The San Francisco call., 1899-10-16

portance was equal TO all the colonies. We
must never think of the colonies as actu-
ally suffering from oppression. though the
strong language Of their documents often
state that as fact. What Adams strug-
gled against was the validity of a doctrine
which would make oppression possible. In
that struggle he often thought that in this
time of common distress it would be the
wisdom of the cOlonists more frequently
to correspond with and to be more atten-
tive to the particular circumstances of
each other 1T seems of late to have
been the policy of the enemies of America
to point their artillery against one prov
ince only and artfully to draw off the at
tention OF the other colonies, and, II pos
sible, to render that single province odous
to them, while ii is suffering ministerial
vengeance for the sake of the common
cause. But ii is to be hoped that the colo
nists will be aware of this artifice. At this
juncture an attempt to subdue one PROV
ince to despotic power is justly to be con-
sidered as an attempt to ensIave the
whole The colonies form one political
body of which each is a member The
liberties of the whole are invaded there
fore, the interest of the whole to support
each individual with all their weight and
influence"
AS the clouds thickened his mastery re-
sistance to the ill-judged British policy
he managed the colonial cause. keeping
within constitutional measures was clear
ly shown. His newspaper articles, pub
lished as was the custom of the day un-
der some such nom de plume as Can
dide," did much to crystalline the opposi-
ton. His descendant and biographer,
Wells. rightly calls him 1.-The true father
of Democracy in America, whose voice
and pen were employed for the common
people, and he labored to build up Amer
lean liberty. not only By public measures,
pendence of thought among the working
classes as the true basis of national free
dom" So successful was he in his con-
troll of the people and so did he WELD his
power that in ITO Hutchinson was Obliged
to withdraw from town to the fort in the
harbor the two British regiments who
had been engaged in that unfortunate af-
fray known as the Boston massacre. In
the same year through his influence, the
Assembly appointed a committee of cor
respondence Ito communicate such intel
ligence as may be necessary to the agent
and others in Great Britain and also to
the speakers Of the several Assemblies
through the continent, or to such COM
mittee of correspondence as they have or
may appoint. This idea was still further
carried out by the more famous resolu
tion of the town of Boston in November.
1772, appointing like committee to state
the rights of the colonists, and of this
province in particular, as men and Chris
tians and subjects, and to communicate
publicly the same TO the several towns
and to the world, as the sense of this
town, with the infringements and viola
tions thereof that have been or from time
to time may be made" So strong was his
longing for confederation of all America
that he always sought to include Canada
in the continental combination.
The destruction Of the tea in Boston
when the port bill closed that harbor
Adams acted as the chairman Of the COM
mittee to distribute the donations which
came SO generously from the other
States: He was chosen a member of the
First Continental Congress, and served in
that body for seven years, or nearly until
colonists he longed for independence. and
at one time, discouraged by the slow prog
ress OF the other colonies toward the ac-
ceptance of that idea, he thought of
separate Independent confederation of the
New England colonies. He won, however
ana t5 had 9 the Joy Of seeing the, adoption OF
duced by his friend. R. H. Lee.
with the achievement of independence
his chief work was done. There were Still
twenty years OF useful service ahead for
him, however He was one of those wha
prepared the articles of confederation,
ana, ai IN ms service on the marine board
needs as well as for his States Interests
ne lnsisteq on our preservation of our
rights to the Newfoundland fisheries. He
served at nome, in his absence from Con-
gress, as Secretary of State and when the
states constitution was prepared he sat
as as+ a useiul member of the convention.
IN the massachusetts, Senate as strong an
opponent of Great Britain as ever and
pltter against allowing the Tories to re-
turn. He was classed as an anti-federaI-
ist, yet was, convinced that the people de-
sired the adoption of the Federal consti-
tuition, and voted therefor in the ratifying
9conyentlon, while proposing amendments
stanch supporter of law and order in the
tup6uIlent oIan mt time time Of shay's rebellion. The
people OF massachusetts honored him to
the last. A long standing disbursement
petWeen himself and Hancock was made
up pa IN 5i IISs, and after serving as councillor
the .goyernorship in 1898. at Hancock's
death. BY successive reflections he held
(Continued IN Si~,h f,o,,,-,