Chapter XII: Revolutionary Proclamations

Gen. Gage's administration of less than a year and a half in the "Province of Massachusetts Bay," for he never had any government over the province other than military, was prolific in proclamations, some of which are rather curious. On the 1st of June, 1774, by order of Parliament and the King, Boston Harbor was closed and possessed by ships of the British navy. Nothing could enter or leave the port: wood as fuel could not be brought from the islands, or merchandise or lumber removed from wharf to wharf by water; nothing whatever could be water borne within a circle of sixty miles, either to arrive or depart. At the same time British troops held the town; and the government, such as it was, was removed to Salem, where the General Court reassembled on the 7th of June. At this session, on the 17th, as the result of arrangements made by Samuel Adams and his fellow-patriots, five delegates were chosen to represent the colony in the proposed Continental Congress, at Philadelphia. As soon as these proceedings, while yet in progress, reached Gen. Gage's ears by a tricky tory, who got out of the hall by feigning a call of nature, he issued his first proclamation, which Mr. Secretary Flucker, as he found the door locked and could not get into the chamber, had to read on the stairs, as follows:--

"Province of MASSACHUSETTS-BAY.

By the GOVERNOR.

"A PROCLAMATION for dissolving the General-Court.

"WHEREAS the Proceedings of the House of Representatives, in the
present Session of the General Court, make it necessary, for his
Majesty's Service, that the said General Court should be dissolved:--

"I have therefore thought fit to dissolve the said General Court, and
the same is hereby dissolved accordingly, and the Members thereof are
discharged from any further Attendance.

"GIVEN under my Hand at Salem, the 17th Day of June, 1774, in the
Fourteenth Year of his Majesty's Reign.

By his Excellency's Command,}
} T. GAGE.
THO'S FLUCKER, Secretary. }

"GOD SAVE THE KING."

Gen. Gage's next proclamation was against the existence of the famous "Committee of Correspondence," which Samuel Adams had originated, and the "solemn league and covenant" "to suspend all commercial intercourse with the island of Great Britain," &c. And "in tenderness to the inhabitants of this province," he issued this proclamation of warning.

Then, as if to cap the climax of pretension and folly, not to say hypocrisy, on the 25th of July, while he relied upon the counsels and efforts of the tory party, issued what may be called a very curious proclamation, such as possibly, under some circumstances, might have been issued by Gov. Endicott, in the early days of New England Puritanism; but the Puritans had long before this time passed out of power. The following is the proclamation:--

MASSACHUSETTS BAY.

By the GOVERNOR. A PROCLAMATION.

_For the Encouragement of Piety, and Virtue, and for preventing and
punishing of vice, profanity and immorality._

In humble imitation of the laudable example of our most gracious
sovereign _George_ the third, who in the first year of his reign was
pleased to issue his Royal proclamation for the encouragement of piety
and virtue, and for preventing of vice and immorality, in which he
declares his royal purpose to punish all persons guilty thereof; and
upon all occasions to bestow marks of his royal favor on persons
distinguished for their piety and virtue:

"I therefore, by and with the advice of his Majesty's Council, publish
this proclamation, exhorting all his Majesty's subjects to avoid all
hypocrisy, sedition, licentiousness, and all other immoralities, and
to have a grateful sense of all God's mercies, making the divine laws
the rule of their conduct.

"I therefore command all Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, and other
Officers, to use their utmost endeavors to enforce the laws for
promoting religion and virtue, and restraining all vice and sedition;
and I earnestly recommend to all ministers of the gospel that they be
vigilant and active in inculcating a due submission to the laws of God
and man; and I exhort all the people of this province, by every means
in their power, to contribute what they can towards a general
reformation of manners, restitution of peace and good order, and a
proper subjection to the laws, as they expect the blessing of Heaven.

"And I do further declare, that in the disposal of the offices of
honor and trust, within this province, the supporters of true religion
and good government shall be considered as the fittest objects of such
appointments.

"And I hereby require the Justices of assize, and Justices of the
peace in this province, to give strict charge to the grand Jurors for
the prosecution of offenders against the laws: and that, in their
several courts they cause this proclamation to be publickly read
immediately before the charge is given.

"_GIVEN at the Council Chamber in Salem, the 21st day of July, 1774,
in the fourteenth year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord GEORGE the
Third by the Grace of GOD of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King,
Defender of the Faith, &c._

"THOMAS GAGE.

"By his Excellency's Command,
THOS. FLUCKER, Secry.

"GOD SAVE THE KING."

The gist of the proclamation, which was specially intended for the people of Boston, for whose benefit the words "sedition and hypocrisy" were used, was in the phrase, "submission to the laws of God _and man_." This proclamation was not like the previous one, directed to the sheriffs; nor was it ordered to be posted in the several towns of the province; nor was it ordered to be read from the pulpits of the churches; but the justices of the courts and grand juries were to see to its observance. It was, in fact, a mere piece of gasconade on the part of the governor, in imitation of his Majesty very likely; but, like the others, nobody either observed it or troubled themselves about it; and it has very rarely been spoken of since, if at all, by any historian. However it may be characterized, it simply had the effect to exasperate the minds of the people, owing to the insertion of _hypocrisy_ among the immoralities.[10] The proclamation itself, as they thought, was the boldest piece of political hypocrisy the government had yet perpetrated. It was much like every thing else which the king, ministry, or governor had done from the time of the stamp-act, and had a tendency to make matters worse instead of better.

Gen. Gage's proclamation of the 12th of June, 1775, offering pardon to all who shall lay down their arms, &c., is well known. It begins,--

"Whereas the infatuated multitude who have suffered themselves to be conducted by certain well-known incendiaries and traitors in a fatal progression of crimes against the constitutional authority of the state, have at length proceeded to avowed rebellion," &c. ... "A number of armed persons to the amount of many thousands assembled on the 19th of April," &c. "In this exigency I avail myself of the last effort," and thereupon offers "a full pardon to all who shall lay down their arms, excepting Samuel Adams and John Hancock, whose offences are of too flagitious a nature to admit of any other consideration than that of condign punishment," &c.

The proclamation was probably written by Gen. Burgoyne, and so little attention was paid to it that the army continued intact at Cambridge, and in exactly one week from its date occurred the battle of Bunker Hill, which proved so "fatal" to more than a thousand British soldiers. In less than four months after this time Gen. Gage "laid down his arms" and returned to England; and a few months later, in March, 1776, the army and the navy followed his example and left the country, taking the "Port Act" with them, but leaving for the use of the colony, arms, ammunition, provisions, and even medical stores.