USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of its prominent men, Volume I pt 1 > Part 15
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In the meantime. between the period of hesitation and hope, indi cated by the Pittsfield " instructions," and that when some good and true whigs began to fear that their radical brethren were going too far, there came an interval when there was neither time for hesitation not found for hope, except in patriotic arms. In this interval the gloom of indignation against the tyranny which the king and Parliament combined to impose upon the province, and the evident pressing necessity of resisting it at once, at any cost and in all its details, united all Massachusetts men who were not ready to forever " prostrate themselves at the foot of the throne, " however he who sat upon it might spurn them. News of the infamous Boston Port Bill reached Berkshire by the middle of May. 1774. Early in June the Boston committee received, and at oner sent through the province, news of the almost certain passage Of Parliament of the acts "for the better regulating the government of Massachusetts Bay" and " for the impartial administration of justice in the same"
These acts involved not only an entire abrogation of the charter of the province, but the ravishing from its inhabitants of all the dearest rights of British citizens. Under the new laws councillors created by royal mandamus and the superior judges appointed by His Majesty's governor of the province, held office during the king's pleasure. Allother officers, judicial, executive, and military were appointed by the governor independently of the council, and. except the sheriff's, who could only be displaced by consent of the council men removable by the same sole authority. The government's appointing power a grievous domain of corruption even with the checks provided by King William's chiefer- now combined with the new right of rensoval, was fearfully augmented.
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Town meetings, the strongholds of freemen, which had become the dread and detestation of the royalists, were now permitted to be held only for the election of municipal officers and representatives in the General Court, and their actions were restricted to the mere casting of the neces. sary ballots. Special meetings were allowed only with license first had of the governor, designating what matter alone they might consider The selection of jurors previously made, as now, by the selvetmen. with the ratification of the legal voters, was transferred to the king's sheriff's Persons accused of treason against the Crown, or. like the soldiers impli. cated in the Boston massacre, with murder committed in der support of the royal authority of the orders of the king's officers were to be trans- ported to England for trial. Every safeguard of liberty was abrogated Nothing whatever in the perverted constitution interposed between the people's rights and the sovereign's will: for the House of Representatives was reduced to utter impotence by the governor's inexhaustible preroga tive of prorogation, dissolution, and unqualified veto, and by the inde- pendence of its appropriations of himself and the judges, who, by still another innovation received their salaries directly from the crown.
Had the people of Massachusetts submitted, even for a time, as some of their previous leaders advised, to laws like these, they would have accepted absolute and probably perpetual despotism on the part of their milers, and servitude on their own part. But the news that their enact ment was even probable aroused not only the men of Massachusetts hint of all the colonies, so that on the 20th of June the Boston Gazelle was able to announce " the aspect of affairs highly favorable. the whole continent seeming inspired by one soul, and that a rigorous and determined one." Never was newspaper paragraph penned with grunder significance than that which was concentrated in these few words. Hvad the statement which it makes been otherwise than true -- had " the soul of the whole continent " been submissive and cowed rather than " rigor- ous and determined " -the world's history would have been turned back. ward, or, at the least, long checked in its advance toward its " hetter future." The freed peoples of the world thank God to day that this newspaper assertion was true; and we can claim, with convincing evidence. that of no part of " the continent " was it more fully and strikingly true than of the county of Berkshire, which was selected by the Massachusetts patriots to be the first to utterly refuse submission to the unconstitutional acts of Parliament. As the Massachusetts towns received information of the coming attacks upon their liberties they, almost without exception. declared their determination to resist and maintain them. Int not often without a few dissenting voices. The counties hold "congressos" of deputies from their towns to consider " the alarming state of public affairs " and. in language generally bold and explicit as to their resolved purpose to preserve their chartered rights, assumed the position which they held until they made a still finther advance toward Anterimon inilo- pendence. Berkshire may well be proud that she was the first-and.
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considering the rapidity with which events followed each other in the summer of 1774, by a long interval the very first-to deliberately and formally take this stand and put its act on record.
The Berkshire Congress convened at Stockbridge. July 6th, 1771. and continued two days. The next in order of time was the Worcester. which met August 9th, but did not teach decisive action until August 30th. The other counties followed in September. The Berkshire depu- ties were as follows, as recorded :
Shefield-John Ashley, Esq. Captain Nathaniel Austin. Detcon Silas Kellogg, Mr. Theodore Sedgwick, Captain William Day, Mr. William Bacon, Dr. Lemuel Barnard.
