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

SPRINGFIELD. 1636-1886. 363
state. A memorial to Congress was proposed in April. This me-
morial was adopted in September. In mid-winter (1809) the embargo
was denounced as " disgraceful in its origin, oppressive in its opera-
tion, destructive in its consequences, and fatal to the Interest and
honour of our Country ;
" the act of Congress giving the President
power to enforce the embargo is called a violation of civil liberty, as
it " prostrates the sovereignty of the States at the foot of the Federal
executive ;
" and finally the town looked with distrust at the massing
of troops by the United States. On March 12, 1812, the town-meet-
ing gathered in the town-house, but adjourned to the meeting-house
in the afternoon. The old selectmen, Thomas Dwight, George Bliss,
John Hooker, and Lieut. George Blake, retired, after many years'
faithful service, and new men were called to the front. They were
Joshua Frost, Judah Chapin, and Lieut. Eleazer Wright. It was not
until three weeks had passed that the matter was settled by the
addition of Edward Pynchon, Jonas Coolidge, Daniel Lombard,
Phineas Chapin, and Asher Bartlett to the select board. Moses
Chapin, of the old board, was reelected. The representatives for
1812 were William Sheldon, Moses Chapin, and Edmund Dwight.
In July, 1812, the town protested against war, Chauncey Brewer
being in the chair. The government was declared a " trust for the
good of the people," and public officers " the Agents of the People
and at all times accountable to them." The war was called a "war
of aggression and conquest, and when viewed in connection with our
relations to France as threatening the extinction of the Liberties of
the people of the United States." It was also "Resolved, that we
hold in utter abhorrence an Alliance with France, the destroyer of all
Republics and the common Enemy of every free and independent
state." A regretful glance was cast back to "that high ground of
real and impartial neutrality" in the "days of Washington, when
Peace Avith all Nations and entangling Alliance with none was the
motto."
We find, also, that Springfield considered that the State militia was