From Farm House to the White House - 912 Freedom Library

Farm House to the White House, by William M. Thayer 133
them, that boasted indulgence was to send them hungry packs of your own creatures to spy out their liberties,
to misrepresent their actions, and to prey upon their substance! Yes, sir; you sent them men, whose behavior
has often caused the blood of those Sons of Liberty to recoil within them--men promoted by you to the highest
seats of justice in that country, who, to my knowledge, had good cause to dread a court of justice in their own!
They protected by your arms? No, sir! They have nobly taken up arms in your defence--have exerted a most
heroic valor, amidst their daily labors, for the defence of a country whose frontier was drenched in blood,
while its interior parts gave up all their savings to our emolument!"
These words of Barré were as just as they were heroic; for, in the "Seven Years' War" the Americans lost
about thirty thousand men; and Massachusetts alone spent about two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in
defence of the country.
The next session of the House of Burgesses occurred after a Congress of delegates from the several Colonies
met in New York City. The doings of that Congress were not suited to make the action of the Virginia
Legislature more conciliatory, for that Congressional body denounced the acts of the British Parliament, and
declared that Americans could never submit to such assaults upon their liberties.
The Virginia Assembly was more insurrectionary at the next session, startling the new governor (Lord
Botetourt) to such a degree that he appeared in the council chamber personally, and said:
"Mr. Speaker, and gentlemen of the House of Burgesses, I have heard of your resolves, and augur ill of their
effects. You have made it my duty to dissolve you, and you are dissolved accordingly."
The Burgesses adjourned to a private house, and made Peyton Randolph moderator. Here Washington
presented "a draft of the articles of association, concerted between him and George Mason. They formed the
ground-work of an instrument signed by all present, pledging themselves neither to import nor use any goods,
merchandise, or manufactures taxed by Parliament to raise a revenue in America."
This plan had been adopted by the New England Colonies, and now measures were taken to make it universal.
Washington adhered scrupulously to the plan, and allowed nothing to come into his house with the tax of
England upon it. He wrote to his London agent:
"You will perceive, in looking over the several invoices, that some of the goods there required are upon
condition that the act of Parliament, imposing a duty on tea, paper, etc., for the purpose of raising a revenue in
America, is totally repealed; and I beg the favor of you to be governed strictly thereby, as it will not be in my
power to receive any articles contrary to our non-importation agreement, which I have subscribed and shall
religiously adhere to, and should, if it were as I could wish it to be, ten times as strict."
He wrote to George Mason:
"Our all is at stake, and the little conveniences and comforts of life, when set in competition with our liberty,
ought to be rejected not with reluctance, but with pleasure.... It is amazing how much this practice, if adopted
in all the Colonies, would lessen the American imports, and distress the various traders and manufacturers in
Great Britain."
Washington's prediction was fulfilled. The traders of England were embarrassed by non-importation, and
appealed to the government for relief. The tax was removed from all articles except tea. It was retained on tea
in order "to show the Colonies that England claimed the right of taxation."
To the Colonies a tax on one article was just as much an invasion of their rights as a tax upon all; so that the
last act of Parliament was additional proof that England meant to force taxation upon them. Of course, as