Great Barrington-Mark Hopkins, Esq .. Dr. William Whiting. Mr. Truman Wheeler.
Egremont -- Mr. Ephraim Fitch, Captain Timothy Kellogg, Mr. Samuel Culver.
Stockbridge-Timothy Edwards, Esq., Jableel Woodbridge, E.g .. Samuel Brown, jr., Esq., Mr. Thomas Williams, Dr. Erastus Sergeant.
Lenox-Messrs. Caleb Hyde, Captain Edward Gray, Lemuel Collins, John Patterson, William Walker.
West Stockbridge -- Messrs. Elisha Hooper. Benjamin Lewis.
Alford-Messrs. Ebenezer Barritt, Deodate Ingersoll, William Brunson.
Richmond-Captain Elisha Brown, Lientenant David Rossiter. Mr. Nathaniel Wilson.
Pittsfield-John Brown, Esq., Deacon James Easton. John Strong.
Lanesborough-Messrs. Gideon Wheeler, Peter Curtiss. Francis Guiteau.
Jericho [Hancock]-Captain Asa Douglass.
Williamstown-Messrs. Robert Hawkins, Elisha Baker, Jacob Meach.
East Hoosuck [ Adams]-Mr. Eliel Todd.
Sandisfield-Messrs. Jacob Brown, David Deming.
Partridgefield [ Pern]-Mr. Nathan Fisk.
Hartwood [ Washington] -- Messis. William Spencer and Moves Ashley.
Becket-Messrs. Nathaniel Kingsley. Peter Porter, Jonathan Wadsworth.
New Marlboro-Messis. Elihu Wright, Jabez Ward, Noah Church. Zenas Wheeler, Ephraim Gnitean.
Tyringham -- Messes. Giles Jackson, Benjamin Warner. Ezekiel Herrick.
All the towns in the county, then incorporated, were represented of cept Loudon Ctis and Gageborough Windsor, and there were depaties from East Howsne (Adams and North Adams) and Jericho HancockY. then plantations or naincorporated districts.
The action of the Congress was " prended by an animated prayer
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by Rev. Mr. West of Stockbridge," better known to later generations as Rev. Dr. West. He was a man of ardent temperament, and of strong political as well as religious convictions : but he was of mature years. having been chaplain at Fort Massachusetts as long previous as 1779, and he was held in high regard by the friends of American liberties of all shades of opinion and feeling as to the measures proper to be taken for the protection of those liberties. If we interpret the language of ily record correctly, his "animated prayer" preceded the organization of the convention, which would have accorded with the spirit of the age ; and the faith which he manifested in the justice of the periodic cause, and the divine support which it would receive, must have gone far to strengthen that of the Congress, and inspire the muanimons action which it took.
John Ashley was chosen chairman of the Congress, ail Themlire Sedgwick clerk, both being deputies from Sheffield, and both law yers Ashley, however, had not devoted himself much to his profession, being a man of property. He had morever been one of the judges of the Bork shire Court of Common Pleas from the creation of the county, in Tiel. and was colonel of militia, both appointments coming from the royal governor. Six years before he had taken a course which excited the its of the whigs of the whole province, and especially that of some of his own constituents. In February, 1768. the General Court of Massacima setts addressed a circular letter to all the sister colonies, asking them to unite in measures to oppose the aggressions of the mother country. Under orders from the home government Governor Bernard required the General Court to rescind this letter. Ninety two members of thi mos con- tumacious body utterly refused to rescind, seventeen voted to comply with the governor's demand, and at once became ations throughout the prot- ince as ". Rescinders." Among those thus opprobrionsly designated wop two judges of the Berkshire Court. William Williams, of Pittsfield, and John Ashley, who represented Sheffield. Great Barrington, and Euro- mont. Both were reelected the following year. although Ashley's des tion greatly disgusted the Great Barrington whigs .* Six years passel and we find Judge Ashley at the head of a Congress whose very existemen the British government considered treasonable, and Judge Williams in ut least an equivocal position. There can be no better illustration of the change which was going on in the minds of men who had everything at stake upon the issue of the contest, a contest which was at the same thing changing from a very sharp political agitation to a desperate conflict have tween the forces of despotism and liberty.
