USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, 1622-1918, vol 1 > Part 38
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What wonder, then, that under a system of local government of this nature. where free speech was a fundamental, and where "every vote counted one," a spirit of independence should develop that would resist oppression to the last ?
LOYALTY OF THE COLONISTS
Notwithstanding the liberality of their charters, the English colonists in America remained loyal to the crown for more than a century and a half before they openly rebelled against the policies of the home government. Even when Sir Edmund Andros arrived in December, 1686, with a commission from King James for the government of the New England colonies (except Connecticut) and began to overturn the established order of things, the people remained loyal, though they entered a vigorous protest against the proceedings of the new governor. Previous to his coming the governor seldom interfered with the man- agement of local matters ; now, everything was made subject to the will of the executive, who possessed a power under his commission that was almost absolute. Town meetings except for the election of town officers were abolished. The vote by ballot was rejected. None could leave the country without a special per- mit. Heavy taxes were levied, which the people generally refused to pay. Writs of habeas corpus were withheld and the laws of England denied to the citizens of the colonies. Oaths were administered upon the Bible, which caused a serious objection on the part of the Puritans. Personal liberty and established customs were disregarded. Indian deeds to the land were pronounced worthless, and old grants must be renewed at high rate of fees; grants made under the charter being declared void by its forfeiture. All commons and lands reserved for the common people were given to favorites. Finally a petition to the king was pre- pared and Increase Mather was on his way to England with it, when the rebellion of 1688 broke the power of James and with his power went that of his rulers in the colonies.
The tyrannical methods of Governor Andros marked the beginning of a series of important events that had a significant bearing upon the political fortunes of New England. But after his administration came to its untimely end, the people
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returned to their allegiance. In April, 1690, at the time of King William's war, the expedition of Sir William Phipps against Port Royal was fitted out in Massa- chusetts. Later in the same year an expedition was planned against Quebec, in which Sir William Phipps was to command the fleet and Governor Winthrop lead the land forces, but it failed owing to the lateness of the season. In Queen Anne's war (1702-1713), in King George's war (1744-1748), and in the French and Indian war (1756-1763), the colonists fought on the side of England. Says Barber: "The final reduction of Canada in 1760 caused great and universal re- joicing in the colonies and public thanksgivings were appointed."
THE STAMP ACT
George III began his reign on October 25, 1760. He has been described as "narrow-minded, self-willed, jealous of his royal prerogatives, envious of others' greatness and resentful of all difference from his wishes on any public measure as a personal offense to the King."
After the close of the French and Indian war, the British Parliament, urged on by the new king, formed a plan for raising a revenue by taxing the colonies. The first act of this nature was passed and received the royal assent on March 22, 1765. It was known as the "Stamp Act," for the reason that it laid a duty upon all paper, vellum or parchment used in America, and provided that all deeds, contracts, etc., written upon unstamped paper should be null and void. Immediately the storm broke. The Virginia Assembly, then in session, declared its opposition in a series of spirited resolutions ; the Sons of Liberty, an organiza- tion to resist the act, sprang into existence; in Boston some of the houses of those who upheld the measure were demolished by an indignant populace; mer- chants banded themselves together in a pledge to import no more goods from England until the obnoxious law was repealed, and in various other ways the opposition to the act was made manifest.
It remained for Massachusetts to crystallize the general discontent into some- thing like coherent form. That colony sent out a call to the other colonists to send delegates to a convention in New York in October, to determine upon a policy to be followed by all the English colonies affected by the Stamp Act. At the appointed time delegates from nine colonies met and declared in language that could not be misconstrued that the Stamp Act was an infringement upon the rights of freemen. The convention adopted a "declaration of rights and grievances," prepared a petition to the king and a memorial to each house of Parliament asking for the immediate repeal of the act. Through the influence of William Pitt and other friends of the colonists, the act was repealed on March 18, 1766, four days less than one year from the time of its enactment.
