CHAPTER X.
Evelyn Leland was the only one of the party on the "Dolphin" who hadnever seen Boston; but to all the young people entering the city fromthe sea was a new experience, and as the vessel neared the harbour theygazed about them with great interest, while the Captain pointed out andnamed the forts and the islands as they came into view.
"Yonder is Boston Light," he said, "two miles east of Fort Warren,--onGeorge's Island, which I will point out presently; it is a revolvinglight, ninety-two feet above the level of the sea. And yonder is Spitor Bug Light; it is only thirty-five feet high, and stands upon ironpillars fixed in the rock. They show a red fixed light there which canbe seen at the distance of seven miles.
"Then there is Long Island Light, named from the island on which itstands. The tower is only twenty-two feet above the ground, but eightyfeet above the sea.
"Yonder," again pointing with his finger, "is Fort Independence (calledin Revolutionary times Castle William) just at the entrance of the mainchannel; and opposite it is Fort Winthrop. And yonder is George'sIsland with its fortification,--Fort Warren."
"And this was the harbour where the Boston Tea-party was held!"remarked Evelyn, in a half-musing tone. "What an exciting time thatmust have been! I think it was grand in the people to give up the teathey so enjoyed drinking, rather than submit to 'taxation withoutrepresentation.'"
"Which all women possessed of landed property do to this day," returnedRosie, mischievously.
Eva laughed. "Oh, well," she said, "you know American women caninfluence the voters to whom they are related,--their brothers,husbands, and sons."
"If they have any, and they happen to be particularly tractable,"laughed Rosie. "But how about poor fatherless and brotherless singlewomen? The men may vote as heavy taxes upon their property as theyplease, while they can't lift a finger to prevent it, or say a word asto what is to be done with the money taken from their purses withouttheir consent."
"Why, Rosie, are you turning into a woman's rights woman?" queried Max,laughing.
"I don't know, Maxie; those ideas just happened to suggest themselves,"she answered. "I'll take time to think it all out one of these days,though; and I'll not promise not to turn into an advocate of women'sright to have some say about the taxing of their own property. I seeno reason why a man's rights in that direction should be consideredsuperior to a woman's."
"No; nor I either," Max said. "And I'm as willing as possible thatAmerican women should have all their rights; but I shouldn't like tolet ignorant women--foreign or coloured ones--vote."
"Yes, that's the trouble," laughed Rosie; "I shouldn't like thateither. But I can't see that it's any better to let foreign men who aretoo ignorant to understand much or anything about our institutions,have a vote. I must say it strikes me as exceedingly insulting toeducated, intelligent ladies, who are native Americans, to refuse avote to _them_, and at the same time give it to _such foreign-bornmen_, or to male natives who know nothing, can't read or write, andhave no property at all."
"Coloured men, for instance?" queried Max.
"Yes, coloured or white; it's the education I'm concerned about, notthe colour. Mamma, do not you agree with me?"
"Yes, I do," Mrs. Travilla answered. "I have no desire to votemyself; but I think only native-born citizens, or those who have beentwenty-one years in the country, should have a vote, and not even theyunless able to read and write, capable of understanding our form ofgovernment, and possessed of some little property,--that last in orderthat they may appreciate more fully the burdens of taxation, and beless ready to make them heavier than need be."
"Papa," asked Gracie, "where abouts were the tea ships when the folkswent on board and threw the tea into the water?"
"They were moored at Griffin's Wharf," he replied; "I can point it outto you directly."
"What is it, Papa, Gracie's talking about? A story?" queried littleElsie. "Please, Papa, tell it to us."
"I'm afraid you would hardly understand, Papa's darling," the Captainsaid, stroking the soft, shining, golden curls as he spoke, and smilingdown into the bright, eager little face.
"I think I should, Papa. Wasn't it something 'bout a tea-party?" sheasked coaxingly.
"Yes, Papa, please do tell the story; we'd all like to hear it overagain now when we're just at the place where it happened," added Gracie.
"Well, my darlings, to please you," he said; "also because I want youto be thoroughly grounded in the history of your own country.
"You must remember that these States,--or rather the original thirteen,there were only so many at that time,--were then called colonies, andwere ruled by England. The English Government claimed the right totax the colonies just as they pleased. That right the people of thecolonies denied.