Theodore Sedgwick was almost at the beginning of the public camper which carried him to the highest offices in Massachusetts, and to the in- timate friendship of Washington and other of the best men of the mother! but he was already thing one years old, and had been in the practice of the law for nine years. Like Judge Blog, los was Intended a eu- Taylor.
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servative temperament, which speedily manifested itself, and in time became his most prominent characteristic as a public man. Among the deputies was Thomas Williams, of Stocktridge, a nephew of Colonel Ephraim Williams, the founder of Williams College, a lawyer who, like Mr. Sedgwick, had been with him a student in the office of Colonel Mark Hopkins of Great Barrington, who now met them in the Congress : pre. ceptor and pupils alike being governed by the great principle of English constitutional law, and alike determined to assert and defend them as the birthright of themselves and their fellow colonists. As the deputies named were, so in all essential points was the County Congress as a whole. men to whom it was safe to entrust the all-important interests which their constituents confided to them at this most critical and decisive junte- ture. They were for the most part, and perhaps invariably, men of sub stance and as little biased as any who could have been found by selfish motives or the passions of the hour. We shall find several of those not named above distinguished afterward in active service. There can be no doubt that all fully appreciated the gravity of the situation, and the tremendous responsibility which they assumed in taking the first step which led to revolution and independence. However little some of them anticipated these grand results at this initial moment, they then mani fested the spirit which would inevitably bring them about. Their action. cautions and elaborately conformed to loyalty as it was, pledged them to this if constitutional means of redress for the past and security for the future failed. We give that action in full.
A committee consisting of Messrs. Williams. Sedgwick, Curtiss. Brown, and Hopkins -- all lawyers except Mr. Curtiss of Lanesborongh= reported the following series of resolutions ;
" Resolved, That King George the Third is our rightful king, and that we will bear true allegiance to him.
" Resolved, That the inhabitants of his majesty's colonies in America are justly entitled to all the rights and liberties that the inhabitants of Great Britain are en. titled to, which rights have been particularly confirmed to the inhabitants of this province by charter.
" Resolved, That it is one of the grand rights and liberties of the said inhalft. ants of Great Britain that they cannot constitutionally be deprived of their property but by their own consent.
" Resolved, That the late act of the British Parliament for giving and granting to his majesty, a duty upon all teas imported from Great Britain to America, which duty, by said act, is made payable here for the purpose of raising a revenue, was made without the consent of the inhabitants of America, whereby their property is taken from them without their consent, and therefore ought to be opposed in all legal and prudent ways.
" Resolved, That it is an undoubted right of the inhabitants of said colonies, in all actions, to be tried by their peers of the vicinity; and therefore that all these sets of the British Parliament, that anyway respect the collecting the duties atoresaid. where by the trui by jury is taken away, or whereby the ancient trial by jury is th any way altered, are unconstitutional and oppressive.
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" Resolved, That whenever any franchise and liberties are granted to a corpora- tion or body politic, those franchises and liberties cannot be legally taken from such corporations and bodies politic, but by their consent or by forfeiture; that the in- habitants of this province have many great and invaluable franchises and liberties granted them by charter; which franchises and liberties have not been forfeited or resigned by said inhabitants; that by the late acts of the British Parli ment some of the most valuable of these franchises and liberties are taken from them without even the form of a trial; Therefore.
" Resolved, That it is the indispensable duty of every person who would preserve to himself and posterity the inestimable blessings of liberty, by all constitupopal means in his power to endeavor to avert the much dreaded consequences of these arbitrary and oppressive acts; and that, for this purpose, it is prudent for the inhabit- ants of the said colonies to enter into an agreement not to purchase or consunie the manufactures of Great Britain, under such limitations and exceptions as shall be agreed upon; and that such a non-consumption agreement is neither unwarraninble, hostile, traitorous, nor contrary to an allegiance to the king, but tends to promote the peace, good order, and safety of the community."
The resolutions thus presented, after being " maturely considered." were unanimously adopted. paragraph by paragraph.
