To the Betrayed Inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York By Alexander McDougall - Essay Example

McDougall wrote that the people of New York were being tyrannized by evil forces and factions working overtime to see that their vested interests were fulfilled rather than ensuring that the country was insulated from disasters. The message clearly breathed the spirit of reconstruction rather than retribution, and was easily more constructive than destructive. McDougall's message was not only powerful, but as any historian can make out, it was a wakeup call, a call to liberty and freedom, and not a baleful message addressed to the masses, giving them false hope and instigating wanton and unnecessary violence.

In his message to the people of New York, McDougall wanted to warn them to beware of "the minions of tyranny and despotism." These words written at the very outset of his message, we can very well appreciate his deepest interest in his fellowmen - the people of New York to whom he had addressed his message. In the message, McDougall praised the efforts of all his fellow merchants, who like himself, had solely sidestepped their personal egos and ambitions in favor of public welfare. The initial bearing of his message is more about the efforts taken by the Massachusetts and South Carolina assemblies towards collecting and dispatching money for the troops: which is an act he felt extremely unreasonable from the very beginning.

McDougall's message communicated the words: Our granting money to the troops, is implicitly acknowledging the authority that enacted the revenue acts, and their being obligatory on us, as these acts were enacted for the express purpose of taking money out of our pockets without our consent; and to provide for the defending and support of government in America; which revenue we say by our grant of money, is not sufficient for the purpose aforesaid; therefore we supply the deficiency. These words clearly specify the reason why McDougall felt that the money sent to the troops by the two assemblies testify the fact that colonies still were oppressed by corrupt sources in the assembly, and that they had to break free as soon as they could.

The entire message was revolutionary in its truest sense but must not be confused with instigating anti-British and revolutionary feelings among the people. That was the entire beauty of McDougall's broadside message. Upon a close analysis, we will find that his call was to rally the people, make them realize their rights, and look up to the English "friends of liberty," as he addressed them, and to help them stand on their own feet. He also wrote that the sorry state of the New Yorkers could be attributed only to the oppressive and corrupt elements present in the assembly and he fervently pleaded with his countrymen to assert themselves the way they should have.

Even as we read the text we can clearly observe McDougall's fantastic expression. Using that persuasive tone, McDougall had touched the most sensitive of topics, and yet made it look as if he was teaching to inspire, and not plotting to revolt. In this context, we can observe the manner in which he wrote about