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Page 56
But, should the king's soldiers shed one drop of American blood, then it
was a quarrel to the death. Never--never would America rest satisfied,
until she had torn down the royal authority, and trampled it in the
dust.
"Fire, if you dare, villains!" hoarsely shouted the people, while the
muzzles of the muskets were turned upon them; "you dare not fire!"
They appeared ready to rush upon the levelled bayonets. Captain Preston
waved his sword, and uttered a command which could not be distinctly
heard, amid the uproar of shouts that issued from a hundred throats. But
his soldiers deemed that he had spoken the fatal mandate--"fire!" The
flash of their muskets lighted up the street, and the report rang loudly
between the edifices. It was said, too, that the figure of a man with a
cloth hanging down over his face, was seen to step into the balcony of
the custom-house, and discharge a musket at the crowd.
A gush of smoke had overspread the scene. It rose heavily, as if it were
loath to reveal the dreadful spectacle beneath it. Eleven of the sons of
New England lay stretched upon the street. Some, sorely wounded, were
struggling to rise again. Others stirred not, nor groaned, for they were
past all pain. Blood was streaming upon the snow; and that purple stain,
in the midst of King Street, though it melted away in the next day's
sun, was never forgotten nor forgiven by the people.
* * * * *
Grandfather was interrupted by the violent sobs of little Alice. In his
earnestness, he had neglected to soften down the narrative, so that it
might not terrify the heart of this unworldly infant. Since Grandfather
began the history of our chair, little Alice had listened to many tales
of war. But, probably, the idea had never really impressed itself upon
her mind, that men have shed the blood of their fellow-creatures. And
now that this idea was forcibly presented to her, it affected the sweet
child with bewilderment and horror.
"I ought to have remembered our dear little Alice," said Grandfather
reproachfully to himself. "Oh, what a pity! Her heavenly nature has now
received its first impression of earthly sin and violence. Well, Clara,
take her to bed, and comfort her. Heaven grant that she may dream away
the recollection of the Boston Massacre!"
"Grandfather," said Charley, when Clara and little Alice had retired,
"did not the people rush upon the soldiers, and take revenge?"
"The town drums beat to arms," replied Grandfather, "the alarm bells
rang, and an immense multitude rushed into King Street. Many of them had
weapons in their hands. The British prepared to defend themselves. A
whole regiment was drawn up in the street, expecting an attack; for the
townsmen appeared ready to throw themselves upon the bayonets."
"And how did it end?" asked Charley.
"Governor Hutchinson hurried to the spot," said Grandfather, "and
besought the people to have patience, promising that strict justice
should be done. A day or two afterward, the British troops were
withdrawn from town, and stationed at Castle William. Captain Preston
and the eight soldiers were tried for murder. But none of them were
found guilty. The judges told the jury that the insults and violence
which had been offered to the soldiers, justified them in firing at the
mob."
"The Revolution," observed Laurence, who had said but little during the
evening, "was not such a calm, majestic movement as I supposed. I do not
love to hear of mobs and broils in the street. These things were
unworthy of the people, when they had such a great object to
accomplish."
"Nevertheless, the world has seen no grander movement than that of our
Revolution, from first to last," said Grandfather. "The people, to a
man, were full of a great and noble sentiment. True, there may be much
fault to find with their mode of expressing this sentiment; but they
knew no better--the necessity was upon them to act out their feelings,
in the best manner they could. We must forgive what was wrong in their
actions, and look into their hearts and minds for the honorable motives
that impelled them."
"And I suppose," said Laurence, "there were men who knew how to act
worthily of what they felt."
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