Timothy Edwards, Esq .. Dr. Lemuel Barnard. Dr. Erastus Sergeant, and Deacon James Easton were appointed a committee to draft "an agreement to be recommended to the towns in the county for the non com sumption of British manufactures." The medical profession was as well represented upon this committee as the law was in the first, and all its members were men of very high standing in their respective localities. Timothy Edwards was the oldest son of Jonathan Edwards, the great theological metaphysician. Afterward he was an able, active, and in fluential member of the Provincial Congress and of the executive coffneil in the years when it was the supreme executive power of the State. And it is not out of place to say here that the representatives of the town of Stockbridge for many years had much greater moral influence at Boston than those of any other Berkshire town. They were, for the most part. as conservative as those from the metropolis itself. and as able. If the memoir of Timothy Edwards were fully and accurately told he would rank among the foremost public men in Berkshire history. All his associates upon the committee were men of high position, of calm jude ment, prudent men, with no motive for inviting unecessary danger of provoking any conflict which would disturb the established order of society.
We give now the solenn league and covenant which the judicious committee reported, and which the congress unanimously recommended for the signature of the citizens of the county.
" Whereas the parliament of Great Britain have of date undertaken to give and grant away our money without our knowledge of consent; and in order to compelas to a servile submission to the above measures, Have proceeded to block up the Bar. bur of Boston; also have vacated, or are about to vackte, the latter, and repeal certain laws of this province heretofore enacted by the General Court, and confirmed
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by the King and his predecessors; therefore as a mean to obtain a speedy redress of the aforesaid grievances, we do, solemnly and in good faith, covenant and engage with each other:
" I .- That we will not import, purchase, or consulte, or suffer any person by, or for, us to import, purchase, or consume in any manner whatever, any goods, wares, or merchandise, which shall arrive in America from Great Britain from and gifter the Ist day of October, 1774, or such other time as shall be agreed upon Us the Artery. can Congress, nor any goods, which shall be ordered from thenice, after this day. until our chartered and constitutional rights shall be restored, or until it shall be de. termined by the major part of our brethren in this and the neighboring colonies that a non-importation and non-consumption agreement will not have a tendency to effect the desired end, or until it shall be apparent that a non-importation and non con. sumption agreement will not be entered into by a majority of this and the neighbor. ing colonies; except such articles as the said General Congress of North America shall agree to import, purchase, or consume.
" II .- We do further covenant and agree, that we will observe the most strict olie. dience to all constitutional laws, and authority, and will at all times exert ourselves to the utmost for the discouragement of all licentiousness and suppression of all mots and riots.
"III .-- We will all exert ourselves, as far as in us lies, in promoting love, peace, and unanimity among each other; and for that end we engage to avoid all unnieces. sary law suits.
"IV .- As a strict and proper adherence to the present agreement will, if ni! seasonably provided against, involve us in many difficulties and inconveniences; we do promise and agree that we will take the most prudent care for the rising and preserving sheep for the manufacturing of all such cloths as shall be most useful and necessary; for the raising of flax and manufacturing of linens. Further, that we will by every prudent method, endeavor to guard against all those inconveniences which may otherwise arise from the foregoing agreement.
"V .- That, if any person shall refuse to sign this or a similar covenant or if. after signing it, shall not adhere to the real intent and meaning thereof, he or tory shall be treated with that neglect justly deserved.
" VI .- That if this or a similar covenant shall after the first day of August next be offered to any trader or shop- keeper in this county, and he or they shall refuse to sign the same, for the space of forty eight hours, that we will not, from thenice forth, purchase any article of British manufactures, from him or them, until such time as he or they shall sign this or a similar covenant."
This draft was "read several times distinctly, paragraph by para- graph, and accepted." but the record does not state that, as in the case of the resolutions, the vote was unanimous. Probably there were a very few dissenting votes, but it would be difficult now to determine what cast them.
The Congress, after taking this decisive action, voted " in deference to the resolves of the recent House of Representatives, in imitation of the pions example of the Reverend pastors of the associated churches in the town of Boston, and from a source of their dependence non Got an every mercy" recommended a county fast to be observed by Chrisfalls
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of all denominations on the 14th of July, or one week after its adjourn. ment. It also voted that the members should inform their respective pas tors of this vote ; and should also commend the distressed situation of the poor of Boston and Charleston to the inhabitants of the county, and that whatever should be collected for them should be remitted in the fall in fat cattle by such ways and means as should be afterward agreed upon.
