1 sounded with complaints of the insult that had been offered to the inhabitants in removing the sloop from the wharf, and thus proclaiming apprehensions of a rescue. These complaints were sanctioned by the assembly, who declared that the criminality of the rioters was extenuated by the irritating and unprecedented circumstances of the seizure; but added, nevertheless, that as the rioters deserved severe punishment, they must beseech the governor to direct that they should be prosecuted, and proclaim a reward for their discovery. The rioters, however, had nothing to fear: nor was any one of them ever molested. A suit for penalties was afterwards instituted against Hancock in the court of admiralty: but the officers of the crown finding it beyond their power to adduce sufficient evidence of facts which though every body knew, nobody would attest, abandoned the prosecution and restored the vessel. 3 BOSTON MASSACRE. THE British senate had been assured by Franklin that a military force despatched to America, though it would not find, would easily create a rebellion; but more credit had been given by the present ministers to the representations of Bernard, Hutchinson, Oliver, Paxton, and other partisans of prerogative, that an impending rebellion could be averted only by the exhibition of military power. Ever since the arrival of the troops at Boston, the inhabitants of this city had regarded the presence of these instruments of despotic authority with an increasing sense of indignity; and reciprocal insults and injuries paved the way for a tragical event which made a deep and lasting impression of resentment in America. An affray which commenced between an inhabitant of the town and a private soldier, having been gradually extended by the participation of the fellowcitizens of the one and the comrades of the other, terminated to the advantage of the soldiers, and inflamed the people with a passionate desire of vengeance, which, it has been justly or unjustly surmised, was fomented by some persons of consideration, who hoped that the removal of the troops would be promoted by a conflict between them and the towns-people. A corresponding animosity was cherished by the soldiers, some of whom had been severely hurt in the affray. They began to carry clubs in their hands when they walked in the streets, gave other symptoms of willingness to renew the conflict, and evinced the most insulting contempt for a people to whom their presence was already sufficiently offensive. After the lapse of three days from the first affray, and after various symptoms had betrayed that some dangerous design was harboured on both sides, a party of soldiers while under arms in the evening were assaulted by a body of the people, who pressed upon them, struck some of them, loaded them with insults, terming them bloodybacks, (in allusion to the practice of flogging in the British army) and cowards, and tauntingly dared them to fire. The conduct of the soldiers was far from blameless. They had previously by studied insult provoked the rage of the people, and they now exasperated by retorting the verbal outrages, which they possessed the most fatal means of avenging. One soldier, at length, on receiving a blow, fired at his assailant; and a single discharge from six others succeeded. Three of the citizens were killed, and five dangerously wounded. The town became instantly a scene of the most violent commotion; the drums beat to arms; thousands of the inhabitants flocked together, and beheld the bloody spectacle of their slaughtered fellow-citizens with a rage that would have lengthened and aggravated the calamities of the night, if Hutchinson, the deputy-governor, and the other civil authorities, had not promptly interfered, and, arresting the soldiers who had fired, together with the officer under, whose immediate command they had been, and loudly blaming them for firing without the order of a magistrate, held forth to the people the hope of more deliberate vengeance, and prevailed with them to disperse. The next morning Hutchinson convoked the council, which was engaged in discussing the unhappy event, when a message was received from a general assemblage of the citizens, declaring it to be their unanimous opinion, that nothing could rationally be expected to restore the peace of the town and prevent bloodshed and carnage, but the immediate removal of the troops. After some hesitation, Hutchinson and the commander of the forces, who each desired to throw the responsibility of this measure upon the other, perceiving that it was inevitable, agreed to it; and the commotion subsided. One of the wounded men died; and the four bodies of the slain were conducted to the grave with every ceremonial expressive of public honour and respect by an immense concourse of people, followed by a long train of carriages belonging to the principal inhabitants of the town. Captain Preston, who had commanded the party of troops engaged in the fatal affair, and all the soldiers who had fired, were committed to jail, and arraigned on an indictment of murder. Their trial was awaited with earnest expectation, and for some time with passionate hope or stern conviction in the public mind that it would terminate fatally for the accused. Considering the mighty cloud of passion, prejudice, and exaggeration, through which their conduct was viewed, such an event would have merited more |