New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-04
SOME AMERICAN MYTHS
Modern Criticism of the Boston Tea Psty
and Paul Reveres Ride
To The Editor Of The Tribune.

he was born in Massachusetts (of fsnily
probably not long seated there) takes oec,
sion 70 snimadvert on the speech Of ",
Francis Lynde Stetson descended from q,
old Massachusetts, family at the dinner ~
the New England Society on December %
Mr.. Moore's knowledge Of our history \, eyi.
IDENTIFY obtained from the school historic,
that well-intentioned persons have WRITE,
with the laudable purpose Of intoxicating
patriotism rather than OF disseminating
knowledge. Replying TO Mr. Moore serI.
alum:
/. The Boston Tea Party was resen,men.
at the first attempt TO monopoize trade Our
people were engaged in smuggling with
the conniyance Of the customs officers. v.
used the Dutch East India tea brought fro-
st. Eustatius. The British East India Com.
pany had seventeen million pounds OF Tea +,
their warehouses; to relieve this COMPANY
the duty on tea was reduced from one
shilling a pound 10 threepence; 70 did no,
pay to smuggle tea to evade this small dut7
and to add TO this the tea for Boston va;
consigned to three firms: r. Clark & Sor
(Mr. Clark was the father-n-law Of John
Singleton Copley); Joshua Wnsow. and
BENJAMIN Faneuil. and two sons Of Governor
Hutchinson.
The merchants who were not in this com.
bine resented this monopoly Of The tea trade
Their clerks and some young fellows ripe for
lark made a pretence Of Disgusting them.
selves and threw the tea overheard. All or
the participants were known. and some were
prescribed later for being loyalists. The act
was generally approved. One finds the
names Of very few college graduates among
the Massachusetts, patriots: the only Win
throp was in the British navy.
2 Paul Revere owes his fame 10 long.
fellows poem rather than 20 his deed,
Briefly: The Committee Of Safety kept two
messengers, William Dawes and Paul Re.
we're, on the Charlestown side Of the river
ready to ride and alarm the inhabitants on
the roads between Boston and Concord when
the British got ready 10 march on Concord
20 destroy or capture the stores collected
there. When the lantern showed in tho
church steeple the two men mounted snl
rode Revere to Lincoln, a village about ten
miles from Boston, and Dawes 20 Concord
about seventeen miles out.
At Concord Dr. Prescott brother 10 Colo
mel William Prescott Of Bunker Hll fame
took the message to Groton. seventeen miles
further on. Later. Revere became a lieu
tenant colonel in the Massachusetts militia.
was tried b. court-martial and dismissed
for misconduct on the Penobscot expedition
in 1879 -reinstated in 1881. Dawes not hsv-
ing a name that lends itself 10 poetry, that
Of Revere was substituted when Longfellow
was looking for an incident TO work up for .
banquet in 1868.
2. Mr.. Moore has the efFrontery 20 link
Hancock's name with that Of Washington.
Washington's name viii shine with glory as
long as we remain a nation; his IS tho finest
public character Of whom the world has
record. Hancock. with the two Adamses.
sought in every way to undermine Washing
tons influence during the war. They were al
the bottom Of every intrigue TO displace ana
suppant him. Hancock even asplred 10 me
command of the army.
The sights and dscouragements endurc
By Washington would have driven one WIZ
less persistent courage to abandon ~ha
looked like hopeless cause Hancock boz
rowed money from his friend Harrison Ora
which he refused to repay because Gray. BE-
ing a lovalist. had no standing IN court haa
cock was defsulting treasurer Of Haryart
College $4,000 lSee Josiah Quincy, ms
tory of Harvard College, Hancock spent
large fortune to obtain public Offices for
which he was particularly united.
Mr. Moore writes from a hyphenated point
Of view. He assumes that the Angio-SaXon
Americans are in a minority IN this country
This is unlikely: but even If n were true
We are the dominant race. Those VINO come
70 this country must learn our language
We do not learn theirs.
Great Britain has always stood by US
when we were in pinch, and We have slool
nv her. In the words of Commodore atnah
when he stood in between the Chinese ioH'
in 1857 and British ship that had run
aground. although he was merely ueutral
observer. Blood is thicker than water
During our Civil War, when The cotton
mills Of England were compelled 20 stop run
ming for lack Of cotton and the operatives
we're starving. England refused 10 JOIN me
Emperor Napoleon I'll in recognizing ths
South. 49,.
In 1898 the German Emperor wished Greal
Britain to Join him in behalf Of Spain Ire"
Britain refused.
Admiral Won Dederichs sailed into Nanu'
Bay supposing that he was the new Go'erno,
Of the Philippines. Admiral Dewey prepared
for action. il necessary. and Captain 'o'
chester. Of the British Navy, drew in along
side and notified Dewey that We stood 70,
gether. The German admiral steamed out o.
the harbor. 49,.
We. surely owe something TO the land ron
which we sprang. England suggested q,
1921. through Mr.. Canning. that England sne
the United States should enter into an ai".
ance TO protect the revolted Spanish COLONIES
from European acquisition. Mr. Monroe ~
nIied that our traditional policy wa.
aFriendship for all and alliance With none,
but the suggestion was in accordance VII.
our ideas and he would embody b. IN his nsN,
message TO Congress This Is the orgIn 10
the Monroe Doctrine, promulgated m le-o'
ROBERT W LEONARD
Nj Kisco, ~ Y, Dec. 30, 1915.