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PROTEST AGAINST BRITISH AGGRESSION.

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able. Take all the informations of the state of the colonies from your governors, and officers in enmity with them. Encourage and reward these leasing-makers; secrete their lying accusations, lest they should be confuted; but act upon them as the clearest evidence, and believe nothing you hear from the friends of the people. Suppose all their complaints to be invented and promoted by a few factious demagogues, whom if you could catch and hang all would be quiet. Catch and hang them accordingly, and the blood of the martyrs shall work miracles in favor of your purpose.

Send armies into their country under pretence of protecting the inhabitants; but instead of garrisoning the forts on the frontiers with those troops, order them into the heart of the country, that the savages may be encouraged to attack the frontiers, and that the troops may be protected by the inhabitants; this will seem to proceed from your ill-will or your ignorance, and contribute farther to produce and strengthen an opinion among them that you are no longer fit to govern them.

Ex. XVII.-PROTEST AGAINST BRITISH AGGRESSION.

Address to the Public, Dec. 15, 1773.

SONS OF LIBERTY.

It is essential to the freedom and security of a people that no taxes be imposed upon them but by their own consent, or that of their representatives. For what property have they in that which another may, by right, take when he pleases to himself? And yet, to the astonishment of all the world, and the grief of America, the Commons of Great Britain, after the repeal of the memorable and detestable Stamp Act, reassumed the power of imposing taxes on the American colonies. And thus they who, from time immemorial, have

* Associations bearing this title sprang up rapidly over all the northern colonies on the passage of the Stamp Act, with the avowed object of forcible resistance to that measure. The body grew very formidable to the Stamp officers, who were generally obliged to resign, while the Stamps were either destroyed or allowed to remain unopened in the original packages, until after the repeal of the Act. The "Sons of Liberty" did not cease their operations with this repeal, but continued their meetings to keep up the spirit of resist ance to other acts of oppression. The address quoted above was published the day before the destruction of the tea in Boston Harbor.

exercised the right of giving to, or withholding from the crown, their aids and subsidies, according to their own freewill and pleasure, do by the act in question deny us, their brethren in America, the enjoyment of the same right. As this denial, and the execution of that act, involves our slavery, and would sap the foundation of our freedom, the merchants and inhabitants of this city, in conjunction with the merchants and inhabitants of the ancient American colonies, have entered into an agreement to decline a part of their commerce with Great Britain, until the above-mentioned act shall be totally repealed. If, after this, the British succeed in procuring the sale of their tea, we shall have no property we can call our own, and then we may bid adieu to American liberty. Therefore, to prevent a calamity which of all others is the most to be dreaded-slavery, and its dreadful concomitants--we, being influenced by a regard to liberty, and disposed to use all lawful endeavors in our power to transmit to our posterity those blessings of freedom which our ancestors have handed down to us, do for this important purpose, agree to associate together under the name and style of "The Sons of Liberty" in New York, and engage our honor to and with each other faithfully to observe and perform the resolutions demanded for our safety in this exigency.

And we hereby declare, that whosoever shall aid or abet, or in any manner assist in the introduction of tea from any place whatever into this colony, while it is subject to the payment of a duty for the purpose of raising a revenue in America, shall be deemed an enemy to the liberties of this country.

And whether the duties on tea, imposed by this act, be paid in Great Britain or in America, our liberties are equally affected. And we declare, furthermore, that whoever shall transgress any of these resolutions, we will not deal with, nor employ, nor have any connection with him.

Ex. XVIII.-KING GEORGE'S TEA-PARTY.

1773.

OH, King George is a very great man!
A great and a mighty man is he;
He has soldiers and ships at his command,
But he couldn't make us swallow his Tea!

KING GEORGE'S TEA-PARTY.

He sent it here in the year of grace,

Seventeen Hundred and Seventy-three; But the nation made a very wry face, And said, "I don't like the taste of

your Tea."

"I'll give you a taste of gunpowder, then,
To improve the flavor a bit," said he;
"You're a little cranky and stiff, my men-
I'll show you the way to drink your Tea!"

But then a thought came into our heads;—
"King Neptune is always thirsty,” said we;
"We'll give him a dose of the precious weed-
It'll suit his Majesty just to a T."

