TEA LEAVES: - Yesterday Image

"All America is in a flame on account of the tea exportation," wrote a British officer at
New York to a friend in London.[xvii] "The New Yorkers, as well as the Bostonians and
Philadelphians, it seems, are determined that no tea shall be landed. They have published
a paper in numbers called the 'Alarm.' It begins, 'Dear countrymen,' and goes on
exhorting them to open their eyes, and then, like sons of liberty, throw off all connection
with the tyrant—the mother country.' They have on this occasion raised a company of
artillery, and every day almost, are practicing at a target. Their independent companies
are out, and exercise every day. The minds of the townspeople are influenced by the
example of some of their principals. They swear that they will burn every tea-ship that
comes in; but I believe that our six and twelve pounders, with the Royal Welch Fusileers,
will prevent anything of that kind."
Philadelphia, the largest town in the colonies, led off in the work of opposing the plans of
the home government. In a handbill signed "Scævola," circulated there, with the heading,
"By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall," the factors appointed, by the East India
Company were characterized as "political bombardiers to demolish the fair structure of
liberty;" and it was said that all eyes were fixed on them, and they were urged to refuse to
act.
At a large meeting held at the State House on October 18, resolutions were passed
declaring that the duty on tea was a tax imposed on the colonists without their consent,
and tended to render assemblies useless; that the shipment by the East India Company
was an attempt to enforce the tax, and that every one who should be concerned in the
unloading, receiving or vending the tea, was an enemy to his country. In accordance with
one of the resolutions of the meeting, a committee was appointed to wait on the
consignees in that[xviii] city, to request them, from regard to their own characters and the
public peace, and good order of the city and Province, immediately to resign their
appointment. The Messrs. Wharton gave a satisfactory answer, which was received with
shouts of applause. Groans and hisses greeted the refusal of another firm to commit
themselves, until the tea arrived. So general and so commanding was the movement,
however, that in a few days they also resigned. "Be assured," wrote Thomas Wharton,
one of the consignees, "this was as respectable a body of inhabitants as has been together
on any occasion, many of the first rank. Their proceedings were conducted with the
greatest decency and firmness, and without one dissentient voice."
A few days after the action of Philadelphia, a meeting was held at the city hall, New
York, (October 26,) when the tea consignees were denounced, and the attempted
monopoly of trade was stigmatized as a "public robbery." The press was active, and
handbills were circulated freely among the people. A series of these called the "Alarm,"
has been already mentioned. "If you touch one grain of the accursed tea you are undone,"
was the sentiment it conveyed. "America is threatened with worse than Egyptian
slavery.... The language of the revenue act is, that you have no property you can call your
own, that you are the vassals, the live stock, of Great Britain." Such were the bold
utterances of the New Yorkers. Within three weeks the New York agents withdrew from
the field. It was thereupon announced that government would take charge of the tea upon
its arrival.