You’ve heard the phrase “too many irons in the fire.” Yes, that’s me. Once again, I need to prioritize my busy-ness. One of the things that fell through the cracks a bit is this blog. I missed a post or two. I shall do better.
Here’s another treasure from Charles Hudson’s History of the Town of Lexington Massachusetts (1868)
“The whole movement of General Gage was simply a secret expedition of a well-appointed corps to destroy a few unguarded military stores – a march through a country of un-offending citizens, where there were no troops to oppose. It was not an expedition into an enemy’s country in time of war; but a sort of excursion party in times of peace, sent out by the acknowledged Governor of the Province, some twenty miles into the country.
And yet the fate of two mighty empires hung upon the conduct of this party. Their excursion was among men who knew their rights, and knowing dared maintain them.
If their march was peaceable, and the rights of the people were respected, they had nothing to fear from the inhabitants. But if they should invade the rights of the citizens by destroying their property or ruthlessly entering their dwellings; and especially if their march should be marked by violence and massacre, it would in all probability cause a wound never to be healed. And yet this party, with a haughty disregard of the rights of the inhabitants, wantonly commenced a system of pillage and massacre, as though it were a mere holiday pastime ; and thus brought on a collision, the effects of which were not only felt in both hemispheres at that day, but may yet extend to unborn ages. “