Читать книгу Dealings with the Dead (Vol. 1&2) - Lucius M. Sargent - Страница 47

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March 22, 1765. George III. and his ministers took it into their heads to sow the wind; and, in an almost inconceivably short time, they reaped the whirlwind. They scattered dragons’ teeth, and there came up armed men. They planted the stamp act, in the Colonial soil, and there sprang into life, mature and full of vigor, the Liberty Tree, like Minerva, fully developed, and in perfect armor, from the brain of Jupiter. Whoever would find a clear, succinct, and impartial account of the effect of the stamp act, upon the people of New England, may resort to Dodsley’s Annual Register, page 49, of that memorable year. “The sun of liberty has set,” wrote Franklin home, “but you must light up the candles of industry and economy.”

The life of that act of oppression was short and stormy. March 18, 1766, its miserable requiem was sung in Parliament—“an event,” says the Annual Register, of that year, page 46, “that caused more universal joy, throughout the British dominions, than, perhaps, any other, that can be remembered.” How such a viper ever found its way into the cradle of liberty is quite a marvel—certain it is, the genius of freedom, with the power of Hercules, speedily strangled it there.

In America, and, especially, in Boston, the joy, as I have already stated, was very great; and some there were, beyond all doubt, who were delighted, to find an apology, for going back to monarchical usages. Even liberty may be, sometimes, irksome, at first, to him, who has long lived a slave; and it is no small grievance, I dare say, to such, to be deprived of the luxury of calling some one, Lord and Master, after the flesh. However monstrous, and even ridiculous, the idea of a king may seem to us, republicans, born in this wonderfully bracing atmosphere—there are some, who have a strong taste for booing and genuflection, and the doffing of beavers, and throwing up of “greasy caps,” and rending their throats, for very ecstacy, when the royal coach is coming along, bearing the heir apparent, in diapers. This taste, I suppose, like that for olives, must be acquired; it cannot be natural.

May 19, and 20, 1766, the face of the town of Boston was dressed in smiles—a broad grin rather, from ear to ear, from Winnisimmet to Roxbury. Nothing was talked of but “a grateful people,” and “the darling monarch”—which amounts to this—the “darling monarch” had graciously desisted, from grinding their faces any longer, simply because he was convinced, that the “grateful people” would kick the grindstone over, and peradventure the grinder, should the “darling” attempt to give it another turn.

Under Liberty Tree, there was erected, during the rejoicings, an obelisk with four sides. An engraving of those four sides was made at the time, and is now, doubtless, very rare. A copy, loaned me by the friend, to whom I referred, in my last number, is lying before me. I present it, verbatim, literatim, et punctuatim.

It is thirteen and an half inches long, and nine and an half wide. On top are these words—“A view of the OBELISK erected under LIBERTY TREE in Boston on the Rejoicings for the Repeal of the—— Stamp Act 1766.” At the bottom—“To every Lover of Liberty this Plate is humbly dedicated by her true born Sons in Boston, New England.” The plate presents, apparently, four obelisks, which are, in reality, the four sides of one. Every side, above the base, is divided horizontally, and nearly equally, into three parts. The superior division of each contains four heads, many of which may be readily recognized, and all of which have indicating letters. The middle division of each contains ten decasyllabic lines. The inferior division of each contains a sketch, of rude execution, and rather more patriotic, than tasteful, in the design. The principal portraits are of George III.; Queen Charlotte; Marquis of Rockingham; Duke of York; Gen. Conway; Lord Townshend; Colonel Barré; W. Pitt; Lord Dartmouth; Charles Townshend; Lord George Sackville; John Wilkes; Alderman Beckford; Lord Camden; &c. The first side is subscribed thus: “America in distress, apprehending the total loss of Liberty;” and is inscribed thus:

Oh thou, whom next to Heaven we most revere

Fair Liberty! thou lovely Goddess hear!

Have we not woo’d thee, won thee, held thee long,

Lain in thy Lap and melted on thy tongue.

