The memorial history of Boston : including Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 1630-1880, Vol. III, Part 6

Author: Jewett, Clarence F; Winsor, Justin, 1831-1897
Publication date: 1880-1881
Publisher: Boston : J.R. Osgood
Number of Pages: 770

USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > The memorial history of Boston : including Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 1630-1880, Vol. III > Part 6

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1 Hillsborough to Bernard, April 22, 1768.

2 Hillsborough to Gage, April 23, 1768.

8 [The annexed heliotypes follow originals made by the British engineers not far from this time, and issued with DesBarres's series of coast charts. One represents the harbor from Fort Hill; the other is a view of the town from Willis's Creek, in East Cambridge. - ED. ]

4 [There is an account of this seizure in Drake's Boston, p. 736. See John Adams's Works, ii. 215. A prominent leader in the mob which endeavored to prevent the sloop from being towed under the guns of the " Rom- ney " was a Boston tradesman, Daniel Malcolm, who had a year or two before some pretty sharp altercations with the revenue officers, accom- panied with vigorous action, so that he was

found out to be not an easy person to deal with. The papers relating to these affairs of his are preserved among the Lee papers, in the libraries of Harvard College and the University of Vir- ginia. Malcolm died shortly after, and they show his gravestone to-day in the Copp's Hill burying-ground, with its praises of him as “an enemy of oppression and one of the foremost in opposing the revenue acts on America ; " and upon it are seen the bullet marks of the British soldiers, who used it as a target during the siege. Shurtleff's Description of Boston, p. 209. - ED.] 5 [ This presentation took place at the Gov- ernor's house, on Jamaica Pond, where they were treated with wine, " which highly pleased [ Ber- nard says] that part of them which had not been used to an interview with me." - ED.]

THE MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BOSTON.

mended peaceable and orderly methods of obtaining redress, and depre- cated in the strongest terms all acts of mob violence, hoping that the cause of their grievances would yet be removed; and added : " If not, and we are called on to defend our liberties and privileges, I hope and believe we shall, one and all, resist even unto blood; but I pray God Almighty that this may never so happen." 1

The Governor disclaimed having any responsibility for the occurrences complained of, but promised to stop impressments. Meanwhile, Hills- boroughi's instructions to Massachusetts to rescind her non-importation res- olutions arrived, and were communicated in a message from Bernard to the General Court. Otis took the floor in reply, and spoke for two hours with even more than his accustomed vehemence, showing that it would be im- possible for this House to rescind a measure of the previous House which had been already executed. He spoke respectfully of the King, but ar- raigned the course of the ministry and the legislation of Parliament with great severity. The subject occupied the attention of the House for nine days, under the guidance of a special committee.2 The Governor com- municated the threat to dissolve the Assembly in case they refused to comply, and presscd them for a decision. A recess was requested for consultation, but it was refused. The question was then put, in secret session, whether the House would rescind the resolution " which gave birth to their circular-letter to the several houses of representatives and burgesses of the other colonies." The vote was taken viva voce, and stood ninety- two nays against seventeen yeas. The answer to the Governor, informing him of their decision, stated that they regarded the circular-letter mod- erate and innocent, respectful to Parliament, and dutiful to the King; that they entertained sentiments of reverence and affection for both; that they, as subjects, claimed the right of petition jointly and severally, of correspondence, and of a free assembly; and that the charge of treason was unjustly brought against them. The Governor, following his instruc- tions, thereupon closed the session, and the next day dissolved the General Court by proclamation. Thus was taken away the right of free discussion vested in the time-honored representative Assembly of Massachusetts. It was an act of arbitrary power, destined to recoil heavily upon those who enforced it. The other Colonics felt that their libertics were invaded as well, and sent the most cordial assurances of their sympathy and support. In this we can clearly sce a new impulse given to the sentiment of union as a necessary means of mutual security. As dangers thickened, the people stood more and more together, determined to assert and defend their con- stitutional rights against the unlawful aggressions of imperial power. It soon became evident that the Administration had resolved upon employ- ing the strong arm of military power to sustain its authority in the " re-

1 Boston News-Letter, June 16 and 23, 1768. John Hancock, Colonel Otis, Colonel Bowers, Mr. Spooner, Colonel Warren, and Mr. Saun- ders.

2 This committee consisted of Thomas Cush- ing (speaker), Mr. Otis, Samuel Adams (clerk),

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SIEGE OF BOSTON, 1775-76.

