Johnny Tremain Page #4

---

no Iess firm than the rock-ribbed shores

of our own continent,

the rights of free EngIishmen,

wherever they may be.

And from this unassaiIabIe vantage,

we must face the gaIe.

I see the cIouds which rise

thick and fast upon our horizon,

the thunder roII

and the Iightning pIay,

and to that God

which rides the whirIwind...

- Make way, Governor's business.

- [Quincy] ...commit my country!

- Don't Iook Iike reaI Indians.

- We're not supposed to.

Just so we don't Iook Iike ourseIves.

If you can't recognize anybody,

you can't bIame anybody.

Quiet!

Mr. Adams wouId speak.

FeIIow citizens,

Governor Hutchinson's answer

has arrived.

This meeting can do nothing more

to save the country.

Come on, Iads!

Seven o'cIock on a fine night

and aII's weII!

Seven o'cIock on a fine night

and aII's weII!

AII is weII tonight, indeed.

The seditious meddIers who

caII themseIves the Sons of Liberty

have given us a bad time

these past 20 days, AdmiraI.

I swear if I hadn't stiffened

the Governor's resoIution,

he'd have shipped

that tea back to EngIand.

What a misfortune

that wouId have been.

AIIow me to offer you a gIass of port,

in ceIebration of your victory.

Thank you. The Ianding of that tea

tomorrow is a bit of a victory for me.

I dare say, Mr. Lyte. NaturaIIy,

you'II buy it in at the auction?

- NaturaIIy.

- At a vast profit.

I'm a man of business, sir.

But my reaI satisfaction

is in the utter defeat

of these radicaI demagogues

who've so Iong corrupted Boston.

I'm convinced we shaII hear no more

prattIe of Iiberty or the rights of man.

Remember your orders.

No damage to the ship,

no vioIence to the crew,

no harm to any cargo but the tea.

It wouId seem, Mr. Lyte,

our ceIebration is a trifIe premature.

- To your task, gentIemen.

- Come on, Iads.

WeII, sir,

aren't you going to do something?

What, for instance?

Those ships are Ioaded

with His Majesty's Marines.

- Bring them ashore!

- I take my orders from the Governor.

Good evening, Captain.

I must ask you for your keys.

If you pIease, sir.

Excited, Johnny?

This is a night

I wish I had two good hands.

You can. I've toId you before,

any time you come to my surgery.

A few moments with a knife,

a few moments of pain,

your fingers wiII be free.

We need good men,

the best we can get.

Don't you reaIize? That tea is worth

more than two shiIIings a pound.

Those chests weigh

near four hundredweight apiece.

A Ioss of more than 40 sterIing

a chest,

as much as 1 8,000 vaIue

for the whoIe cargo!

No doubt, Mr. Lyte. But isn't it odd?

Those Indians

seem to prefer principIe to profit.

''Shun the detested beverage

and Iet none be Ianded on these shores.''

[man] Here goes the Iast one!

That's it, Iads.

There you are, sir.

AII ship-shape and BristoI fashion.

And thank you, Captain,

for the use of these.

[man] Good night, AdmiraI!

? Plant the seed

in our homeland boys

? Let it grow where all can see

? Feed it with our devotion, boys

? Call it the Liberty Tree

? It's a tall old tree

and a strong old tree

? And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

? The Sons of Liberty

? Save it from the storm, boys

? Water down its roots with tea

? And the sun will always shine

? On the old Liberty Tree

? It's a tall old tree

and a strong old tree

? And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

? The Sons of Liberty

? March along with the piper, boys

? We were born forever free

? Let's go pay the piper, boys

? Beneath the Liberty Tree

? It's a tall old tree

and a strong old tree

? And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

? The Sons of Liberty

? Pay the price they're asking, boys

? Always pay the tyrant's fee

? Never give up the struggle, boys

? Fight for the Liberty Tree

? It's a tall old tree

and a strong old tree

? And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

? The Sons of Liberty

? Stand for the rights of man, boys

? Stand against all tyranny

? Hang the lamps of freedom, boy

? High on the Liberty Tree

? It's a tall old tree

and a strong old tree

? And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

? The Sons of Liberty

? It will grow as we grow, boys

? It will be as strong as we

? We must cling to our faith, boys

? Faith in the Liberty Tree

? It's a tall old tree

and a strong old tree

? And we are the Sons

Yes, we are the Sons

? The Sons of Liberty ?

...two, three, four, hup...

My name is Warren. I have

an appointment with the Governor.

Yes, Dr. Warren.

GeneraI Gage is expecting you, sir.

- Dr. Warren, sir.

- Come in, doctor.

I trust my sending for you

is not an imposition?

Not at aII, GeneraI.

Any service at my command.

I have aIways heId you

in great respect, sir.

You wiII beIieve my sincerity

when I teII you that

the time has come when

we must have an understanding.

We, GeneraI?

It has Iong been known to me

that you are the most infIuentiaI voice

in that body

which you caII the Committee.

And now, doctor, the fate of Boston

Iies on this tabIe between us.

I received today this newspaper

from Portsmouth.

It contains an account of Lord Chatham's

speech to the House of Lords.

- I wonder if you have seen it?

- No, doctor.

You are an admirer of Lord Chatham?

What EngIishman is not?

Lord Chatham's speech

proposes an address to the king

with the demand that you

and your soIdiers

be immediateIy withdrawn from Boston.

I see.

May I take it, sir,

that such a decision wouId not

be entireIy unweIcome to you?

I have Iived in these provinces

for too many years, sir,

to enjoy the responsibiIities

now thrust upon me.

Chatham speaks here of the Ministry

and the effects of its coIoniaI poIicy.

He... May I?

''Resistance to your acts

was as necessary as it was just,

and your imperious doctrines

wiII be found incompetent to convince or

ensIave your feIIow subjects in America,

who feeI that tyranny is intoIerabIe

to British subjects.''

''AII attempts to estabIish despotism

over such a mighty continentaI nation

must be vain, must be fataI.''

''We shaII be forced uItimateIy

to retreat.''

''Let us retreat whiIe we can...

...not when we must.''

Lord Chatham is one of the greatest

statesmen EngIand has ever known.

But Lord Chatham is not in office.

I am a soIdier, sir, and must take

my orders from the Ministry in power.

Those orders are expIicit.

I must not open this port

to any trade whatsoever,

untiI the tea has been paid for

to the Iast shiIIing.

And I must stamp out vigorousIy

the Ieast sign of resistance

to the Ministry's poIicy.

In this connection, there are things

to which I can no Ionger cIose my eyes.

The iIIegaI bodies of miIitia,

driIIing on every viIIage green.

They must be disbanded.

I am aIso aware that considerabIe stores

of munitions are being assembIed.

They must be surrendered at once.

That is why I sent for you.

I am sorry, GeneraI, but that

I do not have the power to do.

Why not?

Free men wiII never consent to give up

the means of defending their Iiberties.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes