Hear the Call to Freedom
columnist: Wandering Weasel

Topic: Campaign for Liberty
Boston Gangs Terrorize Government Agency

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You won't see this in the MSM! As many as 2000 paople involved in the widespread intimidation of government agents. Many resign their offices. Developing.....

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by Wandering Weasel
(Libertarian)
Thursday, August 7, 2008

Boston, Massachusettes: August 14, 1765

Throughout the summer of 1765, Samuel Adams saw clearly that the fight against the hated British Stamp Act, a system whereby commerce or movement of goods could not be conducted without the royal "stamp" and its accompanying fee, or tax, would have to be taken to the streets. In preparation, he brought together a group of Bostonians to lead the people known as the 'Loyal Nine'. Included in this group were two distillers, Thomas Chase and John Avery; printer Benjamin Edes of the Boston Gaxette, braziers Stephen Cleverly and John Smith, George Trott, a jeweller and Henry Bass, Adams' cousin. They headquartered in Chase's distillery in Hanover Square.

In order to provide some protection for the (sympathetic) elected public leaders, it was decided that they should not be directly identified with the popular mob, thus making both the popular and political arms of the radical movement independent but coordinated through the Loyal Nine. Ironically, though Adams was the leader, he was not officially a member of either group. Thus the population was organized into an effective force, with each faction playing complementary roles in their resistance to the Stamp Tax.

For brute force, Adams was able to gain the support of the North and South End gangs of Boston. Every year, on Guy Fawkes' night (November 5th.), these two gangs would square off in a pseudo-warfare, often a bloody (though not lethal) affair. Over time, these rival gangs had trained in paramilitary fashion to become an efficient fighting force. The South End gang, led by Ebenezer Mackintosh, had been victorious the previous year in a particularly bloody fight with a force of 2000 men. By August 14, 1765, the mass of the South and North End gangs, forming a popular fighting unit and joined by other radical liberals (which meant practically the entire town of Boston), organized by Adams himself, were ready for action.

On the morning of that fateful day, Adams directed a Boston mob to hang an effigy of the most hated man in Boston - the Stamp Master, Andrew Oliver - on a tree known locally as the Liberty Tree in Newbury Street. Alongside this effigy of Lieutenant Governor Hutchinson's brother-in-law, they hung a large boot, the symbol of the hated Lord Bute, with an image of the Devil coming out of it. Upon hearing of this outrage, and as Chief Justice, Hutchinson ordered the sheriff to cut these effigies down. The Sheriff, on the other hand, was unable to do so without risking his life and those of his deputies at the hands of the mob. By evening, a large crowd had gathered at the Liberty Tree and along Newbury Street. They cut the effigies down and after some violent abuse, marched in a mock funeral procession led by Ebenezer Mackintosh and his South Enders. They made their way to the Council building, shouting "Liberty, Property and No Stamps". After making their impression on the Council, they moved on to the Kilby Street dock, where the newly-built warehouse would be used to distribute the stamped paper stock. This was burned to the ground in a short time.

From there, they moved on to Oliver's residence, where, in the street outside his front door, they ceremonially beheaded his effigy then began throwing showers of rocks at his house. Oliver, being aware of the approaching mob, had made his escape to the military post on the island of Castle William. From Oliver's house they climbed a nearby hill and burned the effigies in a bonfire, returning to ransack his house awhile later.

When told of the riot taking place, Governor Bernard ordered the militia drums to sound, only to find to his panic that the drummers were all in the mob! At this point, he also retreated to the Castle William island post. Thomas Hutchinson, being unafraid of a few 'rabble', accompanied the Sheriff to Oliver's house and tried to order the mob to disperse. They were met with more rocks and general threats and abuse, and made a hasty retreat. The people had spoken, there would be no taxation without representation. The first blows had been struck against the British Grand Design; and for many years thereafter, August 14 was celebrated as the first day of the American revolution.

As Sam Adams called to the crowds: "The people shouted! And their shout was heard to the distant end of this continent." The next day, the mob gathered and forced Oliver to resign his office as Stamp Master by threatening to burn his house down, along with offers of considerable personal violence, thus making it impossible to distribute stamped paper and so enforce the stamp tax throughout Boston or its harbor.

This action quickly spread through the other colonies, whereby all the Stamp Masters were forced to resign their office under mob threats, beginning with the tiny colony of Rhode Island, following in the footsteps of Boston. By the enactment date of November 1st., not a single Stamp Master was in office and able  to enforce this hated tax through the entire continent.

Tuesday, September 2nd. will be our modern day August 14th. As in the 18th. century, the lead-up to revolution takes years of abuse and petition for redress. We as a people have the right to petition our government for redress of grievances. It often appears that we as individuals are forced to accept indifference from our political leaders because there is always a bigger group of richer lobbyists who obviously deserve better treatment.

We as Ron Paul supporters have found ways to make ourselves heard.

Take the American Freedom Agenda Act. This Ron Paul sponsored legislation is designed to:

* Repeal the "Military Commissions Act of 2006" and thereby restore the ancient right of habeas corpus and end legally sanctioned torture by U.S. government agents
* Restore the "Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act" (FISA) and thereby outlaw warrantless spying on American citizens by the President of the United States
* Give Congress standing in court to challenge the President's use of "signing statements" as a means to avoid executing the nation's laws
* Make it illegal for government agents to kidnap people and send them abroad to be tortured by foreign governments
* Provide legal protection to journalists who expose wrong-doing by the Federal government
* Prohibit the use of secret evidence to label groups or individuals as terrorists for the purpose of criminal or civil sanctions

You can tell your congressman to support this bill here:
[link edited for length]

We are being heard. Because of all of your faxes and email petitions, we are making progress and gaining some victories:

Republican Congressmen are still occupying the capitol with the lights dimmed and no microphones in an attempt to highlight the fact that the speaker recessed the House without a debate on the energy crisis. They received literally hundreds of thousands of drill bits in their mail to remind them that the people want the government out of energy. You can call Speaker Pelosi directly and wish her a long and happy vacation. Let her know your thoughts here:
Speaker Pelosi: 202-225-0100; 202-225-4965

On July 28th., the Senate killed S. 3297. This massive bill, called the "Advancing America's Priorities Act," contained 36 completely unrelated measures. Sixty votes were needed to close debate and bring the bill to a final vote. It received only 52 votes -- there were 40 votes against. Once again, your voice was heard and Congress trembled.

We have a right to expect a redress of grievances. An individual right. An inelienable right. A God-given right. The people in power understand only too well what may happen if they continue to ignore the groundswell of grassroots opinion and carry out these tyrannical policies indefinitely. I will be celebrating August 14th. with my family. We plan to join our neighbors in burning an effigy of Speaker Pelosi in the street then get together for drinks and lay plans for our next step in the revolution, much like Sam Adams'  Boston Caucus club would meet at the Green Dragon Tavern in the early 1660's.  Don't expect to hear about it in the establishment-controlled media. Don't ask for a commentary from Rush or Sean, they won't talk. Don't expect Speaker Pelosi to have any idea of the significance of August 14th. in our shared history. She and her little band of "merry men" couldn't care less. Too busy taking bribes (sorry, I mean campaign contributions) and building their empire. We are building our revolution the same way it came about all those years ago - one disappointment at a time. Every time our government takes a little more from us, a few more join our ranks.

We the People will, eventually, take our country back and put these "professionals" out of business.

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2008 Wandering Weasel, all rights reserved.
Published: Thursday, August 7, 2008
Last modified: Thursday, August 7, 2008

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