The Portland daily press., 1879-11-05
FISHES LECTURES,
No. v.-Cause of the Revolution.

Army and Navy Hall was well filled last
night by an interested audience to listen to the
fifth lecture on American History by Mr.
John Flske of Cambridge. AS the course pro-
crosses the interest in this remarkable series of
lectures materially increases, thing that
should have happened at first
The speaker began by stating that james
I. consented to the colonization Of the Ameri-
can provinces under the impression that the
crown could govern them. The relations be-
tween the sovereign and the new colonies was
an ill-defned one and the king could not settle
everything as he wished The colonists
knowing this fact assumed an independence
of spirit that never failed to assert itself. The
king in 1910 demanded the surrender of the
charter of Massachusetts, but that plucky
little colony said get it if you can. The king
however always avoideda direct issue with
his independent little children for he found
that coercion at home was odious. But he
stopped too late for the civil wars overthrow
the Stuarts and the Protectorate took the
rens of government Cromwell was treated
in like manner when he sent over laws to be
executed, and they did about what they
pleased. On the re-establishment OF the
to treat with the colonies, and to see ii they
were obeying orders. They replied that they
were or would, which was the end OF the IN
vestigation practically. But the general OBJ
stinacy Of the new settlements displeased his
majesty and he summarily revoked all the
charters of the New England states. Adding
insult to injury he appointed the odious Sir
Edmond Andres governor OF the entire terri
tory in 1888, but he was soon violently elected
by an Infatuated people The king weakened
oI,oc xxyifI, Lose mil
privilege, and the history of the new regime
is dreary waste of chickering's between the
royal governors and the legislature chosen by
the people. The americans thought that they
ought to govern themselves, being large
enough, old enough and wise enough.
George Ill was an obstinate old animal OF
the Asnine variety, who preferred to listen to
the advice of Butte and North instead OF Pitt
and Burke. His narrow minded advisers had
not that comprehension Of the magnitude OF
the question they were dealing with. Ihey
thought that the colonies were simply trading
posts for the commercial use of English mer-
chants. On the other hand the Americans
came over here to further their own ends, not
the kings and as their English ancestors had
arrested several for bad behavior they told
the present sovereign to beware. The colonies
then were a large segment of the English
speaking nation of the globe and they were
too big to be spanked by their mother. They
resented taxation without representation, and
began to act against several other obnoxious
statutes. As a result of their Independent
style of behavior, the stamp act and tea tax
had to be abolished and they finally struck out
openly for entire liberty. They had long look
ed for the chance and it had come at last.
The lecture was intensely interesting and
received with marked favor. The meagre re-
port cannot do it justice for the keen analysis
of the causes Of the Revolution made by the
speaker will not bear much whiting. Next
Friday evening Mr.. Fiske will give his con-
Guiding lecture on "The English Race This
subject will be handled in a mastery manner
by the distinguished gentleman we are bound
to predict, for no one is better fitted to ex-
pound the philosophy of the subject. Nothing
but a crowded house should be accorded to the
lecturer.