George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 6, 10th edition.

‘ [523] persist in your right to tax the Americans, you will

Chap. LII.} 1774. April.

force them into open rebellion.’ On the other hand, Lord North asked that his measures might be sustained with firmness and resolution; and then, said he, ‘there is no doubt but peace and quietude will soon be restored.’ ‘We are now in great difficulties,’ said Dowdeswell, speaking for all who adhered to Lord Rockingham; ‘let us do justice before it is too late.’ But it was too late. Even Burke's object had been only ‘to refute the charges against that party with which he had all along acted.’ After his splendid eloquence no more divided with him than forty-nine, just the number that had divided against the Stamp Act, while on the other side stood nearly four times as many. ‘The repeal of the tea tax was never to be obtained, so long as the authority of Parliament was publicly rejected or opposed.’

“With ten thousand regulars,” said the creatures of the Ministry, ‘we can march through the Continent.’ To bring Boston on its knees and terrify the rest of America by the example, Gage, the military Commander-in-Chief for all North America, was commissioned as the civil Governor of Massachusetts also, and was sent over with four regiments to enforce submission. He was directed to shut the port of Boston, and having as a part of his instructions the opinion of Thurlow and Wedderburn that acts of High Treason had been committed there, he was directed to take measures for bringing the ringleaders to condign punishment. Foremost among these, Samuel Adams was marked out for sacrifice as the chief of the revolution. ‘He is the most elegant writer, the most sagacious politician, and celebrated patriot, perhaps ’