Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1861-04-11

igtce up al tho new 1nAcs, oSoeF'.".
ouly that on tea, which it was de
'termined to keep up, as an assertion
OF TIE RIGHT Of Parliament to tai M
colonies.
| III America, this last renlainsn..
tar continued to excite as much dis
content as the mhols bad formerly
done, for IL was the PRINCIPLE Of tn
right to impose taxes which they
found fault with and NOT THE AMouN1
of the tax ITSELF" "Tht
government was then inducedtogran1
such drawback from the British
duty on tea, as enabled The East India
G0mpa ny to offer the article in Amer
s;ca at a lower ratethan formerly, 80 thai
the American duty, wlich acas only
three pence pound, did not affect the
nr,ee 1t was never doubted that this
expedient would satisfy the CO 10.
nists." - .But the principle Of
the riqht TO tar still lurk ed under the
concession, and the result only showed
how little the sentiments Of the
Americans were understood. "
/, will be seen from these extracts,
that the stamp act. which our fathers
considered 70 0dious, was passed by
the British Parliament q little mere
than eleven years before the Declar-
a.iOn OF Independence. and was re-
pealed in less than two years alter lis
passage. 1t will be observed else,
that the ac, imposing a duty upon
foreign merchandise such as tea, glass
and paints, was passed about nine
wears before that ever memorable
epoch in our history; aud that the
act, shortly afterwards, was all re.
pealed except the tax upon tea, and
it was so modified that the East India
Company could import that article 10
American Ports and sell it for less
than it originally cost the colonists.
Then it was not because our an.
ce stors we're groaDiDg under intOlsr-
able taxation that induced them to
tear assurder the shackles that bound
t,am to the mother country. 1t
was not that but it was the principle
by the British crown which
our fathers could not and did not ae-
knowledge.
Can it be possible that there are
those among us, in whose veins cour-
ses the blood oi our revolutionary
sires, that are so degenerate as to be
willing 10 make the disgracefal charge
that Washington. Adams, and Han
cock we're governed alone BY mer-
censry motives, when they were
preparing to precipitate their country
iuto a relentless and bloody re-
volu,ioni Is it reasonable, is it just,
to believe that they we're afraid that
the thirteen colonies would be re-
daced to inexorable bankruptcy be.
cause Of the paltry tax upon tea,
and Other articles Of merchandise
for which there was only limited
demand in the country? Such a
charge ought to copsign to intamy
those who would make il; and II
true would at once snatch every lau-
rel of fame from the brow OF these
honored names, with all their COM
patriots in that memorable struggle.
But again would ask: did the
British Parliament expect to enrich
the Golfers of the government OF
Great Britain, from the amount OF
revenue collected at American ports!
Such sn idea perhaps, never entered
the freuzied brain Of Parliament.
The idea was to assert the right
of taxation, wich was denied upon
the part of the colonies; because to
have admitted it, would at once have
established the inequality Of English
subjects, This, the patriots Of the
revolution could not brook. Equal
ity was all they asked. This was
denied them, and consequently an
inpasssble gulf-"an lrepressible
Conflict" was established between
the two countries, which finally ter
minated in glorious Independence
Of the colonial provinces. Do mol
be alarmed, and excuse me also
when asser. that our fathers were
nuQitsrs and sscsssionists. l an
aware that this declaration will grat'
heavily upon the sensitive organs o
some Of our sore-headed Unior
shriekers. Bo. If SO let them con
suIt the pages of history which read
thus: @Psrtly BY popular ri0lsac
and partly by the declaration ISSUES
BY the local Legislature assembly, th
object Of the act Stamp act) va