"They were not allowed to send any members to Parliament to help decidewho in America should be taxed and how much; so they determined thatrather than pay a tax put upon the article without their knowledge andconsent, they would do without tea.
"Then the English Government tried to force it on them; and these shipscame into their harbour loaded with the tea, which they intended toland.
"One of those tea-laden ships, called the 'Dartmouth,'--Captain Hallin command,--came to anchor yonder, near the Castle, as it was thencalled. It was on Sunday the 'Dartmouth' came in; and as you maysuppose, the sight of her caused a great excitement in Boston.
"Early on Monday morning a placard was posted all over the town. Icommitted it to memory when a school-boy. It said:--
"'Friends! Brethren! Countrymen! That worst of plagues, the detested tea shipped for this port by the East India Company, is now arrived in the harbor; the Hour of Destruction, or manly opposition to the Machinations of Tyranny, stares you in the face; every Friend to his Country, to himself, and to Posterity, is now called upon to meet at Faneuil Hall, at nine o'clock This Day (at which time the bells will ring), to make united and successful resistance to this last, worst, and most destructive measure of administration.'
"That was the handbill; its date was November 29, 1773."
"Was that the 'vite to the tea-party?" asked little Elsie.
"Not to what proved to be the principal one," he answered.
"In response to the call they met that day at Faneuil Hall, but theexcitement was so great and brought so many people together that theyadjourned to the Old South Meeting-house which was larger.
"At that meeting it was resolved that the tea should not be landed,that no duty should be paid on it, and that it should be sent back inthe same vessel it had come in; also they notified the owner and thecommander of the vessel that to land and enter the tea was at their ownperil, ordered the ship to be moored at Griffin's Wharf, and appointeda guard of twenty-five men to watch her.
"At the meeting a letter was received from the consignees offering tostore the tea till they could hear from England; but the people weredetermined not to allow it to be landed, so rejected the offer withscorn.
"Then the sheriff read a proclamation from the governor ordering themto disperse; but it was received with hisses, and they went on with thebusiness that had called them together.
"They passed a resolution ordering the vessels of Captains Coffin andBruce, which were hourly expected to arrive with their loads of tea, tobe moored at Griffin's Wharf."
"Did they come, Papa? and did the men watch all the ships that hadtea?" asked Elsie, who was listening with a look of interest andintelligence that seemed to say she understood a great deal, if not allher father had been saying.
"Yes; and about two weeks afterward another meeting was held in theOld South Church, when it was resolved that Mr. Roch must immediatelyapply for a clearance for his ship and send her out to sea again. Butthe governor had already taken measures to prevent him from doing that,ordering Admiral Montague to fit out two armed vessels and station themat the entrance to the harbour, and Colonel Leslie, who was in commandof the Castle, not to allow any vessel to pass out under the guns ofthe fortress, unless she could show
a permission signed by himself."
"I should think," remarked Max, "that Mr. Roch and Captain Hall musthave been quite puzzled to know how to act to suit all parties."
"What happened next, Papa?" asked Gracie.
"Two days later there was another meeting in the Old South,--thelargest meeting that had then ever been known in Boston; for the peoplewere greatly excited.
"Several persons made addresses, but Josiah Quincy was the principalspeaker. He advised the people to weigh and consider before they tookmeasures that would bring on a trying and terrible struggle such as hadnever been seen in this country."
"Why, Papa," exclaimed Lulu, "I thought Mr. Quincy was one of thepatriots!"
"So he was, my child; but he wanted the people to look before theyleaped.
"When he had finished his speech the question was put, 'Will you abideby your former resolutions with respect to not suffering the tea to belanded?'"
"And what did they say?" asked Gracie.
"That they would; the whole vast assembly speaking as with one voice."
"I hope Mr. Roch was there to hear them," said Lulu.
"No," said her father. "The governor was at his country-house, a fewmiles out of Boston, and Mr. Roch had been sent to him to ask a permitfor his vessel to leave the harbour.
"He returned late in the afternoon, before the meeting at the Old Southhad broken up, and reported to them that the governor refused a permituntil a clearance should be shown him; and the collector refused thatuntil the tea should be landed."
"What a fuss about nothing!" exclaimed little Elsie, with a look ofdisgust.
"Oh, no," her father said, stroking her hair as she leaned upon hisknee; "some day when my little girl is older and wiser, she willunderstand that it was very far from being about nothing.
