Page:History of the United States of America, Spencer, v1.djvu/320

 killed was celebrated with great display. The anniversary of the event was also kept up for a long time afterwards, as marking the period when the first blood was shed in the dispute with England.

It is greatly to the honor of those patriots, John Adams and Josiah Quincy, Jr., that they had the courage and disposition to act as counsel in the trial of Captain Preston and the soldiers, which took place in October, 1770. Equally honorable also is the issue of the trial to the character and independence of the judiciary. For, it will be remembered, that it was at the risk of reputation and good standing in the community that the counsel ventured to take the step they so nobly took, and the voice of public clamor was so loud and stern that it might well have influenced any court in the world to lean to the side of what the people hoarsely cried for. Six whole days were patiently devoted to the case in court; Preston and six of the soldiers were acquitted; two only were convicted of manslaughter, and these were not severely punished. Even the judge is reported to have said:"I feel myself deeply affected that this affair turns out so much to the shame of the town in general." Adams also writes in his Diary, that it was insinuated that he had been bribed to undertake the case; but, in fact, as he says: "Twenty guineas was all I ever received for fourteen or fifteen days' labor in the most exhausting and fatiguing cause I ever tried, for hazarding a popularity very general and very hardly earned, and for incurring a clamor, popular suspicions, and prejudices, which are not yet worn out, and never will be forgotten as long as the history of this period is read. Although the clamor has been long and loud among some sorts of people, it has been a great consolation to me, through life, that I acted in this business with steady impartiality, and conducted it to so happy an issue."

The Assembly, meanwhile, had met at Cambridge, where Hutchinson had convened them. They protested against this as in violation of their rights, and at the same time took high ground in asserting the necessity of some radical change in the management of public affairs, and the settlement of grievances under which the people were groaning. The General Court closed its session in November by prorogation, after having resolved, among other things, to promote industry and frugality, and to encourage the use of domestic manufactures throughout the province; and having appointed a committee of correspondence to communicate with the agents in Great Britain, and with the committees of the colonies. The first of these resolutions of the Massachusetts Assembly, namely, to discourage the use of foreign articles, had been adopted in consequence of a