THE PILLAR OF LIBERTY
On the corner of the Green, at the junction of Court and High streets in the Town of Dedham, is a square block of granite about four feet in height, which was once the 'pedestal of the "Pillar of Liberty," the history of which is told by the inscriptions it bears. On the east side of the stone, next to Court street, is a bronze tablet bearing the legend: "This stone was first placed near this
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spot July 22, 1766. It supported a wooden column surmounted by a bust of William Pitt. Both column and bust disappeared about the close of the last century. The stone was removed from the opposite corner in 1886."
The opposite corner referred to was the corner of the courthouse lot, where the stone was placed in 1828 by the citizens of the town, being then taken from the corner of the Common, near the place where it stands today. Facing High street is the following inscription carved in the stone, some of the letters blurred by time : "The Pillar of Liberty to the honor of William Pitt, Esqr., and others, Patriots, who saved America from impending slavery and confirmed our most loyal affection to King George III by procuring a repeal of the Stamp Act, 18th March, 1766.
"Erected here July 22, 1766, by Dr. Nathaniel Ames (2nd) Col. Ebenezer Battle, Major Abijah Draper and other patriots friendly to the rights of the Colonies at that day.
"Replaced by the Citizens, July 4, 1828."
On the west side of the stone is the inscription: "The Pillar of Liberty erected by the Sons of Liberty in this vicinity. Laus Deo Regii et Immunitat m autoribusq maxime Patronus Pitt qui Rempub. rursum evulsit faucibus Orei."
The men who erected this monument in the first place, like the wooden column and bust of Pitt, have long since passed from the stage of action. But for more than a century and a half the old stone has stood as an eloquent testimony of the lofty sentiments that animated the patriots of 1766 in so boldly resisting the first attempt at oppression on the part of the British crown.
THE BOSTON TEA PARTY
As a means of raising revenue, the Stamp Act was a failure, hardly enough being realized to cover the expenses of the attempts at its enforcement. In repealing it the British ministry still insisted upon the right to tax the colonies, and in 1767 the Parliament passed an act laying duties upon glass, painters" colors, paper and tea. The duties were purposely made light, in the hope that the colonists would pay them without protest, but the Stamp Act had concen- trated opposition to the principle of "taxation without representation," and no. duty, however small, was likely to be paid willingly.
Again the merchants of Massachusetts entered into a compact to import no. goods upon which duties were charged. A circular letter was sent to the other colonies, urging similar action, and in nearly every instance it met with friendly support. Colonial assemblies joined in the opposition and sent petitions and remonstrances to the king and to Parliament, which resulted in all the duties being abolished except the tax of three pence a pound on tea. In many of the towns the citizens pledged themselves to use no imported tea until the hated tax was removed. Thus matters stood until December, 1773. Early in that month three vessels laden with tea arrived at Boston. The commanders of these ships were summoned before the citizens' committee, composed of Samuel Adams, Jonathan Williams, John Rowe, William Phillips, John Hancock and John Pitts, and warned not to land any of the tea, but to take their vessels to Griffin's wharf and there await further orders. On the afternoon of the 16th a meeting was held in Faneuil Hall, attended by about two thousand men from all parts of the
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country about Boston, to determine what course should be pursued relative to sending the tea back to England. A few minutes before six o'clock the captain of one of the vessels appeared in the hall and announced that the governor would not grant a permit for him to take his ship back to England until it was regu- larly cleared. What followed this announcement is thus told in Snow's History of Boston :
"A violent commotion immediately ensued. A person who was in the gallery, disguised after the manner of the Indians, shouted at this juncture the cry of war; it was answered by about thirty persons, disguised in like manner, at the door. The meeting was dissolved in the twinkling of an eye. The multitude rushed to Griffin's wharf. The disguised Indians went on board the ships laden with the tea. In less than two hours 240 chests and 100 half chests were staved and emptied in to the dock. The affair was conducted without any tumult; no damage was done to the vessels or to any other effects whatever. This was exe- cuted in the presence of several ships of war lying in the harbor, and almost under the guns of the castle, where there was a large body of troops at the command of the commissioners. We are left to conjecture for the reasons why no opposition was made to this bold adventure. The names of the men who dared to engage in it have never been made public."
