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Page 59
"What were the names of some of them?" inquired Charley.
"Governor Hutchinson, Chief Justice Oliver, Judge Auchmuty, the Reverend
Mather Byles, and several other clergymen, were among the most noted
loyalists," answered Grandfather.
"I wish the people had tarred and feathered every man of them!" cried
Charley.
"That wish is very wrong, Charley," said Grandfather. "You must not
think that there was no integrity and honor, except among those who
stood up for the freedom of America. For aught I know, there was quite
as much of these qualities on one side as on the other. Do you see
nothing admirable in a faithful adherence to an unpopular cause? Can you
not respect that principle of loyalty, which made the royalists give up
country, friends, fortune, every thing, rather than be false to their
king? It was a mistaken principle; but many of them cherished it
honorably, and were martyrs to it."
"Oh, I was wrong!" said Charley, ingenuously. "And I would risk my life,
rather than one of those good old royalists should be tarred and
feathered."
"The time is now come, when we may judge fairly of them," continued
Grandfather. "Be the good and true men among them honored; for they were
as much our countrymen as the patriots were. And, thank Heaven! our
country need not be ashamed of her sons--of most of them, at
least--whatever side they took in the revolutionary contest."
Among the portraits was one of King George the Third. Little Alice
clapped her hands, and seemed pleased with the bluff good nature of his
physiognomy. But Laurence thought it strange, that a man with such a
face, indicating hardly a common share of intellect, should have had
influence enough on human affairs, to convulse the world with war.
Grandfather observed, that this poor king had always appeared to him one
of the most unfortunate persons that ever lived. He was so honest and
conscientious, that, if he had been only a private man, his life would
probably have been blameless and happy. But his was that worst of
fortunes, to be placed in a station far beyond his abilities.
"And so," said Grandfather, "his life, while he retained what intellect
Heaven had gifted him with, was one long mortification. At last, he grew
crazed with care and trouble. For nearly twenty years, the monarch of
England was confined as a madman. In his old age, too, God took away his
eyesight; so that his royal palace was nothing to him but a dark,
lonesome prison-house."
CHAPTER VII.
"Our old chair," resumed Grandfather, "did not now stand in the midst of
a gay circle of British officers. The troops, as I told you, had been
removed to Castle William, immediately after the Boston Massacre. Still,
however, there were many tories, custom-house officers, and Englishmen,
who used to assemble in the British Coffee House, and talk over the
affairs of the period. Matters grew worse and worse; and in 1773, the
people did a deed, which incensed the king and ministry more than any of
their former doings."
Grandfather here described the affair, which is known by the name of the
Boston Tea Party. The Americans, for some time past, had left off
importing tea, on account of the oppressive tax. The East India Company,
in London, had a large stock of tea on hand, which they had expected to
sell to the Americans, but could find no market for it. But, after a
while, the government persuaded this company of merchants to send the
tea to America.
"How odd it is," observed Clara, "that the liberties of America should
have had any thing to do with a cup of tea!"
Grandfather smiled, and proceeded with his narrative. When the people of
Boston heard that several cargoes of tea were coming across the
Atlantic, they held a great many meetings at Faneuil Hall, in the Old
South church, and under Liberty Tree. In the midst of their debates,
three ships arrived in the harbor with the tea on board. The people
spent more than a fortnight in consulting what should be done. At last,
on the 16th of December, 1773, they demanded of Governor Hutchinson,
that he should immediately send the ships back to England.
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