July 2022
这幅由约翰·霍勒斯·尼科尔斯创作的葬礼挽歌的音乐和歌词的正面印刷，“哀悼一个有前途和最受欢迎的儿子。,” Charles Austin, an eighteen-year-old Harvard College student, who was killed early in the afternoon of 4 August 1806 in State Street, the main thoroughfare of Boston. Austin had “chastised” lawyer Thomas O. Selfridge by striking him with a sturdy walking stick. Selfridge, who had been forewarned that he might be attacked by a “hired bully,” had just left his office in the Old State House with a loaded pistol either in his pocket or held behind his back. He shot and killed young Austin—a “catastrophe” that shocked Boston.
Tragically, 查尔斯·奥斯汀死于一个月前在波士顿北端科普山举行的7月4日独立日派对的争议法案. Thomas Selfridge, the shooter, 与查尔斯·奥斯汀的父亲陷入了一场日益激烈的公开争论, Benjamin Austin, Jr. 这两个人是波士顿尖锐分歧的政治派别(政党)的领袖人物.
本杰明·奥斯汀曾是一个委员会的主席，该委员会为波士顿(民主党)共和党派系组织了一个独立的7月4日庆祝活动, supporters of President Thomas Jefferson, 很明显，小镇的官方庆祝活动将由联邦党人主导，联邦党人是在乔治·华盛顿和约翰·亚当斯总统身边成长起来的政治派别. The Federalists had fallen from favor except in New England, but Massachusetts, which then included the District of Maine, 在一场又一场激烈的州长选举中，派系之间的平衡是否得到了巧妙的平衡, elections that then took place each year.
In this tense political atmosphere, 本杰明·奥斯丁委员会主办的独立日派对结果非常成功——太成功了. 一位突尼斯外交官和他穿着鲜艳的随行人员出现在Copp山上，吸引了拥挤的人群，预计360美元的费用最终变成了630美元(另外7头烤猪和10蒲式耳绿豌豆大大增加了费用)。. Austin refused to pay more than the estimate and Eber Eager, the keeper of the Jefferson Tavern on Prince Street in Boston who catered the affair, although a Republican himself, hired Thomas Selfridge, an arch Federalist, to press his demand.
一位私人调解人很快就在Eager和Austin的政党委员会之间达成了和解, 但奥斯丁和塞尔弗里奇继续不断升级的“帖子”攻击对方，并将其作为广告刊登在有党派倾向的波士顿报纸上. 奥斯汀指责塞尔弗里奇不道德地寻求合法的商业利益，而塞尔弗里奇则指责奥斯汀散布利记APP官网手机版他的“耶稣会式的虚假”言论.
在马萨诸塞州，决斗是非法的，但对手通过发布的广告“发布”对方的信息就会被视为非法, in some cases, “chastise” their opponents by bullying or assault. If too old or infirm—Benjamin Austin was 54 and Thomas Selfridge, although only 31, 自从上大学以来，他的身体就一直很差——他们雇了亲戚，甚至雇了“恶霸”来执行“惩罚”.” When Charles Austin struck Selfridge, he was acting on behalf of his father. Selfridge was indicted for manslaughter and the case of Commonwealth v. Selfridge 成为一个值得注意的法律里程碑，因为司法裁决涉及被告在受到攻击时“坚持自己的立场”的权利，以及被告是否可以使用致命武力进行自卫, even if he was mistaken about an attacker’s murderous intent.
1806年12月，马萨诸塞州最高司法法院的艾萨克·帕克法官对此案进行了审判，“共和党”检察官参与了审判, Massachusetts Attorney General James Sullivan and Solicitor General Daniel Davis, against a defense team made up of notable Federalist attorneys, Christopher Gore and Samuel Dexter. When Selfridge was found not guilty, there were large scale protests of the verdict. Both Selfridge and Theophilus Parsons, chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, 人们普遍认为是谁影响了大陪审团决定以过失杀人罪而不是谋杀罪审判塞尔弗里奇, were hanged in effigy in Boston and elsewhere.