This affair has become known in history as the "Boston Tea Party." Although, as Snow says, the names of the disguised patriots were never made public, it is known that James Stoddard of Cohasset, a son of Gen. Joseph Palmer of Brain- tree, and probably others from what is now Norfolk County were among those who emptied the tea into the harbor. "They had the honor of a part in the act which brought the king and Parliament to a decision that America must be sub- dued by force of arms," and four regiments of British soldiers were ordered to Boston.
THE BOSTON PORT BILL
To punish the citizens of Boston for their temerity in destroying the tea, or for their failure to prevent its destruction, Parliament in March, 1774, passed the act known as the "Boston Port Bill," which prohibited all maritime intercourse with that town and removed the custom house and all the public offices to Salem. While the act had the effect of preventing vessels from foreign ports from enter- ing the harbor, it could not keep the small schooners, shallops, fishing smacks. etc., from coming in, and these were kept busy bringing supplies from all the coast towns of New England, the people of which cheerfully sent large donations to the Boston people.
Three other obnoxious measures were passed about this time: I. The "Mas- sachusetts Bill," which changed the charter of the colony, taking the government from the people and giving it to the king's agents ; 2. The "Transportation Bill," which provided that any citizen of the colonies who might commit murder in re- sisting the laws should be sent to England for trial; 3. The "Quebec Act," an- nexing all the territory north of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi rivers to Canada. The effect of these acts was to cement the people of the colonies more closely together in their determination to resist the encroachments of the crown.
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The slogan "No taxation without representation," was now changed to "No legis- lation without representation."
THE SUFFOLK RESOLVES
On May 13, 1774, Thomas Gage arrived in Boston, accompanied by more troops and armed with a commission as Captain-General and Governor, to enforce the laws above mentioned. Events now moved rapidly. Not long after General Gage's arrival, invitations were secretly sent to all the towns in Suffolk County to choose delegates to a meeting to consider the state of the colonies and decide upon some concerted plan of action. The first meeting of these delegates was held at Doty's Tavern, in what is now the Town of Canton, on August 16, 1774. Dele- gates from every town in the county were present and the meeting has become known as the "Suffolk Congress." A second meeting of the congress was held at Woodward's Tavern in Dedham, September 6, 1774, the day following the as- sembling of the first Continental Congress at Philadelphia. An adjournment was taken to the 9th, when the delegates again met, this time at the house of Daniel Vose, in the Town of Milton, where the famous "Suffolk Resolves" were unani- mously adopted. As these resolves show the all prevailing sentiment of that day, and as they originated in what is now Norfolk County, nearly two years before the Declaration of Independence, they form an important part of the county's history and are here reproduced in full :
"Whereas, the power but not the justice, the vengeance but not the wisdom, of Great Britain, which of old persecuted, scourged and exiled our fugitive par- ents from their native shores, now pursues us, their guiltless children, with unre- lenting severity ; and whereas, this then savage and uncultivated desert was pur- chased by the toil and treasure, or acquired by the valor and blood of those of our venerable progenitors, who bequeathed to us the dear-bought inheritance, who con- signed it to our care and protection-the most sacred obligations are upon us to transmit the glorious purchase, unfettered by power, unclogged with shackles, to our innocent and beloved offspring. On the fortitude, on the wisdom, and on the exertions of this important day is suspended the fate of this New World and of un- born millions. If a boundless extent of continent, swarming with millions, will tame- ly submit to live, move and have their being at the arbitrary will of a licentious min- ister, they basely yield to volunteer slavery, and future generations shall load their memories with incessant execrations. On the other hand, if we arrest the hand which would ransack our pockets; if we disarm the parricide who points the dagger at our bosoms; if we nobly defeat that fatal edict which proclaims a power to frame laws for us in all cases whatsoever, thereby entailing the endless and num- berless curses of slavery upon us, our heirs, and their heirs forever ; if we suc- cessfully resist that unconstitutional power, whereby our capital is robbed of the means of life; whereby the streets of Boston are thronged with military execu- tioners ; whereby our coasts are lined and our harbors crowded with ships of war ; whereby the charter of the colony, that sacred barrier against the encroachments of tyranny, is mutilated, and in effect annihilated; whereby a murderous law is framed to shelter villains from the hand of justice; whereby that inalienable and inestimable inheritance, which we derived from nature, the constitution of Britain, which was covenanted to us in the charter of the province, is totally wrecked,
