The Penn's Grove record., 1923-03-02
LIFE OF WASHINGTON

"For Gods sake then, my lords, let
the way be instantly opened for re-
Cancellation; | say instantly, or it
will be too late for ever. The Amer
"icans tell you, and remember it is
the language of the whole CONT
"nent-they tell you, they will never
Submit to be taxed without their own
"consent-They insist on a repeal of
your laws-they do not ask it as a
favour, they claim it is a right; they
demand it. And | tell you the acts
must be repealed, you cannot enforce
them. But bare repeal will not
satisfy this enlightened and spirited
people. What! satisfy them by re-
"pealing a bit of paper-by repeating
ga piece of parchment! No! you must
declare you have no right to tax
"them-then they may trust you
then they will confide in you-There,
ain America. Three millions of
ga formidable body! There are, |
ain England. And | hope the wings
ain both countries will join and make
"a common cause. They are united by
Iilc SIIOllRtSJ Ties VI StilllllCllC anu
Interest; and will therefore hope,
"fy to support their brethren. In
"this most alarming and distracted
estate of our affairs though born down
"by a cruel disease, | have erawled to
"this house, my lords, to give you my
"best advice, which is, to beseech his
majesty that orders may be instantly
dispatched to General Gage to re-
"move the troops from Boston-their
"presence is a source of perpetual ir-
irritation and suspicion to those people.
GLOW can they trust you, with the
"bayonet at their breasts? they have
"all the reason in the world to believe
"that you NEAR their death or slavery.
"Let us then set to this business in
"earnest-there is no time to be lost
"every moment is big with danger.
"Nay, while | am now speaking, the
decisive blow may be struck, and
millions involved in the dreadful con
sequences! The very first drop of
"blood that is drawn will make a
"wound perhaps eve to be healed
"a wound if such r%ancorous malignity,
"as will, in all probability, mortify the
"whole body, and hasten, both on
England and America, that dissolu-
"tion to which all nations are des-
"tined."A
Here Vas a speech, sufficient, n
would have thought, to stop the career
of the modest politicianS-but neither
this, nor the advice of Lord Camden,
nor the numerous and pathetic adj
dresses from London, Liverpool, and
Jamaica, could produce the least
change in the ministry. "Let the
Americans" caid Lord Cover with a
sheer, "sit talking about their natural
rights. and such stuff! we will send
them over a few regiments of grena-
diers to help their consultations!'
Thus high-toned was the language OF
ministry, and thus stoutly bent on the
submission of the Americans. Indeed,
in some instances, they would not
honour them so far as to give their
"humble petitions" a reading, but
consigned them to what the wing OPP
position pleasantly called, "the COM
mittee of oblivion"
The tea-taX, was of course, at any
rate to be collected. But as there
could be no tax without tea unless 1T
was sent, several ships of that OBJ
noxious weed were purposely pushed
off for America. Lord Fairfax hap
pened to be at Mount Vernon when
Washington received advice from a
friend in London that the tea ships
were about to sail-"Well, my Lord"
said he "and so the ships with the
g%un-powder tea, are, it seems, on their
way to America!"
"Well but, Colonel, why do you call
it gun-powder tea ?"
"Why, | am afraid my Lord" re-
piled Washington, cit will prove IN
1ammable, and produce an explosion
that shall shake both countries
The event correspondent with Wash
ington's prediction. Looked on as
sent to insult and enslave them, the
ships were everywhere received with
the heartiest curses of the people,
who quickly boarded them-in some
places furiously tumbling their frag-
rant cargoes into the flashing deep
in others, sternly ordering the cap
tains to depart, under penalty of be,
ing instantly tucked up to the yard
arms.
On the arrival of this news in
England. the countenance of the min
lister was dark with fury; and he pro-
ceeded, without delay, to mix up for
the colonies a cup of fiery indigna-
ton, of which Boston, it seems, was
to have the largest dose. AS that
most undutiful child had always led
off the dance in outrage and rebel
lion against the parent state, it was
determined that she should pay the
piper for old and new-that her purse
should answer for all the tea that had
been destroyed-that her %luXuriant
trade, which had made her so wanton,
should be taken from her-and that,
spite of her high looks and proud
stomach, she should sit on the stool
of repentance, until his gracious maj
esty, George III, should be pleased to
~onoun her pardon!
On the receipt of this intelligence
at Boston the passions of the people
flew up, five hundred degrees above
blood-heat! throughout the continent
the fever ragged with equal fury. The
colonies all eXtolled Boston for the
frmness with which she had asserted
her chartered rights-liberal contrib
utions were made for her relief-and
this ministerial attack on her liber-
ties, was considered an attack on the
liberties of the whole, which were now