The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1954-02-27

y
seed Of Freedoms Tree"
Thomas Campbell
MAYFLOWER paleface des-
cendants once boosted "hrst"
pioneer crossing to America on
the famous ship, until one day
a Colored citizen declared his
people came here on the same
boat. The Yankees continued
to call themselves American
FirSters until Will Rogers said
quietly, "Weil, 1 reckon my an
cestors were here to meet yours
when they landed"
FLAG WAVING is not parti-
cularly an American custom, be-
ing far more common among
dictatorS abroad. Nobody waved
more flags than the cohorts of
Mussolini. Hitler and Stain.
In the U. S, A. such un-Ameri-
can organizations as the Ku
Klux Khan, German Bund,
Dixiecrat Rebels and Commu-
nists Party all draped them
selves in the American Flag.
The flag has been exploited by
many politicians. 1t is being
exploited bp Republicans to-day.
PATRIOTISM is generally
best exemplified by men who
fight against oppression. Some
early Colonial Patriots emerged
from POLITICAL oppression.
But In each instance these
various Patriots were lighting
for the same thing; the ex-
pressed or implied freedoms in
our American Declaration and
Constitution.
COLONIAL FREEMEN Of color
existed in the Americas from
the very early days, especially
in New England. Many won
their freedom for merit or SER
vice during the Indian wars.
Others were encouraged by the
British who offered Army SER
vice or Canada as a refuge.
Fearing the British plan, some
American colonies voted to &C
cept colored freelnen for Army
and Navy service, an offer later
ertended to those in bondage.
MANPoWER SHORTAGE in
the early colonies necessitated
changes in previous color bar"
policy. AS early as 1852 the
Massachusetts law required
Colored, Indian, ard scotclmen
then refugees, to serve in the
State Militia to ward of Indian
raids. BY the 170O's the colonies
we're forced to recruit almost
anyone and Gen. Washington
endured one of the most frus-
trating Army recruiting cpl
Sodes in U. S. history.
CRISPUS ATTUCKS, a q yr
old U:2 ColOred mulatto, clad
in buckskin breeches, checkered
wooden shirt and bearskin coat,
daringly engineered his escape
from a Mr.. William Brown OF
birmingham on Sept. 30, 1853
with a view of Joining the In
dependence groups and thus
become a free citizen. For six
months (Sept. to march,, Girls
lived his only and precious
years as a tree American. Ger
tainly his is q story for a
great Hollywood film.
BOSTONTOWN during these
six precious months Of At
tucks freedom was, of course
a powder-keg OF rebelliouS spirit
against the British troop oc-
cupation of the Bay State. On
March 5, ITO when the Bri-
fish sent Capt. Prescott to put
down the rebellion, 1t was Girls
so Attacks (now a freemanl who
led the charge of the Patriots
and was FIRST to fall, igniting
the spark which led to Ameri-
can Independence six years
later, July 4th, ITS.
TAN YANKS certainly should
advocate holiday hOnors" foi
at least one Of three early Co
lOnial Patriots (Attucks, Peter
Salem, HamiIton). Salem fought
with valor in the freedom wal
which followed Attacks. And
Hamilton, of mixed Colored-
Scotch ancestry, also fought In
the war and It was Hamilton
who helped arrange the first
Constitution convention, also
establish the q. s. Bank and
Coast Guard. He was first Sc
cretary Treasury.
--
TOUGH GUY