ey from the colonists was by acts of their own
legislatures; that the crown possessed no further power than that of
requisition; and that the Parliamentary right of taxation was confined
to the mother-country, where it originated from the natural right of man
to do what he pleased with his own, transferred by consent from the
electors of Great Britain to those whom they chose to represent them in
Parliament.

They also insisted much on the misapplication of public money by the
British ministry. Great pains were taken to inform the colonists of the
large sums annually bestowed on pensioned favorites and for the various
purposes of bribery. Their passions were inflamed by high-colored
representations of the hardship of being obliged to pay the earnings of
their industry into a British treasury, well known to be a fund for
corruption.

While a variety of legal and illegal methods were adopted to oppose the
Stamp Act, November 1st, on which it was to commence its operation,
approached. At Boston the day was ushered in by a funereal tolling of
bells. Many shops and stores were shut. The effigies of the planners and
friends of the Stamp Act were carried about the streets in public
derision, and then torn in pieces by the enraged populace. It was
remarkable that, though a large crowd was assembled, there was not the
least violence or disorder.

At Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, the morning was ushered in with tolling
all the bells in town. In the course of the day notice was given to the
friends of Liberty to attend her funeral. A coffin, neatly ornamented
and inscribed with the word "Liberty" in large letters was carried to
the grave. The funeral procession began from the State House, attended
with two unbraced drums. While the inhabitants who followed the coffin
were in motion, minute-guns were fired, and continued till the coffin
arrived at the place of interment. Then an oration in favor of the
deceased was pronounced. It was scarcely ended before the coffin was
taken up; it having been perceived that some remains of life were left,
on which the inscription was immediately altered to "Liberty revived."
The bells immediately exchanged their melancholy for a more joyful
sound; and satisfaction appeared in every countenance. The whole was
conducted with decency and without injury or insult to any man's person
or property.

The general aversion to the Stamp Act was, by similar methods, in a
variety of places, demonstrated.