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

320 SPRINGFIELD, 16.36-1886.
" a preposterous and ridiculous remedy ;
" it opposed a revision of the
State constitution on account of the passions of the people so danger-
ously excited, but it called upon the Legislature for remedial measures
that would remove the " imaginary as well as the real grievances of
the people." These resolutions had been passed in September, Avhen
the Legislature met ; but, as has been seen, they produced no effect
upon the people.
The insurgents found hearing in the papers, and loud-mouthed men
declaimed in the taverns of Springfield and elsewhere against the riot
act, the expensive mode of collecting debts, and the payment of mon-
eys raised by impost and excise to discharge the interest of govern-
ment securities, instead of the foreign debt. These agitators, who
sported the hemlock twig, had a scheme of repudiation on hand con-
cerning government securities, which speculators had bought up from
2s. to 6s. Sd. on the pound. They not only objected to applying the
revenues from impost and excise to meet the interest, which in some
cases amounted to more than the price paid for the securities, but they
proposed to repudiate or refund upon the basis of the market value of
the securities. Army officers who remained in the service were prom-
ised by Congress half-pay for life, but this was soon changed to pay
for five years ; and this, considering the depreciation of paper money,
made the fate of the officers doubly unhappy. This commutation
added another harsh string to the orchestral discord that assaulted the
unhappy air.
Boston itself Avas not untinged with the spirit of revolt, and the
moneyed men of that city found that the time had come for them to
l)ut their hands in their pockets and furnish the sinews of war.
After it had been decided to call out the troops the commissary-
general reported that he could get no supplies without cash, and of
this the treasur}^ was empty. General Lincoln immediately visited a
prominent Boston club, and laid the case before them. A subscrip-
tion was started the following morning, the governor heading the
list, and the money was raised before sunset. An army of four