her
learned the facts, he wrote a letter to a friend, clearing himself,
and charging the forgery on Randolph or his brother. Randolph brought
his action for a libel, claiming L500 damages. But it came to
nothing--then. Now times are changed!

Col. Pynchon, of Springfield, one of the officers in this new state of
things, was empowered to bind over all persons suspected of riots,
"outrageous or abusive _reflecting words and speeches against the
government_." "The spirit of justice was banished from the courts that
bore the name."[103]

[Footnote 103: Hutch. 327; Washburn, ibid.]

But notwithstanding the attempt to stifle speech, a great tall
minister at Rowley, called Andros "a wicked man!" For that offence he
was seized and put in prison! He, also, like Higginson, is represented
in this court by one of his own name; and the same inextinguishable
religious fire which burned in the bosom of Robert in Old England, and
from Samuel in New England flashed into the commissioned face of
Andros, now lightens at this bench from the eyes of WENDELL PHILLIPS,
who confers new glory on his much-honored ancestor.

* * * * *

Gentlemen of the Jury, you know how this wickedness was brought to an
end. If the courts would not decree Justice, there was a rougher way
of reaching it, and having it done. Civil war, revolution by violence,
came in place of the simple forms of equity, which the judges had set
at nought. William of Orange, a most valiant son-in-law, drove the
foul tyrant of Old England from that Island, where the Stuarts have
ever since been only "Pretenders;" and on the 19th of April, 1689, the
people of Massachusetts had the tyrant of New England put solemnly in
jail! We were rid of that functionary for ever, and all such
"commissioners" have been held odious in New England ever since the
days of Andros. Eighty-six years later came another 19th of April,
also famous. Well said Secretary Randolph, "Andros has to do with a
perverse people,"--they would not bow to such tyranny in 1689. But he
afterwards became a quite acceptable governor in Virginia,--where, I
doubt not, he has descendants in African bondage at this day.

Catholic James II. sought to establish arbitrary power in America, as
in England, by his prerogative--the Omnipotence of the King; he
failed; the high-handed despotism of the Stuarts went to the ground.
The next attempt at the same thing was by the legislature--the
Omnipoten