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A Vienos de Harhour of Boden taken from Het Hill

THE BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTION.

fractory" Province. Preparations were making to transfer two regi- ments from Halifax to Boston, and it was soon after announced that two others were expected from Ireland. This naturally led to a great excite- ment, and a town-meeting was called to consider what " wise, constitutional, loyal, and salutary measures" could be taken in the emergency. The Governor was requested to give information in regard to the troops, and to convene the Legislature. Upon his refusal, a convention of all the towns was proposed, to be held in Faneuil Hall within two weeks; and it was recommended that all the inhabitants should be provided with fire- arms and suitable ammunition ; 1 and a day of fasting and prayer was ap- pointed and observed in accordance with the New England custom.

The convention met on September 22, and was composed of representa- tives of nearly every settlement in the province. The same officers were chosen for chairman and clerk that filled those positions in the late Assembly, and the Governor was petitioned to " cause an assembly to be immediately convened." He refused to receive the petition, and denounced the con- vention as illegal, advising the members to separate at once, or they would " repent their rashness." The convention did not follow his advice, but continued in session six days, and reaffirmed the former declarations made by the General Court concerning their charter rights. The proceedings throughout were calm and moderate. A respectful petition to the king was prepared, in which they wholly disclaimed the charge of a rebellious spirit. An address to the people was also adopted, recommending sub- mission to legal authority and abstinence from all participation in acts of violence. This was the first of those independent popular assemblies which soon began to exercise political power in the colonies. The Patriot lead- ers were wise and sagacious men, who, in asserting their rights, knew well how to keep the law on their side. When the proceedings of this conven- tion were submitted to the attorney-general, and to the solicitor-general of England, to ascertain if they were treasonable, both declared that they were not. "Look into the papers," said De Grey, " and see how well these Americans are versed in the crown law. I doubt whether they have been guilty of an overt act of treason, but I am sure they have come within a hair's breadth of it." 2

No sooner had the convention adjourned than the fleet arrived in the harbor, bringing two regiments, with artillery, under command of Colonel Dalrymple.3 In response to a requisition for quarters in the town the council, and afterwards the selectmen, adhering to the law, declined to act, stating that the barracks at Castle Island were provided for that purpose.

1 Hutchinson, iii. app. L. ; Boston News-Letter, postscript, Sept. 22, 1768.

2 Bancroft, vi. 206.

8 [The Patriots had prepared to fire the bea- con above the town, and had placed a broken tar-barrel in the skillet. This was perhaps the only time in which the surrounding country VOL. 111. - 4.

came near being roused in this way. Governor Bernard was informed of the movement, and sent Sheriff Greenleaf to remove the combus- tibles. Frothingham, Life of Warren, p. 80. An excellent likeness of Greenleaf, by Smibert, is owned by Mrs. S. G. Bulfinch, of Cambridge. -ED.1

THE MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BOSTON.

On the first of October cight armed ships, with their tenders, approached the wharves, with cannon loaded and springs on the cables. The Four- teenth and Twenty-ninth regiments, and a part of the Fifty-ninth, with two field-pieces, landed at Long Wharf and marched with fixed bayonets, drums beating and colors flying, through the streets as far as the Common, where a portion of the troops encamped, the remainder being allowed by the Sons of Liberty, later in the day, to occupy Faneuil Hall.1 We can easily imagine the surprise and indignation with which the people of Boston be- held this demonstration of authority. They keenly felt the insult offered to their loyalty, and though no open resistance was made it was soon appa- rent that such a state of things could only engender mutual hostility which mnight at any time break out in a disturbance of the peace. The odious terms " rebel " and " tyrant " were now spoken with increasing bitterness, and the lines were drawn more sharply than ever between Tory and Patriot. While Boston was thus in the hands of a hireling soldiery, her people waited anxiously for intelligence from abroad, hoping that their communications to the King and Parliament would meet with a favorable consideration ; 2 but again they were doomed to disappointment. Changes had taken place in the cabinet, but there was no change in the purpose of the Government. Chatham had resigned; Shelburne was removed; and Lord North 3 had taken the place left vacant by the death of Townshend.4 At the opening of Parliament, the King referred to Boston as being " in a state of diso- bedience to all law and government," and declared it to be his purpose " to defeat the mischievous designs of those turbulent and seditious per- sons " who had " but too successfully deltided numbers " of his subjects in America. An animated debate followed, in which it was said that the difficulties in governing Massachusetts were “ insurmountable, unless its charter and laws should be so changed as to give the King the appoint- ment of the council, and to the sheriffs the sole power of returning juries."

1 [Paul Revere's plate, showing this landing, is given in Vol. II. p. 532. Mrs. Turrell says in her recollections, in N. E. Hist. and Geneal. Reg., April, 1860, p. 150: " When the British troops came here they were lodged in a sugar- house in Brattle Square, which belonged to Mrs. Inman. I think there were three thousand of Them. The officers lodged in the house of Madam Apthorp, in which I now live." But this paper is somewhat confused in other res- pects, if not in this. See John Adams's Works, ii. 213 .- ED.]

2 [There is in the Charity Building collection a draft of a letter from the selectmen, Nov. 12, 1768, to Pownall and De Berdt, as endorsed by William Cooper, "on the present deplorable condition of this town, . . . changed from a free city to an almost garrison state."-ED.]

3 Lord North, eldest son of the Earl of Guil- ford, entered the cabinet al the age of thirty-five, and remained fifteen years, during the most crit-

ical period in English history. He was always a favorite of the king, and a recognized leader in the ministry. He never understood the charac-

De 10 th 1770

ter or claims of the American people, and conse- quently favored a mistaken policy towards them, to which he adhered throughout the war.

+ At the early age of forty-one. Bancroft, in summing up the character of Townshend, aptly calls him "the most celebrated statesman who has left nothing but errors to account for his fame," vi. 99.

THE BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTION.

Burke defended the Colonies, and denounced as illegal and unconstitutional the order requiring the General Court to rescind their resolutions. Bar- rington accused the Americans as traitors, adding, " The troops have been sent thither to bring rioters to justice." Lord North defended the recent act of l'arliament, and said that he would never think of repealing it until he should see America " prostrate at his feet."

" Depend upon it," said Hillsborough to one of the colonial agents, " Parliament will not suffer their authority to be trampled upon. We wish to avoid severities towards you ; but if you refuse obedience to our laws the whole fleet and army of England shall enforce it."

The indictment against the Colonies was presented in sixty papers laid before Parliament. Both Houses declared that the proceedings of the Mas- sachusetts Assembly, in opposing the revenue acts, were unconstitutional ; that the circular-letter tended to create unlawful combinations ; and that the Boston convention was proof of a design of setting up an independent au- thority ; and both Houses proposed, under the provisions of an obsolete act of Henry VIII., to transport to England " for trial and condign punishment," in direct violation of trial by jury, the chief authors and instigators of the late disorders. In the famous debate of this session, Burke, Barré, Pow- nall, and Dowdeswell spoke eloquently fin behalf of the Colonies; but the address and resolutions were carried by a large majority.

After being nearly a year without a Legislature, Massachusetts was again permitted by the Governor, in the name of the King, to send its representa- tives to a General Court convened, according to the charter, on the last Wed- nesday in May, 1769. The first business was a protest against the breach of their privileges, and a petition to the Governor to have the troops re- moved from Boston, as it was inconsistent with the Assembly's dignity and freedom to deliberate in the presence of an armed force. They declined to enter upon the business of supplies, or anything else except the considera- tion of their grievances. The Governor refused to grant their petition, alleg- ing want of authority over His Majesty's forces; and after vainly waiting a fortnight for them to vote him his year's salary, he adjourned the Assem- bly to Cambridge, and informed them that he was about to repair to Eng- land to lay the state of the province before His Majesty. The Assembly thereupon passed a unanimous vote, one hundred and nine members being present, to petition the king " to remove Sir Francis Bernard 1 forever from this government."2 It has always been believed that much of the difficulty between Massachusetts and Great Britain was owing to the total unfitness of Bernard for the important position which he held during nine eventful years. His frequent misrepresentations of the spirit and conduct of the colonists are a matter of record. He left no friends behind him. Indeed his departure was an occasion of public rejoicing. "The bells were rung, guns

1 Bernard had recently received a baronetcy, fidence of any order or rank of men within his "a most ill-timed favor, when he had so griev- ously failed in gaining the affections or the con-

province." Mahon, History of England, v. 241. 2 Journal, House of Representatives, 1769, 36.