Thro’ Deaths and Dangers rugged paths pursu’d

And led thee smiling to this Solitude,

Hid thee within our hearts’ most golden cell

And brav’d the Powers of Earth and Powers of Hell,

Goddess! we cannot part, thou must not fly,

Be Slaves! we dare to scorn it, dare to die.

Beneath is the sketch—America recumbent and dejected, in the form of an Indian chief, under a pine tree, the angel of Liberty hovering over; the Prime minister advancing with a chain, followed by one of the bishops, and others, Bute clearly designated by his Scotch plaid, and gaiters; over head, flying towards the Indian, with the stamp act in his right claw, is the Devil; of whom it is manifest our patriotic sires had a very clever conception.

The second side is subscribed thus: “She implores the aid of her patrons;” and is inscribed thus:

While clanking chains and curses shall salute

Thine Ears remorseless G——le, and thine O B——e,

To you blest Patriots, we our cause submit,

Illustrious Campden, Britain’s Guardian, Pitt.

Recede not, frown not, rather let us be

Deprived of being than of Liberty,

Let fraud or malice blacken all our crimes,

No disaffection stains these peaceful climes.

Oh save us, shield us from impending woes,

The foes of Britain only are our foes.

Beneath is the sketch—America, on one knee, pointing over her shoulder towards a retreating group, composed, as the chain and the plaid inform us, of the Prime Minister Bute, and company, upon whose heads a thunder cloud is bursting. At the same time America—the Indian, as before—supplicates the aid of others, whose leader is being crowned, by Fame, with a laurel wreath. The enormous nose—a great help to identification—marks the Earl of Chatham; Camden may be known by his wig; and Barré by his military air.

The third side is subscribed thus: “She endures the Conflict, for a short Season” and is inscribed thus:

Boast foul Oppression, boast thy transient Reign,

While honest Freedom struggles with her Chain,

But know the Sons of Virtue, hardy, brave,

Disclaim to lose thro’ mean Dispair to save;

Arrowed in Thunder awfull they appear,

With proud Deliverance stalking in their Rear,

While Tyrant Foes their pallid Fears betray,

Shrink from their Arms, and give their Vengeance way.

See in the unequal War Oppressors fall,

The hate, contempt, and endless Curse of all.

Beneath is the sketch—The Tree of Liberty, with an eagle feeding its young, in the topmost branches, and an angel advancing with an ægis.

The fourth side is subscribed thus: “And has her Liberty restored by the Royal hand of George the Third;” and is inscribed thus:

Our Faith approv’d, our Liberty restor’d,

Our Hearts bend grateful to our sov’reign Lord;

Hail darling Monarch! by this act endear’d,

Our firm affections are thy best reward—

Sh’d Britain’s self against herself divide,

And hostile Armies frown on either side;

Sh’d hosts rebellious shake our Brunswick’s Throne,

And as they dar’d thy Parent dare the Son.

To this Asylum stretch thine happy Wing,

And we’ll contend who best shall love our King.

Beneath is the sketch—George the Third, in armor, resembling a Dutch widow, in a long-short, introducing America to the goddess of liberty, who are, apparently, just commencing the Polka—at the bottom of the engraving are the words—Paul Revere Sculp. Our ancestors dealt rather in fact than fiction—they were no poets.

Gordon refers to LIBERTY TREE, i. 175.

The fame of LIBERTY TREE spread far beyond its branches. Not long before it was cut down, by the British soldiers, during the winter of 1775–6, an English gentleman, Philip Billes, residing at Backway, near Cambridge, England, died, seized of a considerable fortune, which he bequeathed to two gentlemen, not relatives, on condition, that they would faithfully execute a provision, set forth in his will, namely, that his body should be buried, under the shadow of LIBERTY TREE, in Boston, New England. This curious statement was published in England, June 3, 1774, and may be found in the Boston Evening Gazette, first page, Aug. 22, 1774, printed by Thomas & John Fleet, sign of the Heart and Crown, Cornhill.