The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-02-22
SCORING FOR
HEROES OF rs
Fame Of American FOrefdtheTS
Attacked In New Book,
PATRIOTS CALLED DEGENERATE
John Hancock a Smuggler and De-
faufter, Samuel Adams Another
"Ne'er- do -weI," Declares James n.
Stark of Boston.


"Ne'er- do WELL" Declares James II.
Stark of Boston.
James Henry Stark Of Boston has
written a book called "The Loyalists
of Massachusetts and the Other Side
Of the American Revolution" which
refers to Samuel Adams and John
Hancock as defaulters and thieves and
classes other Revolutionary heroes as
''ne'er-do-wells," 'degenerates" and
'looters and betrayers of public
trusts"
The book contains 500 pages and the
statement that in Virginia the Revo-
Iutionary movement of poor white
trash, or Crackers" led by Patrick
Henry, was against the planter arts
tocracy. 1t was only. very slowly and
very deliberately, Mr.. Stark says, that
Washington identified himself with
the "disunionist" cause.
"Patrick Henry Unreliable"
AS for Patrick Henry, Mr.. Clark de-
cIares that he was one Of the most
unreliable of men. Byron called him
forest born Demosthenes, and Jefer-
son, wondering over his career, ex-
claimed: Where he got that torrent
of language is inconceiVable. l have
frequently closed my eyes while he
spoke and when he was done asked
myself what he had said without be-
ing able to recollect word of it. Mr..
stark also recalls the circumstance
that Henry failed as a storekeeper
and farmer before he said, "GiVe me
liberty or give me deathP'
Samuel Adams, Mr.. Stark says, was
another ne'er-do-well" He quotes
letter of Adams to prove that he
was a defaulter and as tax collector
of Boston did not make proper re-
turns of taxes, his bondsmen paying
$4,000.
In telling of the Boston massacre
the book asserts that the patriots
poured a torrent of coarse and pro-
fame abuse upon the soldiers, aston
ishing even in its echoes across the
lreentury," while it compares the Bos-
ton tea party with '.the so called re
spectacle mob which on the 18th day
Of August, 1884, destroyed the Charles
town convent and year later nearly
killed Garrison and made the Jail his
only safe place of refuge. Had slav-
cry triumphed that mob would at this
day be the object and subject of popu-
lar glorifeation."
"John Hancock SnugaIer."
Mr.. Stark says John Hancock was
the owner Of the sloop Liberty, which
was seized for smuggling, and even
asserts that one-fourth of the signers
Of the Declaration of independence
were bred to trade or to the command
Of ships. More than one of them, he
adds, was branded with the epithet of
''smuggIer.''
AS treasurer of Harvard college, he
/ declares Hancock received college
funds amounting to upward Of E15, 200.
Hancock, too, says Mr.. Stark, proved
to be defaulter. He tells hoTS''for
twenty years the CORPORA begged
and entreated him restitu-
ton and eve. threatened to prosecute
him, and it was only after his death,
IN 1893, that his heirs made restitution
to the college"
Josiah Quincy is quoted as saying
it would have been grateful to pass
over in silence the extraordinary
course he pursued in his official rela-
ton to Harvard college had truth and
the fidelity Of history permitted"
i Calls Franklin Mail Thief.
Mr.. Stark also submits evidence that
Benjamin Franklin when sixty-seven
years old was dismissed from the Of
fee of deputy postmaster general Of
the colonies because he stole letters
| from the mail He relates in detail
how Franklin was tried in England
and dismissed from the service. The
reference is, Of course, to the historic
incident Of the so called Hutchinson
letters"
i Mr.. Stark was born In London, but
came to the United States when nine
years old He is the author Of several
| books, resides in Dorchester, Mass;
is president of the British Charitable
association, vice president Of the Vic
torian club and a member of the New
England Historical Genealogical so
Il