THE MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BOSTON.

were fired from Mr. Hancock's wharf, Liberty Tree was covered with flags, and in the evening a great bonfire was made upon Fort Hill." 1

Lieut .- Governor Hutchinson succeeded to the chair as chief magistrate. He was a native of Boston, was acquainted with public affairs, and for many years had held more important offices than any other man in the province ; but his career had been so often marred by duplicity and avarice that very little hope was cherished of any improvement in the adininistration. His failure was in part owing to the difficulty he found in trying to serve both England and America, with a decided preference in favor of the former, at a time when the opinions and interests of the two countries were rapidly be- coming distinct. He was not the man for the times.2 When the Massachu- setts Assembly, sitting at Cambridge, had refused to grant the supplies de- manded by Bernard, that functionary prorogued it to the tenth of January. When that date arrived, Hutchinson, under arbitrary instructions from Hills- borough, prorogued it still further to the middle of March.

Meanwhile the non-importation agreements had become so general as to produce a visible effect upon British commerce. Exports from England to America had fallen off seriously, and English merchants were really injured more than the Americans by the narrow revenue policy of the Government. Lord North, perceiving this, caused a circular-letter to be sent to the Colonics, proposing to favor the removal of duties from all articles, except tea, enumer- ated in the late act. This was evidently a measure of expediency, dictated wholly by self-interest; and as by retaining the duty on tea there was no surrender of the obnoxious claim contained in the declaratory act, it did not materially affect the situation in America.

Boston at this time, in a legal town-meeting,8 issued an Appeal to the World, prepared by Samuel Adams, vindicating itself from the aspersions of Bernard, Gage, Hood, and the revenue officers. The Appeal says : -

" We should yet be glad that the ancient and happy union between Great Britain and this country might be restored. The taking off the duties on paper, glass, and

1 Hutchinson, iii. 254. [See Dr. Ellis's esti- mate of Bernard in Vol. II. of this History, p. 65. The Governor left his estate on Jamaica Pond, July 31, 1769, and embarked the next day from the Castle. Lady Bernard did not leave the es- tate till December, 1770. - ED.]

2 Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts Bay descrves honorable mention as a work of rare ability and candor, for which students of our history will always be grateful. [See Dr. Ellis's estimate of Hutchinson's administration in Vol. II. p. 69; and that by Frothingham in his Warren, p. 107 .- ED.]

3 [Cooper, the town clerk, issued the warrant for this meeting, Sept. 28, 1769, and the meeting was held, October 4. A contemporary account (in the Chalmers papers, ii. 37, in the Sparks MSS. in Harvard College Library) says that Cooper read the letters to the meeting, "and took a good deal of pains to make the Governor

appear as ridiculous as possible, which generally occasioned a grin of applause." Not long before this, the Sons of Liberty had dined together, Aug. 14, 1769, at Dorchester, and there is a list of their names in Mass. Hist. Soc. Proc., August, 1869. John Adams's Works, ii. 218.

William Cooper, who figures largely in the town's transactions at this time, was a son of the Rev. William Cooper, D.D., of the Brattle Street Church; was born Oct. 1, 1721, and died Nov. 28, 1809. He was first chosen town clerk in 1761, and held the office till his death. In 1755-56 he was a representative to the General Court. From 1759 to 1800 he was Register of Probate. 11e is buried in the Granary Burial-ground. He lived on Hanover Street. He married, April 26, 1745, Katharine, daughter of Jacob Wendell, and had sixteen children. Sce notices in Boston Patriot, Dec. 6, 1809, and Evening Transcript, July 7, 1881 .- ED.]

THE BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTION.

painters' colors, upon commercial principles only, will not give satisfaction. Discon- tent runs through the continent upon much higher principles. Our rights are invaded by the revenue acts ; therefore, until they are ALL repealed, .. . and the troops recalled, . .. . the cause of our just complaints cannot be removed."