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annulled and vacated-posterity will acknowledge that virtue which preserved the free and happy ; and while we enjoy the rewards and blessings of the faithful, the torrent of panegyric will roll down our reputations to the latest period, where the streams of time shall be absorbed in the abyss of eternity. Therefore we have resolved, and do resolve :
"I. That whereas His Majesty King George the Third is the rightful suc- cessor to the throne of Great Britain, and justly entitled to the allegiance of the British realm, and, agreeable to compact of the English colonies in America- therefore we, the heirs and successors of the first planters of the colony, do cheer- fully acknowledge the said George the Third to be our rightful sovereign, and that said covenant is the tenure and claim on which are founded our allegiance and submission.
"2. That it is an indispensable duty which we owe to God, our country, our- selves and our posterity, by all lawful ways and means in our power, to maintain, defend and preserve these civil and religious rights and liberties for which many of our fathers fought, bled and died, and to hand them down entire to future generations.
"3. That the late acts of the British Parliament for blocking up the harbor of Boston, and for altering the established form of government in this colony; and for screening the most flagitious violators of the laws of the province from a legal trial, are gross infractions of those rights to which we are justly entitled by the laws of nature, the British Constitution and the charter of the province.
"4. That no obedience is due from this province to either or any part of the acts above mentioned ; but that they be rejected as the attempts of a wicked ad- ministration to enslave America.
"5. That so long as the justices of our superior courts of judicature, court of assize and general gaol delivery, and inferior courts of common pleas in this county are appointed or hold their places by any other tenure than that which the charter and the laws of the province direct, they must be considered as under undue influence and are therefore unconstitutional officers, and as such no regard ought to be paid to them by the people of this country.
"6. That if the justices of the superior court of judicature, court of assize, etc., justices of the court of common pleas, or of the general sessions of the peace, shall sit and act during their present unqualified state, this country will support and bear harmless all sheriffs and their deputies, constables, jurors and other officers who shall refuse to carry into execution the orders of said courts. And as far as is possible to prevent the inconveniences that must attend the suspension of the courts of justice, we do earnestly recommend it to all creditors to exercise all reasonable and generous forbearance to their debtors, and to all debtors to dis- charge their just debts with all possible speed; and if any disputes concerning debts or trespasses shall arise, which cannot be settled by the parties, we recom- mend it to them to submit all such cases to arbitration ; and if the parties, or either of them shall refuse to do so, they ought to be considered as cooperating with the enemies of this country.
"7. That it be recommended to the collectors of taxes, constables and all other officers who have public moneys in their hands, to retain the same, and not to make any payment thereof to the province or county treasurers, until the civil
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government of the province is placed upon a constitutional foundation, or until it shall be otherwise ordered by the proposed Provincial Congress.
"8. That the persons who have accepted seats at the Council Board by virtue of a mandamus from the King in conformity with the last Act of the British Parliament, entitled 'An Act for the regulating the Government of the Massa- chusetts Bay,' have acted in direct violation of the duty they owe to the country, and have thereby given great and just offence to this people. Therefore,
"Resolved, That this county do recommend it to all persons who have [been] so highly offending by accepting said department, and have not already publicly re- signed their seats in the Council Board, to make public resignation of their places at said Board on or before the twentieth day of this instant September; and that all persons neglecting so to do shall from and after that day be considered by this county as obstinate and incorrigible enemies of this colony.
