Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

278 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-18S6.
fiercely deinanded the imperious colonel of John and Samuel Adams
in Springfield, as they were on their way to the Continental Con-
gress. "To Philadelphia, to declare these colonies free," was the
reply. Worthington said, " Gentlemen, beware ! Look
heads !
out for your
" Worthington himself went to Philadelphia soon after, to save
his own head. Finding that he had jumped from the frying-pan into
the fire, he was on the point of sailing for Halifax, but was dissuaded
by Moses Bliss. This was, indeed, a great change from the time
when Capt. Joseph Ferre, the survivor of the successive funerals of
five wives, had exclaimed, "•Tjolm Worthington rules this town like a
rod of iron." Worthington was eventually compelled to make a state-
ment in town-meeting, which satisfied the people. We do not know
how true it is, but the story has often been told beside Springfield
firesides, that the whigs who dominated the town at this exciting
time were so outraged at the refusal of John AYorthington to join
them, that they led him out in a field, formed a ring, and compelled
him to kneel, and swear l)efore God that he would renounce his tory
views.
There was a John Worthington in every Massachusetts town, but
the spirit of 1776, as we recognize it, did not stand on ceremony.
There was rough work ahead, and personal dignity and private opinion
were unceremoniously brushed aside. It is due to Colonel Worthing-
ton to record that he advanced money for arming soldiers. He was
not reimbursed for these expenditures until after the surrender of
Yorktown.
Toryism had taken a deep hold of several Springfield families of note.
There are in the St. John (N.B.) Cemetery man}' tombstones bearing
old Springfield family names, — a curious testimony to the tenacity of
the tory spirit. Among those who finally went back to p]ngland was
Jonathan Bliss, brother of Luke Bliss. He afterward went to New
Brunswick, and became attorney-general of the province, as well as
chief-justice. His wife was Mary, daughter of John Worthington.
The names of three Pynclions ai)pear on the committee of corre-