"The people were very much excited. It was beginning to grow dark inthe old church and somebody called for candles; but just then somebodyin the gallery showed himself disguised like a Mohawk Indian, raisedthe Indian war-whoop, and was answered in the same fashion by some oneoutside the building,--for the throng a good deal more than filled thechurch; then another voice in the gallery shouted, 'Boston harbour ateapot to-night! Hurrah for Griffin's Wharf!'
"At that there was an instant motion to adjourn, and the people crowdedinto the streets.
"It was a clear, moonlight evening, still quite early, and the Britishsquadron not more than a mile away; British troops were near too, butneither interfered with what was going on.
"It is probable that everything had been arranged beforehand; andseeing several persons disguised as Indians going toward Griffin'sWharf, the people hurried thither. Some fifteen or twenty were sodisguised, but about sixty boarded the vessels in the first place; andit is said that as many as a hundred and forty were engaged in thework before it was finished.
"A man named Lendall Pitts acted as leader; and under his direction the'Dartmouth' was boarded first, the hatches were taken up, and her cargoof one hundred and fourteen chests of tea brought on deck, where theboxes were broken open and the tea was thrown into the water.
"Then the other two vessels were boarded and their cargoes of tea alsothrown into the harbour."
"And that's what is called the 'Boston Tea Party,'" remarked Max withsatisfaction. "I'd wish I'd been there to help, only that I'd rather behere now."
"That's just the way I feel about it," said Walter.
"You may be thankful, my dear boys, that you live in these days,"remarked Grandma Elsie, smiling kindly upon them. "War times are moreinteresting to tell about, but far harder to live in. Our hearts maywell be filled with thankfulness to God for the success of our fathersin securing the blessings of liberty for not themselves only, but forus also. We assuredly have more to be thankful for than any othernation, and ought therefore to be better and more earnest Christians,doing all we possibly can to spread abroad through all the earth theglad news of salvation by Christ, and to help the down-trodden andoppressed to share with us the inestimable blessings of freedom,--life,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as our Declaration ofIndependence has it."
But the "Dolphin" was fast approaching the city, and there was so muchto look at and talk about, relating to the present, that for a time thepast was well-nigh forgotten, except when the Captain pointed out asnearly as he could, the precise spot where the never-to-be-forgotten"tea party" had been held.
When he had done so, Max broke out into a song to the tune of "YankeeDoodle," the other young folks joining in with a will on the chorus.
"Once on a time old Johnny Bull flew in a raging fury, And swore that Jonathan should have no trial, sir, by jury; That no elections should be held across the briny waters; And now said he, 'I'll tax the Tea of all his sons and daughters.' Then down he sate in burly state, and blustered like a grandee, And in derision made a tune called 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.' Yankee doodle,--these are facts,--Yankee doodle dandy! My son of wax, your tea I'll tax; you--Yankee doodle dandy!
"John sent the tea from o'er the sea, with heavy duties rated; But whether hyson or bohea I never heard it stated. Then Jonathan to pout began,--he laid a strong embargo,-- 'I'll drink no Tea by Jove!' so he threw overboard the cargo. Then Johnny sent a regiment, big words and looks to bandy, Whose martial band, when near the land played 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.' Yankee doodle,--keep it up,--Yankee doodle dandy! I'll poison with a tax your cup; _you_--Yankee doodle dandy!
"A long war then they had, in which John was at last defeated; And 'Yankee Doodle' was the march to which his troops retreated. Cute Jonathan, to see them fly, could not restrain his laughter; 'That time,' said he, 'suits to a T. I'll sing it ever after.' Old Johnny's face, to his disgrace, was flushed with beer and brandy, E'en while he swore to sing no more this 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.' Yankee doodle,--ho, ha, he,--Yankee doodle dandy! We kept the tune, but not the tea; Yankee doodle dandy!
"I've told you now the origin of this most lively ditty, Which Johnny Bull dislikes as 'dull and stupid'--what a pity! With 'Hail Columbia' it is sung, in chorus full and hearty. On land and main we breathe the strain John made for his 'tea party;' No matter how we rhyme the words, the music speaks them handy, And where's the fair can't sing the air of 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'? Yankee doodle, firm and true,--Yankee doodle dandy! Yankee doodle, doodle do, Yankee doodle dandy!"