I went to my mother-(God bless her old head!
Many's the cup she's made for me,)
And I put on a simple face, and I said,
"Do tell me how you make your Tea."

"Laws bless us all! The boy's bereaved!

What on earth do you want to know for?" said she; "A pint of hot water, a spoonful of leaves;

That's the way to make good Tea.”

So down we went on board the ships;

"Here's a good many gallons of water," said we; "And not to give old Nep the slip,

It'll need a good many chests of Tea."

So we hauled them up from the hold in a trice,
And emptied them all in the deep blue sea;
And we hoped the old gentleman found it nice,
And liked our way of making his Tea.

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King George looked up, and King George looked down; A wrathfully angry man was he,

And he said, "As sure as I wear a crown,

"I'll make those people swallow their Tea!"

But when you do, my merry King,

Call all your neighbors in to see,

For muskets shall rattle, and swords shall ring,
Before we swallow a cup of your Tea.

Take off your tax, most gracious King;
Let free goods come to a people free;
Then call your poets in to sing

How the Yankees have taken to drinking Tea.

Ex. XIX.-AN OLD MAN'S ADVICE.

Speech delivered in Parliament, May 27, 1774.

EARL OF CHATHAM.

MY LORDS: I am an old man, and would advise the noble lords in office to adopt a more gentle mode of governing America; for the day is not far distant, when America may vie with these kingdoms, not only in arms, but in arts also. It is an established fact, that the principal towns in America are learned and polite, and understand the constitution of the empire as well as the noble lords who are now in office; and consequently, they will have a watchful eye over their liberties, to prevent the least encroachment on their hereditary rights.

This observation is so recently exemplified in an excellent pamphlet, which comes from the pen of an American gentleman, that I shall take the liberty of reading to your lordships his thoughts on the competency of the British parliament to tax America, which, in my opinion, puts this interesting matter in the clearest view: "The high court of Parliament," says he, "is the supreme legislative power over the whole empire; in all free states the constitution is fixed; and as the supreme legislature derives its power and authority from the constitution, it cannot overleap the bounds of it without destroying its own foundation. The constitution ascertains and limits both sovereignty and allegiance; and, therefore, his Majesty's American subjects, who acknowledge themselves bound by the ties of allegiance, have an equitable claim to the full enjoyment of the fundamental rules of the British constitution; and it is an essential unalterable right in nature, engrafted into the English constitution as a fundamental law, and ever held sacred and irrevocable by the subjects within this realm, that what a man has honestly acquired, is absolutely his own; which he may freely give, but which can not be taken from him without his consent."

AN OLD MAN'S ADVICE.

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This, my lords, though no new doctrine, has always been my received and unalterable opinion, and I will carry it to my grave, that this country had no right under heaven to tax America. It is contrary to all the principles of justice and civil policy, which neither the exigencies of the state, nor even an acquiescence in the taxes, could justify upon any occasion whatever. Instead of adding to their miseries, which this bill undoubtedly does, adopt some lenient measures, which may lure them to their duty; proceed like a kind and affectionate parent over a child whom he tenderly loves, and instead of those harsh and severe proceedings, pass an amnesty on all their youthful errors; clasp them once more in your kind and affectionate arms; and I will venture to affirm, you will find them children worthy of their sire.

But should their turbulence exist after your proffered terms of forgiveness, which I hope and expect this House will immediately adopt, I will be among the foremost of your lordships to move for such measures as will effectually prevent a future relapse, and make them feel what it is to provoke a fond and forgiving parent-a parent, my lords, whose welfare has ever been my greatest and most pleasing consolation. This declaration may seem unnecessary; but I will venture to declare, the period is not far distant when she will want the assistance of her most distant friends; but should the all-disposing hand of Providence prevent me from affording her my poor assistance, my prayers shall be ever for her welfare-length of days be ever in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor; may her ways be ways of pleasantness, and all her paths be peace!

Ex. XX.-ABANDONMENT OF TAXATION.

Speech in Parliament, 1774.

BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH'S.

Ir has always been a most arduous task to govern distant provinces, with even a tolerable appearance of justice. The viceroys and governors of other nations are usually temporary tyrants, who think themselves obliged to make the most of their time; who not only plunder the people, but carry

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