"9. That the fortifications begun and now carrying on upon Boston Neck are justly alarming to this country, and give us reason to apprehend some hostile intention against that town, more especially as the commander-in-chief has in a very extraordinary manner removed the powder from the magazine at Charles- town, and has also forbidden the keeper of the magazine at Boston to deliver out to the owners the powder which they lodged in said magazine.
"IO. That the late act of Parliament for establishing the Roman Catholic religion and the French laws in that extensive country now called Canada is dan- gerous to an extreme degree to the Protestant religion, and to the civil rights and liberties of all America ; and therefore as men and Protestant Christians we are indispensably obliged to take all proper measures for our security.
"II. That whereas our enemies have flattered themselves that they shall make an easy prey of this numerous brave and hardy people from an apprehension that they are unacquainted with military discipline, we therefore, for the honor, defence and security of this country and province, advise, as it has been recom- mended to take away all commissions from the officers of the militia, that those who now hold commissions, or such other persons, be elected in each town as officers in the militia, as shall be judged of sufficient capacity for that purpose, and who have evidenced themselves the inflexible friends to the rights of the people ; and that the inhabitants of those towns and districts who are qualified do use their utmost diligence to acquaint themselves with the arts of war as soon as possible, and do for that purpose appear under arms at least once every week.
"12. That during the present hostile appearances on the part of Great Britain, notwithstanding the many insults and impressions which we must sensibly resent, yet, nevertheless, from an affection to His Majesty, which we have at all times evidenced, we are determined to act merely upon the defensive, so long as such conduct may be vindicated by reason and the principles of self-preservation, but no longer.
"13. That as we understand it has been in contemplation to apprehend sundry persons of this country, who have rendered themselves conspicuous in contending for the violated rights and liberties of their countrymen, we do recommend, that should such an audacious measure be put into practice, to seize and keep in safe custody every servant of the present tyrannical and unconstitutional government throughout the country and province, until the persons so apprehended are lib-
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erated from the hands of our adversaries and restored safe and uninjured to their respective friends and families.
"14. That until our rights are fully restored to us, we will to the utmost of our power (and recommend the same to other counties) withhold all commercial intercourse with Great Britain, Ireland and the West Indies, and abstain from the consumption of British merchandise and manufacture, and especially of East India teas and piece goods, with such additions, alterations and exceptions only as the Grand Congress of the colonies may agree to.
"15. That under our present circumstances it is incumbent on us to encourage arts and manufactures amongst us by all means in our power ; and that Joseph Pal- mer, Esq., of Braintree ; Mr. Ebenezer Dorr of Roxbury ; Mr. James Bois and Mr. Edward Preston of Milton; and Mr. Nathaniel Guild of Walpole, be and hereby are appointed a committee to consider of the best ways and means to promote and establish the same, and report to this convention as soon as may be.
"16. That the exigencies of our public affairs demand that a Provincial Congress be called to concert such measures as may be adopted and vigorously exe- cuted by the whole people ; and we do recommend it to the several towns in this county to choose members for such a Provincial Congress to be holden in Concord on the second Tuesday of October next ensuing.
"17. That this county confiding in the wisdom and integrity of the Continental Congress now sitting at Philadelphia, will pay all due respect and submission to such measures as may be recommended by them to the colonies, for the restoration and establishment of our just rights, civil and religious, and for renewing that har- mony and union between Great Britain and the colonies so earnestly wished for by all good men.
"18. Whereas, the universal uneasiness which prevails among all orders of men, arising from the wicked and oppressive measures of the present administra- tion, may influence some unthinking persons to commit outrage upon private prop- erty, we would heartily recommend to all persons of this community not to engage in any riots, routs or licentious attacks upon the properties of any person whatso- ever, as being subversive of all order and government, but, by a steady, manly, uni- form and persevering opposition to convince our enemies, that in a contest so im- portant, in a cause so solemn, our conduct shall be such as shall merit the approba- tion of the wise and the admiration of the brave and free of every age and of every country.
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