Boston Gazette account of Revere’s Illuminated Display, 1771

Transcription

NO831.       

THE Boston-Gazette, AND COUNTRY JOURNAL. 

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Containing the freshest Advices, Foreign and Domestic.

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               MONDAY, March 11, 1771.

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From the ESSEX GAZETTE.                                                                                          SALEM, MARCH 5, 1771.

As a solemn and perpetual MEMORIAL

Of the Tyranny of the British Administration of Government in the Years 1768, 1769, & 1770:

Of the fatal and destructive Consequences of quartering Armies, in Time of Peace, in populous Cities:

Of the ridiculous Policy, and infamous Absurdity, of supporting Civil Government by a Military Force:

Of the great Duty and Necessity of firmly opposing Despotism in its first Approaches:

Of the detestable Principles and arbitrary Conduct of those Ministers in Britain 

     who advised, and of their Tools in America who desired, the Introduction of a Standing Army into this Province in the

     Year 1768:

Of the irrefragable Proof which those Ministers themselves thereby produced, that the Civil Government, as by them

     administered, was weak, wicked, and tyrannical:

Of the vile Ingratitude and abominable Wickedness of every American, who abetted and encouraged, either in Thought,

     Word or Deed, the Establishment of a Standing Army among his Countrymen:

Of the unaccountable Conduct of those Civil Governors, the immediate Representatives of his Majesty, who,

     while the Military were triumphantly insulting the whole LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE, and

     while the Blood of the massacred Inhabitants was flowing in the Streets, persisted in repeatedly disclaiming

          all Authority of relieving the People, by any the least Removal of the Troops:

And of the savage Cruelty of the IMMEDIATE PERPETRATORS;

 BE it forever Remembered, 

 That this Day, THE FIFTH OF MARCH, is the Anniversary of 

Preston’s Massacre- -in King-Street- -Boston, N. England- –

1770.

 In which Five of his Majesty’s Subjects were slain, and Six wounded,

 By the Discharge of a Number of Muskets from a Party of Soldiers under the

 Command of Capt. Thomas Preston.

 GOD save the PEOPLE!

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 BOSTON, March 11.

TUESDAY last was the Anniversary of the never-to-be-forgotten Fifth of March, 1770, when Messieurs Gray, Maverick, Caldwell, Carr, and Attucks, were inhumanly murdered by a Party of Soldiers of the XXIXth Regiment in King-Street:—The Bells of the several Congregational Meeting-Houses, were tolled from XII o’Clock at Noon till I:—In the Evening there was a very striking Exhibition at the Dwelling-House of Mr. PAUL REVERE, fronting the Old-North Square.—At one of the Chamber-Windows was the Appearance of the Ghost of the unfortunate young Seider, with one of his Fingers in the Wound, endeavouring to stop the Blood issuing therefrom: Near him his Friends weeping: And at a small distance a monumental Obelisk, with his Bust in Front:—On the Front of the Pedestal, were the Names of those killed on the 5th of March: Underneath the following Lines, 

Seider’s pale Ghost fresh-bleeding stands,

And Vengeance for his Death demands.

In the next Window were represented the Soldiers drawn up, firing at the People assembled before them—the Dead on the Ground—and the Wounded falling, with the Blood running in Streams from their Wounds: Over which was wrote FOUL PLAY. In the third Window was the Figure of a Woman, representing AMERICA, sitting on the Stump of a Tree, with a Staff in her Hand, and the Cap of Liberty on the Top thereof,—one Foot on the head of a Grenadier lying prostrate grasping a Serpent.—Her finger pointing to the Tragedy.

The whole was so well executed, that the Spectators, which amounted to many Thousands, were struck with solemn Silence, and their Countenances covered with a melancholy Gloom. At Nine o’Clock the Bells tolled a doleful Peal, until Ten; when the Exhibition was withdrawn, and the People retired to their respective Habitations.

An Oration containing a brief Account of the Massacre; of the Imputations of Treason and Rebellion, with which the Tools of Power endeavoured to brand the Inhabitants, and a Discant upon the Nature of Treasons, with some Considerations on the Threats of the British Ministry to take away the Massachusetts Charter, was delivered on the Evening by Dr. Young at the Factory-Hall, being the Place where the first Effort of Military Tyranny was made within a few Days after the Troops arrived.