The league and covenant quoted above was the first formally recom- mended by any Massachusetts county to its towns, and among the first framed in any of the provinces. It affords a fair idea of these famous and formidable instruments which Governor Gage " deemed of sach per- nicions influence " that he was constrained. as he wrote to the home gor- ernment, to publish without loss of time a proclamation to prevent their ill effects as far as possible. Proclamations were his excellency's forte. but in the conflict of paper weapons, as between him and the congresses, they were of no avail. Some of these covenants frame } about the same time with that of Berkshire, even as far away as North Carolina and Vir ginia, were much more extended and stringent. Curiously, but consist ently enough with the spirit of that day, in Virginia some of its counties vigorously declared African slavery hostile to the interests of that prov ince, particularly in the matter of manufactures, denounced the slave trade as " wicked, cruel, and unnatural," and pledged the signers of the covenant not to import or buy slaves. Berkshire took no action upon slavery at that time, but a few years afterward in convention demanded that it should be abolished in Massachusetts by the constitution then about to be framed. As new and stricter forms of the league sai cose nant were recommended by the provincial and continental congresses they were promptly adopted by the Berkshire towns, as were all other mars- ures recommended by those bodies, whose advice had all the efect of laws.
The proceedings of the County Congress need no comment to enable the reader fully and clearly to comprehend the position of the body of the population of Berkshire in this crisis, when a great public necessity required them as a county to be firm and foremost in action. We have given those proceedings fully as they appear of record ; but there can be little doubt that while it was assembled, a measure of the utmost impet ance, recommended by the Revolutionary leaders at Boston, was discussed and agreed upon by the radical members of the congress at least. Ml though not mentioned in its debates it soon became known, for on the Ist of August Colonel Israel Williams, Colonel Worthington of Spring field concurring, in a letter to Governor Gage welcoming his arrival at Boston, wrote to him that they were " well informed " that there was an intention to prevent the holding for the next ensuing term of the court in Berkshire in case the royal assent was given to certain bills ; and that the same thing was threatened in Hampshire. Headds: " Even the people in Connecticut have undertaken to reform the laws in their province and
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chastise the king's subjects within your excellency's jurisdiction. No attempts that we hear are made by the magistrates of that colony to sup- press the disorders and insurrections. Every measure pursued seems to be with a view to insult Majesty and widen the breach between us and the parent state ; and even to dare the vengeance of the supreme outlook. ity of the British Empire in America, which withont some immediate powerful interposition will. it is to be feared, soon be feo de-sr."
Colonel Williams in this case fully confirmed the reputation he had acquired in the French and Indian wars for obtaining remarkably ac. curate information. The statements and prophecies quoted were soon found to be perfectly correct. But the warning was in vain, and would have been if he had been longer in his seat and had longer time for prep aration.
The next County Conrt to be held in the province after the time when it was expected that the acts for the perversion of the charter would be received was that at Great Barrington, on the 16th of August. On the 4th of that month a county convention was held at Pittsfield, of the membership of which we know nothing, and of the action of which we can only form a guess from what followed. On the 15th, only one day before that for the meeting of the court, the town of Pittsfield. being called together for that purpose. promptly accepted that action, and pro- ceeded to choose Captain Charles Goodrich, William Francis, and the moderator. Deacon Josiah Wright, a committee " to prefer a petition to the Honorable court not to transact any business the present term." This committee were all men of the eminently judicious class, whose opinions had great weight with all thoughtful men. Always true to the principles of the Revolution and bold in the defense of them, they were prononneed conservatives. Dr. Timothy Childs and Mr. John Strong, who were ap- pointed to draft the resolutions, were younger men and somewhat more impetuous. Dr. Childs was born in Deerfield in 1748, entered Harvard College in 1764, but left without graduating. and, after studying medicine with Dr. Thomas Williams, settled in Pittsfield in 1771. He was an ar dent patriot, inheriting his principles from his father of the same name who led the minute men of Deerfield when they responded to the Lexing. ton alarm. Mr. Strong was a graduate of Yale College and one of the early Pittsfield school teachers. At this time he kept a tavern in the building which, remodelled and much enlarged. has since been long known as the " Pomeroy Homestead." During the Revolution he be. came a captain in the local militia, and saw much active service on occasions which Bancroft and other general historians now recognize as memorable. From first to last he was among the most ardent of the Berkshire Revolutionary patriots. The not over humble petition, re- ported by this committee of two and adopted by the town, exhibits some very conclusive arguments, closing with a paragraph which intimates forcibly that the question at issue had passed beyond the delatable stage. It is as follows:
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