done. Tudor says, IN ms Life VI Otis,n that
Notwithstanding the poll lcal excitement whicl
continued Cr ten years, With hardly an Interrupt
ton Understanding the hot yea q the sons -
LIBERTY, tue bitter opposition 81 as jealous loyal
lists, tue presence u tue military cases 81 moi
vldual collision with the soldiers anu me seizure
or stores-stil throughout this whole period Of
ierment not single human lie was taken oy the
inhabitants. either ~ assassination, popular
tumult or pubic execution The COnven-
ton % Mddesex resolved as fOows:-''H IN
support of our Flgnts we are called 10 en-
sensible that be can never die 100 soon wno
LAYS down ms lie IN support y inc avs and 10
erties 81 his couutry.n Lexington wrote 10 Bos-
ton. I'VE trust Ia God that should me stare Of our
anairs require IL We suall BE- ready 70 sacrifice our
estates ami every tding dea rtn ie-yea and life IL
se-in support y tue common cause quincy
wrote from England, "Our couatrymen must seal
the cause IN hcir y oOu.I
TIE ATMOSPHERE wss CHARGED WITH WAR.
We felt IL in every breath. There was SAL ness
OF deadly preparation anu parent awaiting OF
tae falling Of tue bolt Tue provincial congress
appointed day ~ fasting, humiliation and
prdyer-a measure or deep significance in those
days Ii ordered tue citizens 70 pay their taxes
10 Sir. Gardner, me agent Of lie peOpe, and not
% the royai collector anu Lexington directed the
collectors 10 0bey TINS order ana the town
would secure them harmless. Inc issue
made viii. Bat IL was sOlemy resolved that
must not precipitate Tue waive must not strike
the first D0w. We Nere TO endure threats IN
suits and demonstrations OF violence; hui the
British troops must IRE the h.st shot ms NOT
4 formal resolve WIG our ancestors. they were
close reasonsrs, could Walk straignt on a Inc II
duty, aud ha1 almost superstitlous respect for
the law. ihey lelt the Importance 81 satisfying
the trends n our cause m Eugand, and ia the
otner col rs, some 81 which were stu uncertain,
and IL was feared that the people o. MASSACHUSETTS,
would oatrun tneir sympath, and support. Ac-
cordlng,y, the Continental Congress recommended
tue people ~ tuls cOonJ ~ aYold > COLLISION with
the Kings troops, ana N al cases 70 act only on
tie defensive. This advice vas repeated ~ the
Provincial Congress, ecnoed BY the town meet