29 If December 1769

Jon Malone Thomas Cushing, 9

Edward Payne 1." Phillips Joseph Waldor Isaac Jmilho Ebenezer Stores Wmr greenleaf

Committee

SIGNATURES OF THE TOWN'S COMMITTEE.1

Society in Boston was thoroughly moved by the prevailing sentiment.2 Three hundred wives subscribed to a league agreeing not to drink any tea

t [These autographs are from a letter sent by the town to Dennis De Berdt, the colony's agent in England, in order that through him "our friends in Parliament may be acquainted with the difficulties the trade labors by means of those acts." It recapitulates how the merchants and traders of Boston had entered into an agreement, August, 1768, not to import goods from Great Britain after Jan. 1, 1770, and had made a further agreement, Oct. 17, 1769, that no goods should be sent from here till the revenue acts be re- pealed; and how the other colonies had not gone to the same extent ; and so they informed De Berdt that they had notified their correspon- dents to ship goods with the express condition that the act imposing duties on tea, glass, paper, and colors be totally repealed, and had forwarded to him papers with their views on the matter. The original is in a collection of a part of the papers of Arthur Lee, who succeeded De Berdt as the agent of Massachusetts, and thus retained many of the documents emanating from the prov-

ince and from Boston during the early days of the controversy. The younger Richard Henry Lee, after writing the Lives of the elder of his name and of Arthur Lee, divided the manuscripts which had come to him among three institu- tions, - the Libraries of Harvard College, of the University of Virginia, and of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. No rec- ognizable principle of adaptation was followed in the division, sets being broken, - those now in Virginia containing many papers of the utmost interest for Boston history, and in some cases when others closely allied with them are in the Harvard College collection. The Editor has been kindly entrusted with these other collections by their respective guardians. Those in the College Library have been calendared in print under his direction. - ED.|

2 [ Richard Frothingham has minutely traced the progress of events and feelings of the people during this period, - from October, 1768, to the Massacre, - in his papers, "The Sam Adams

THE MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BOSTON.

until the revenue act should be repealed. The young, unmarried women followed their example, and signed a document beginning as follows : " We, the daughters of those Patriots who have appeared ... for the public interest, . . . do now with pleasure engage with them in denying ourselves the drinking of foreign tea."1 ... Even the children caught the spirit of patriotism, and imitated their elders in maintaining what they considered to be their " constitutional " rights.2

It was now nearly a year and a half since the troops had come to Boston, and their presence was a continual source of irritation to the inhabitants. Their services were not wanted ; their parades were offensive; their bearing often insulting. Quarrels would occasionally arise between individual sol- diers and citizens. "The troops greatly corrupt our morals," said Dr. Cooper, " and are in every sense an oppression. May Heaven soon deliver us from this great evil ! " 3

In this state of things, any unusual excitement might at any time occasion disastrous results. Towards the end of February an event occurred which threw the public mind into a ferment, and prepared the way for the tragic scenes of the fifth of March. A few of the merchants had rendered them- selves unpopular by continuing to sell articles which had been proscribed. One of them in particular4 had incurred such displeasure that his store was marked by the crowd with a wooden image as one to be shunned. One of his friends, a well known informer,5 attempted to remove the image, but was driven back by the mob. Greatly exasperated, he fired a random shot among them and mortally wounded a young lad,6 who died the following evening. The funeral was attended by five hundred children, walking in front of the bier ; six of his school-mates held the pall, followed by thirteen hundred of the inhabitants. The bells of the town were tolled, and the whole community partook of the feeling of sadness and indignation that innocent blood had been shed in the streets of Boston.7

A few days later, a still more serious occurrence took place. On Friday, March 2, two soldiers, belonging to the Twenty-ninth Regiment, were pass- ing Gray's rope-walk, near the present Pearl Street, and got into a quarrel with one of the workmen. Insults and threats were freely exchanged, and the soldiers then went off and found some of their comrades, who returned with them and challenged the ropemakers to a boxing-match. A fight

Regiments," in Atlantic Monthly, June, August, 1862, and November, 1863; matter which is only epitomized in his Life of Warren. John Mein, the printer, had refused to join in any non-impor- tation agreement, and his name had been pub- licly proclaimed as one to be avoided in trade. lle in turn printed the State of the Importation of Great Britain with the Port of Boston from Fun- uary to August, 1768, and showed some of his detractors in the light of importers. See Henry Stevens's Historical Collections, i. No. 393. - ED.]

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The memorial history of Boston : including Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 1630-1880, Vol. III, Part 6

Author: Jewett, Clarence F; Winsor, Justin, 1831-1897 Publication date: 1880-1881 Publisher: Boston : J.R. Osgood Number of Pages: 770

Author: Jewett, Clarence F; Winsor, Justin, 1831-1897
Publication date: 1880-1881
Publisher: Boston : J.R. Osgood
Number of Pages: 770