Anon, they rang out madly[31] What might have peal’d to be The land’s alarm-bell—only now They peal’d to hail the new-born vow Of men that would be free. New York went wild to hear them.[32] Men flooded every way: They left their shops; they stopt their mills; And farmers flock’d from all the hills, And sailors from the bay. Now who would buy a stamp here? Was ask’d in all the ways. But not a shop was not shut to; For all had wiser work to do On this, our day of days. “We would not, and we will not Submit,” said Isaac Sears.[33] The governor said: “You fill the street, But here a fort and there a fleet May yet awake your fears.” “Our stamps,” cried James,[34] his major, “Our stamps, if loaded down Our cannon here, and scatter’d thence Among the crowd, would soon commence To circulate in town.” “Aha,” said Sears in answer, “For this you soldiers came? For this our wily governor here Pretended border wars to fear—[35] Aha, were we his game? “To tax us indirectly,— Was it for this, the crown Bade your imported troopers make Our town[35] support you?—for the sake Of being thus kept down? “To kill our leaders, was it, The crown made them be rank’d By Braddock’s braggarts, who could run And leave a man like Washington[36] By their commands outflank’d? “Yes, yes, in genuine danger We know who[37] win the day; And whose the coin and blood we miss, That, from our fathers’ time to this, Have held our foes at bay. “And need we now your army? You know—your sovereign too, Our wars are his—He[37] France attacks And here her colony—when he lacks Excuse for sending you. “How strong, think you, our patience? How long ere it shall tire?— Ah, Britain’s lion’s whelp may get So tough by cuffs like this, as yet To turn and rend her sire!” “Sheer treason!” cried the major; And “Treason!” cried his chief. Our spokesman’s eye their fury brook’d, Then calmly toward his friends he look’d, And gave his thoughts relief. “Nay, theirs are loyal spirits, But when the wrong is great, And forms of law do not deserve Their soul’s allegiance, then they serve The spirit of the state.” With this, he told those courtiers Their words would he report. They heard the people’s groans that rose To greet the words he bore, and chose To seek, near by, the fort.[38] Then from the fort the cannon Were turn’d upon the town. But “If you fire,” the people cried, “We hang the governor here outside, Or burn your quarters down.” The governor urged his honor; “Had pledged,” he said, “his oath,”[39] And ought to further Britain’s aims.“— We thought New York had equal claims On oath and honor both.[39]