The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1913-02-06
TORIES HARSHLY USED
WRITER CONDEMNS ACTION DUR.
ING REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
In Life of John Hancock Lorenzo
Sears Points Out That Decree of
Punishment Was a More Bit
ter Story Than Evanoellne.

If the Tories had seen the crown tri-
umph, their treatment of the rebels,
as they called the Wings, might have
been no better than they themselves
received The human nature of q sim
gle race Is not changed by party
names or the fortune of war. There
fore, it is an interesting speculation
to conjecture what victorious Tory
would have done with defeated patri-
OTIS. 1t Is safe to say that Samuel
Adams and John Hancock would have
been sent to England for trial, IL not
for execution as traitors; but toward
the people at large there was a grow
ing spirit of Cancellation as the war
went on, for reasons which cannot be
detailed here.
1t is unfortunate that it cannot be
said with equal truth that as the pa
triot cause looked more hopeful, and
even when independence was assured,
the hostility toward resident or ban
ished loyalists was diminished. Dur
ing the war every species of intimida-
ton had been used to bring them into
the patriot ranks; indignities not usA-
ally practiced in dignifed warfare had
been thrust upon them. Eighty-five
thousand had been driven into Cana
dian exile alone, besides other thous-
ands who had fled to other British pos
sessions. leaving houses and lands,
business and friends. Confiscation fol-
lowed exile, with poverty and distress
in strange and inhospitable regions.
The Acadian story which excites
American sympathy has at least the
mitigating feature of removal south
ward to gentler climes; while the Co.
lonial dispersion was chiefly into
northern ATTITUDES, which our Saxon
ancestors used to designate as the do
main of chilly goddess with name
which, by a singular inversion Of
meaning, and the addition of one let
ter, now belongs to place of fiery
torment. So the exiles themselves
used to place In the same category
Hell, Hull and Halifax"
Yet the best terms that Great Bri-
tain could secure for its loyal colon
lists when terms Of peace were agreed
upon were, that congress should rec
ommend leniency to the several
states" in their treatment of Tories.
For its own part the home govern
ment employed as many as 1t could,
and for the temporary support of the
unemployed 1t expended more than
100000 annually before the end of
the war Afterward additional bur
dens were ungrudglngly assumed for
the expatriated; five hundred acres Of
land to each family, building mate
rails, tools and even food. In this way
nearly nine million dollars were spent
In Canada before 1887. In addition
some nineteen million dollars were
paid for losses of property by the we'll
TODD on their claims for forty mil
lions. Among these were governors.
judges, councillors, commissioners, col
lege presidents and clergymen. After
all that was done for them they were
dissatisfied and unhappy In Canada
they were wretched; In England they
were disregarded and thrown back up
on the companionship OF the lower
classes. There was little left for them
but to drag out lonely existence to
the end of their days.-From John
Hancock" by Lorenzo Sears.