The contemporary manuscript annotations at the top and the foot of A Funeral Dirge 表明马萨诸塞州持续的政治分歧:查尔斯·奥斯汀是“被T·O·塞尔弗里奇手中的手枪击中”，但随后, a different writer adds “in self defense.” At the foot of the page, 文本中的“哀悼的陛下”被确定为“诚实”或本:奥斯汀[奥斯汀以笔名“诚实”写作]，一个老式的雅各宾派.杰斐逊派的共和党人支持法国大革命，并经常因其过激行为而受到谴责.
而马萨诸塞州历史学会的研究员和成员则认为自己已经脱离了政党政治, the roles of James Sullivan (a Republican), the first president of the MHS, 1791-1806, and Christopher Gore (a Federalist), the second president, 1806-1818, 作为塞尔弗里奇案的首席检察官和辩护律师，很难相信政治没有干涉该协会的活动. 在审判之后的几年里，他们都担任了马萨诸塞州的州长(沙利文从1807年到1808年，戈尔从1809年到1810年)，这一事实将政党政治带入了协会的会议室. Even Paul Revere, full of years but still active in civic life, enters the story. 里维尔是塞尔弗里奇案的陪审团主席，后来他被指控偏袒被告, 支持塞尔弗里奇的报纸引用“历史学会的论文”作为里维尔在革命前和革命期间杰出的公共服务和光荣的品格的证据.
1806年，波士顿有七家报纸，大多数支持一个或另一个政治派别. Benjamin Austin, writing as “Honestus,” had been a contributor to the Independent Chronicle, a reliably Republican newspaper, while the Columbian Centinel played the same role for the Federalist party.
Bentley, William. The Diary of William Bentley: Pastor of the East Church, Salem, Massachusetts. Salem: The Essex Institute, 1905-1914. 4 vols.
In diary entries for 4 May 1806 and 1 September 1808 (vol. 3, p. 226 and 381), Rev. 本特利描述了1806年协会出于政治动机如何“忽视了他们的老主席”，“(主席)詹姆斯·沙利文被从椅子上推了下来。 & [Christopher] Gore promoted.”
Breen, Daniel. “Parson’s Charge: The Strange Origins of Stand Your Ground,” Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal, vol. 16, p. 41-78.
Brown, Richard M. No Duty to Retreat: Violence and Values in American History and Society. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1994.
Emerson, William. A Sermon, Delivered to the First Church in Boston, on the Lord’s Day after the Calamitous Death of Mr. Charles Austin. Boston: Printed at the Emerald Press by Belcher and Armstrong, 1806.
Rev. William Emerson lamented not only the death of Charles Austin, “a youth of this religious society,” but also “the evil principles and manners of the times.”
Selfridge, Thomas O. A Correct Statement of the Whole Preliminary Controversy between Tho. O. Selfridge and Benj. 奥斯汀:也简述了1806年8月4日发生在波士顿道富街的灾难. Charlestown: Printed by Samuel Etheridge for the Author, 1807.
Selfridge, Thomas O. Trial of Thomas O. Selfridge, Attorney at Law, Before the Hon. Isaac Parker, Esquire. For Killing Charles Austin, on the Public Exchange, in Boston, August 4th, 1806. Boston: Published by Russell and Cutler, 1807.
庭审由两名独立记者速记下来，并“得到了法院的批准”, and reporter to the state.” The transcription is remarkably detailed and includes a scale diagram of State Street where the shooting took place.
Tager, Jack. “Politics, Honor, 革命后波士顿的自卫:1806年托马斯·塞尔弗里奇过失杀人罪审判,” Historical Journal of Massachusetts, vol. 27, no. 2 (Fall 2009), p. 84-105.
Travers, Len. 庆祝四周年:共和初期的独立日与民族主义仪式. Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1997.
而不是关注导致查尔斯·奥斯汀死亡的7月4日共和党在科普山的派对, 特拉弗斯描述了政党在创建这个全国性节日中的作用.
Triber, Jayne E. A True Republican: A Life of Paul Revere. Amherst: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1998.
Warren, Charles. Jacobin and Junto or Early American Politics as Viewed in the Diary of Dr. Nathaniel Ames, 1758-1822. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1931.