94 



Britain and her West India Islands, until the act for closing 

 the port of Boston is repealed, the same would prove the salva- 

 tion of North America and her liberties." The right to refuse 

 and resist parliamentary taxation Avas the universal conviction 

 throughout the country. The more the people thought, read 

 or reflected, the more they were convinced of its injustice. 

 The ruling poAvers of Great Britain, on their part, insisted up- 

 on the right to demand and enforce submission to it. A stand- 

 ing army was in consequence stationed in Massachusetts, at the 

 sight of which the people felt insulted, — aye, — degraded, and 

 every feeling of patriotism and manhood revolted.* 



The next aggressive measure of the Parliament, which pas- 

 sed both bodies by large m^ajorities, was an " Act for the better 

 regulating of the government of the Province of Massachusetts 

 Bay." This step, taken in the mere wantonness of tyranny, 

 appeared the concentration of every thing, which malevolence 

 could invent to degrade and oppress the children of the 

 soil. By it the whole executive government was taken out of 

 the hands of the people. The Royal Governor was clothed 

 with supreme power, and his council was to be appointed by the 

 crown. The Governor could appoint and remove the judges of 

 the several courts of justice and all other officers, thereunto 

 appertaining. Nothing could be expected from men holding 

 situations during the pleasure of the Governor, but to be the 

 ready instruments of arbitrary power. Town meetings of the 

 inhabitants were strictly forbidden to be held without leave first 

 obtained in wTiting from the Governor or Lieut. Governor. It 

 having been anticipated, that this act might occasion riots, it 

 was further provided, that if in the attempted execution of these 

 laws the people resisted so as to cause the death of any one, who 

 was assisting to enforce them, such persons should be transport- 

 ed to another colony, or to England, for trial. These inhuman 

 measures, taken together, were justly considered by the colon- 

 ists a complete system of tyranny, from the operation of which 

 it was impossible to make a peaceable escape. The alternative 

 was plainly suhnission or the bayonet. They reduced the 

 people to a state of the most degraded vassalage. The friends 



* In July, 1774, there were stationed in Boston two companies of the 

 Koyal Train ArtiUery, with eio-ht pieces of cannon each, and the 4th, 

 5th, 38th, 43d and 64th British regiments; and it Avas stated that more 

 were daily expected. 



