d not resign or pledge themselves not to land the tea,
they would be regarded as the enemies of their country. William
Molineux, Doctor Warren, and six others were chosen.
A great crowd accompanied the committee. Governor Hutchinson, looking
out upon them from the window of the council chamber, saw that they
were the foremost men of Boston. The consignees were in Richard
Clark's store, and the door was locked.
"From whom are you a committee," asked Clark, opening a window.
"From the whole people."
"I shall have nothing to do with you."
"Then you will be regarded as an enemy of your country," replied
Molineux.
"Out with them!" cried somebody.
"Hold on. Don't let us make fools of ourselves," said Tom Brandon.
There was a murmuring in the crowd.
"In the king's name, I command you to disperse," said the sheriff,
stepping forward.
It was not he, however, but Doctor Warren, who, by a wave of his hand,
stilled the people, and persuaded them to depart.
On Sunday morning, November 29, Tom Brandon, looking with the
telescope, saw a ship at Nantasket, and knew by the signals that it
was the Dartmouth, Captain Hall. When meeting was over at noon, he
called upon Doctor Warren and found him writing a circular to be sent
to the surrounding towns, asking the people to assemble on Monday
morning in Faneuil Hall. Tom took the writing to the printing office
of Edes & Gill in Queen Street, and a printer quickly put it in type.
On Monday morning the people of Boston, Charlestown, Cambridge, and
all surrounding towns were reading it.
FRIENDS! COUNTRYMEN! BROTHERS!
The worst of plagues, the detested tea, shipped for this
port by the East India Company, has arrived. The hour of
destruction or manly opposition to the machinations of
tyranny stares you in the face. Every friend to his country,
to himself, and posterity is now called upon to meet at
Faneuil Hall at nine o'clock this day, at which time the
bells will ring, to make a united resistance to this last,
worst, and most destructive measure of administration!
BOSTON, NOV. 30, 1773.
The bells rang. The people surged into Faneuil Hall. There was a crowd
in the square around the building,--so many people that they adjourned
to the Old South Meetinghouse, where they voted that the tea must go
back to England, and that twenty-five men should keep watch day and
night, to prevent its being landed. The meeting ad
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