Evening star., 1930-12-16
BOSTON TEA PARTY
DATE THRILLS D. C.
Citizens of Capital in Position
of Those Who Founded.
the Nation.
BY JESSE C. suTER,

IN no way can the true spirit of the
underlying principles Of the American
Government better be absorbed than
through contemplation of the thrilling
episodes which led up to its establish
naent. It was Just such an event that
occurred exactly 157 years ago tonight.
On December 16, 1773, the Boston Tea
Party, that most famous Of all tea
parties, was held. Probably no more
picturesque or dramatic incident is to
be found in our e-Revolutionary his
tory. There is likewise no historic ia
Cident which applies with greater force
to the votelesS and unrepreSented in
mates of the District of Columbia.
As school children the study OF TINS
incident thrilled US with patriotic pride
and fred our imagination. In our ma
tlrer years we find that the story has
lost none of its thrill or fascination. 1t
dg both pleasant and wholesome for us
votelesS and unrepresented Americans
to 60 back in our imagination to that
bleak December night. Let us follow
the crowd and then watch from the
shore as the tea chests are broken open
and the contents dumped into the dark
waters Of Boston Harbor. And as we
watch It really seems 50 natural to sim
ply be onlookers, for in all matters OF
government it appears to be the lot OF
District people to simply watch and
pay. But to get back to our story.
Arrival Of Tea CargOes.
In November, a77S, there arrived in
Boston Harbor cargoeS Of, tea, upon
which the English had levied a duty
against the protest of the American
colonists. Under the Boston port laws
ct that time cargo not cleared at the
cslstomhouse within 40 days was liable
60 be seized and conflscated by the reve-
nue. officers for the duty. The Boston
town meeting. In frequent session At
this time refused to permit the tea 70
Be landed The captains OF the vessels
were ready to leave the harbor, but the
British admiral declared that he would
sink the ships II they attempted to
leave. On the last. day of grace the
town meeting once more overran ran.
eEil Hall and adjourned to the OLD
South Meeting House. During this
meeting q messenger returned from the
Governor Of the colony with the intor-
nation that that official refused to issue
q pess permitting the ships to sail.
Upon receiving this report Samuel
Adams. the ufesident Of the town meet
ing, announced: This meeting can DO
nothing further to save the country"
and the meeting adjourned. AS the
meeting broke up, from the OUTSIDE
there was heard the sctfhe OF many feet,
accompanied by an Indian war Nhoop
and cry, "Hurrah for Gridon wharf
The Boston Ffarbor q teapot tonightt
Meeting House and followed Q long nle
q what appeared to he Mohawk In
dams in their march. to Grtnon's
wharf. These Indians" with faces
faltastically painted, feathers in their
hair and wearing blankets, each carried
q hatchet. When the wharf was
reached the "Mohawks'' boarded the
from the shore the chests of tea were
brought on deck, broken open with
hatchets and contents dumped into the
salt water Of the harbor. For TWO
hours these proceedings continued, the
people on the shore watching, unmino-
ful of the cold December night. The
next morning, as one writer sseCes y.
aS For many Ssurs enc identity 81 she3
alleged Moiiawrs was sl1rOuded Ia flysS
terry, but It eventually became anoHT
that the 90 'Tudtanss came from a0@'
called North End Caueus9 . band OF
stalwart, daring and fearless mechanics
who met at the Green Dragon Tavern
under the leadership Of such men g
Joseph Warren, John Hancock Paul
Revere and other patriots,
Tea Psrty's Song.
Ths following old Revolutionary ditty,
said to have been the raliying song Of
the tea party at the Green dragon
Tavern, Is significant.
sRally, Mohawksl Bring out your
axes!
And tell King George wen pay no
On his foreign tea.
his threats are vain; he need not think
TO force our wives and girls 70 drink
His vile Boheal
Then rally, boys, and hasten on
10 meet our chiefs at the Green Dragon.
~Our warren's there and bold Revere
with hands to do and words to cheer
For liberty and laws.
Our country's braves and hrm defenders
Ghall ne'er be left by true North Enders,
Fighting Freedoms causel
Then rally, boys, and hasten on
70 meet our chiefs at the Green
Dragon"
You doubtless recall the thrilling in
eddents leading up to the Boston Tea
Party-the stamp act, the Boston mas.
sacre-and the various attempts to use
the colonies as q source Of revenue TO
help take care Of the heavy English
public debt There seems TO have been
no disposition on the part Of the colo
ton or other obligation TO the mother
country. They were, however, firmly
grounded in the belief that there should
Be no taxation by Parliament IN which
they had no representation. They de-
elared emphatically that taxation with
out representation is tyranny" OF
course, the English idea of representa-
ton was somewhat different from that
Of the colonists. In fact, there was
assoh q rnarkad difference hafVreon the
two ideas Of representation that to the
English the American objection seemed
foolish The English believed that a
representative from any part OF Eng
land represented the whole nation and
that the American colonists, being
part Of England, were consequently rep
resented. The colonists idea was that
SD must be residents OF the same dis
&r1ct. The voters Of any district had
the right to send one Of their own citi-
Bens TO any assembly IL they were to be
represented.
The other colonies made forceful pro-
test In various ways against these same
obnoxious tax laws, but the event in
Boston Harbor on December l6, 1173,
had the most pronounced effect on the
English government. and led to further
expressions, thereby hastening the day
Of complete separation from the mother
country.
Citizens Here Give Aid
In our meditation on this historic
anniversary it Is well for us to remem-
bsr that the FIRST TO respond with relief
for Boston after the imposition Of the
heavy penalty for the tea party were the
people Of this section of Maryland, Of
which the District was then o part.
This District was then part Of Fred