Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 6 (of 8): The United States of North America, Part I
History
Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 6 (of 8): The United States of North America, Part I
America -- Discovery and exploration; America -- History; United States -- History
and there it assumed the form of an altercation between the House of
Representatives and the governor in respect to the presence of the
king's forces.[108] Coming in for their annual session near the end
of May, the House, unwilling even to organize in the presence of the
military, sent a message to the governor, remonstrating against so
gross a breach of its privileges, and requesting him to give orders to
remove the standing army, the main guard of which was kept with cannon
pointed at the very door of the State House.[109] There was no design
in this arrangement, but it was very menacing, nevertheless. For nearly
two weeks messages kept passing back and forth, to the purport, on the
governor's side, that he had no authority to remove the troops, they
being under the commander-in-chief; and on the part of the House, that
they would do no business while the troops remained. It occurred to the
governor that, if he could not remove the troops, he could remove the
General Court; and this he did by directing the secretary to adjourn it
to Cambridge. The Court did not appreciate this stroke of humor, and
proceeded to business only after a protest of necessity. But Bernard's
career was drawing to a close. June 28th he informed the House that the
king desired him to repair to Great Britain. July 8th the House passed
nineteen resolutions,[110] covering the whole ground of dispute with
the home government, and arraigning the governor for various political
misdemeanors. They petitioned for his recall; and Governor Bernard
left the province, accompanied by the reproaches of the House and
manifestations of joy by the people. He did not succeed in a position
in which all who had preceded him and all who followed him failed. He
could not serve well two masters.
[Illustration: PLAN OF KING STREET AND VICINITY.
NOTE.—The plan on the following page is a reduction from that used in
the trial following the massacre, and was made by Paul Revere. It now
belongs to the MS. collections of the writer of this chapter. The key
to the letters in the street, a part of the original drawing, is lost.
Those attached to the buildings, etc., are substituted for the legends
which are in the original, and which would be illegible in the reduced
scale of the present reproduction. They signify as follows:—
A, Doct^r Jones; B, Doct^r Roberts; C, Brigdens, goldsmith; D, John
Nazro, store; E, Main Street; F, Town house; G, Brazen Head; H, Benj.
Kent, Esq., house; I, Mrs. Clapham; J, Exchange Tavern; K, Exchange
Lane; L, Custom House; M, Col. Marshall's house; N, "N.B. The pricked
line is the Gutter;" O, Mr. Paine's house; P, Mr. Davis's house; Q,
Mr. Amory's house; R, Quaker Lane; S, Warden and Vernon's shop; T,
Levi Jening, shop; U, Mr. Peck, wa[t]ch maker, shop; V, Court Square;
W, whipping-post; X, J. & D. Waldo, shop; Y, Pudin Lane; Z, G. C.
Phillips, house; 1, Ezk. Prince, Esq., office; 2, Guard House; 3, Mr.
Bowse, shop.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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