Search -
Famous orators of the world and their best orations
Famous orators of the world and their best orations Author:Charles Morris Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SAMUEL ADAMS (J722-J803) LEADER OF THE BOSTON PATRIOTS |ROM 1760 to 1775 Boston was the hotbed of resistance to British oppression. On it the hand of Georg... more »e III. descended with crushing weight, and a stalwart group of patriots defied the efforts of those whom they deemed their mortal enemies. Foremost among these was Samuel Adams, who led in all the movements against "taxation without representation," and by his fervid oratory kept the spirit of resistance alive. Poor though he was, he could not be bought, though more than once an effort to bribe him to desert the cause of the people was made. " Come, friend Samuel," said to him Mather Byles, a Tory clergyman of Boston, " let us relinquish republican phantoms and attend to our fields." " Very well," he replied, " you attend to the planting of liberty and I will grub up the taxes. Thus we shall have pleasant places." He was the leading spirit in the celebrated " Boston Tea Party." On December 16, 1773, when the tea-ships lay in the harbor, a great town meeting was held, in which Adams and others took prominent part. When night had fallen he rose and said: " This meeting can do nothing more to save the country." These words seemed a signal, a war-whoop was heard at the door, and a party of men disguised as Indians rushed impetuously to the wharf, boarded the ships, and flung the tea to the fishes of the harbor. This event and the action of the king in response thereto, had a great deal to do with precipitating the Revolution. Adams became a member of the Continental Congress and was one of the most earnest and unflinching of those who labored for the Declaration of Independence. The signing of the Declaration gave occasion for the delivery of the only example we possess of his fervent SO SAMUEL ADAMS oratory. Adams...« less