The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-05-10
from the 1urQesses.

feeding: but his arrival made little dr.
ference. The Burgesses smiled to see
him come to open their session of
r769 with pageant OF coach and elk
brave display of royal insignia, and
The manner Of sovereign meeting
Parliament: and turned from him al
most in contempt to denounce once
more the course of the ministers,
argue again the rights Of America, de.
clare they would draw the colonies
together In concerted opposition, and
cali upon the other colonies to concur
With them alike In their principles
Rnd%in their purpose-
OFT With the Governor.
Botehomt came hot foot to dissolve
them; but they only shifted their
place Of meeting, gathered again at
the private house Of ME-. Anthony Hay.
and there resolved no longer to i'm
port the things which Parliament had
taxed In despite OF them. George Ma
son had drawn the resolutions, at
Washington's request, and Washing
ton himself presented them.
Mason's thought had fastened very
far along the path of opposition under
the whip of Eng1and's policy; and
Washington's quite as far.
The government had not only sent
troops to Boston and dissolved every
assembly that protested, but had ad-
vised the king to press prosecutions
for treason in the colonies, and,
should there be deemed sufficient
ground, transport the accused to Eng
land to be tried by special commits.
sion.
Hot outburst from Virginia.
It was this last measure that had
provoked the Burgesses to their hot
test outburst. AT a time when our
lordly masters In Great Britain will
be satisfied with nothing less than
the deprivation of American freedom"
wrote Washington to Mason. with q
sudden burst of passion, 1T seems
highly necessary that something
should be done to avert the stroke,
and maintain the liberty which w
have derived from our ancestors.
That no man should scrup}e, or hest
tate a moment, to use arms in de-
fence of SO valuable blessing, on
which all the good and evil Of life
depends, is clearly my opinion. Yet
arms, would beg leave to add. should
be the last resource"
Addresses to the throne and remon
strances to Parliament had failed; II
remained to try starving their trades
and manufactures" to SEQ if that al
last would arrest their attention. Nc
doubt even that would prove of it'll,
avail; but It was at least peaceabla
and worth the trial.
Washington on His Feet. '''-
The next month, accordingly. he goa
unhesttating1y to his feet in the prt
vate meeting Of the Burgesses at Mr.
Hays and moved George Masona
resolutions; nor did he forget to sub
scribe his quota to the fund which
was to defray the expenses Of the las
ISOLATION there formed
The next evening he attended the
"Queen's Bith-Night.' at the palace
with the same naturainess of demean
or and frankness OF dealing towards
the governor as before. Botetourt
was not all show and ga1lantry, but
was genuine man at bottom. He
had come to Virginia thinking the
co}onists pleasure-loving people who
could be taken by display and cajoled
by hospitality; he had been told they
were such In London.
A Manly Governor.
But he knew his mistake almost Al
soon as he had made it; and was
prompt, even while he upheld preroga
tive, to do what he could to deal with
them in a liberal and manly spirit. He
had acquiesoed very heartily at the
outset Of his administration In a. de.
cision Of the council that writs of as.
sistance could not legally be issued in
Virgfnia-for the process had been
tried there too. He made such repre-
sensations with regard to the state OF
the colony to the ministers at home
as were both just and wise: was as
sured In reply that the ministers were
willing to make every necessary con
cession; pledged his word In Virgins
that there should be q substantial
change Of policy; and died the soon
er October Is, ITO because tho gov
eminent would not, after all, redeem
his promises.
IT, A Doubtful Compliment.
m ''Your governor is becoming very
! popular, as we are told here" wrote
4 Arthur Lee to his brother. from Lon
don, "and have the worst proof OF
Y It in the increased orders for f1neriee
from the 1adies.'' Virg1nians did moi
Il ind it easy to break IN immemorial
ii habit IN order to starve the Enxlish
/ tsades and manufactures: and it wa
4 more than once necessary to urge and
5&sensW the non improvisation agreements
he auaG the B11sssses and mer,
ii at and ~ unaana
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