The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-06-25
Ghe GtteILiqentar.
ny n EheeIInE Lad Attending school at
Hanover, New Hampshire.

y We are aware tnat IN entering upon
!. field OF literature as broad as the Reyol
4 ton, which has been so many times go
;. over, and about which 50 much has be,
! written by the finest scholars Of this Al
other Countries, we can say nothing viii,
i. has not been said by hundreds before u
1t Is said that It Is hAckneyed SubjeC
|. but 1t certainly would not have been wri
ten on so much II 1t were not good on
and besides one so dear to the people
q America should never lack for describer
/ There may be wide diversity Of opiI
= ion rs 10 the causes oil this war, but thei
are few people, we think, who will M
! cOncede that the chief cause was the oil
nOxlous legislation OF Great Britain, an
the root oil this taxation; and not onl
that, but taxation with, or without, III
consent OF the Colonles-in what manner
upon what things, and in what degree En
gland saw ft TO impose.
Ia the first place, England held that sh
had incurred considerable expense in tn
defense Of the Colonies In the ditTeren
French and Indian wars, and as this hat
been for their benefit Il was but right tina
they should discharge the debt. An(
again, that they belonged to her, and u
her dependencies, she had right TO tA1
them as she wished.
This Colonies held that in these French
and Indian wars they had furnished ever
more than their given quota Of men and
money, aud that even II they had not
England was bound TO defend them Just
rs she would her own country. That
they heiTayed all Of their civil expenses
by taxes levied by themselves, even pay.
ing the salaries Of the officers appointed
over them by the Crown; and that, there.
fore, England had no right TO tax them, at
least, without their consept
England now saw that articles in which
she before had held the exclusive trade,
could be manufactured at a much cheaper
rate In the Colonies, and thatSii that
went on she would SOON iose her suprem.
Rcy In commerce. To remedy this, the
Navigation Act was passed in 1861, and
the same, with the addition OF some spec.
ial articles, re.pRssed In 1860. These acts
provided that only English aud Colonial
vessels should be employed in the export
and import trade OF the Colonies, and that
certain articles conld be exported from
them only to England, and in return they
must buy all foreign articles FROM
her. In 1868, 1t was decreed
that no wool or wooden manu-.
manufactures should be exported from
America, she seeing that Ii was endaHger.
Ing her trade In these. Next came an act
deClaringa tilt-hammer, rolling mill, and
several other useful things public nui.
+Ance, and the Governors were directed
10 put stop to them.
Such were some OF tie early acts by
which Great Britain sought 10 put stop
o the growing prosperity OF the colonies,
some Of which were openly and others SO.
cretly disobeyed, state OF things which
she might have iOreseen would have been
tue result Of such legislation.
We now come to the period where acts
oil Parliament began TO aim more directly
at the American liberties, which immedi.
ately led to remonstance on their part, and
finally to open rebellion.
In 1901 M set wa passed continuing the
duties uli tevenl gHcles imported from
England, and also that cases arising from
breach VI this las could be tried only In
ViCe.AdmirNlty Courts. This was follow.
ed on March I'D, 1905, by the celebrated
Stamp Act, which provided that all deeds,
licenses, and official papers Of all kinds
should, In order TO DO legal, be written on
stamped paper. This produced great in
dignation throughout the colonies, and as
precautionary MEASURE troops were sta.
toned In them.
About this time the first Congress was
held In New York, with Timothy Ruggles, |
OF Mass, as President. This Congress
adoptedG declaration Of rights and griev.
anCes, asserting their right to tax them.
selves, and trial by Jury. Other publica.
tons appeared denouncing Great Britain,
all OF which aroused such feeling that |
when the first OF November came the OF.
liCes did not dare TO try to put the act in.
TO effect. The next year therefore 1t was
repealed.
In June, l187 new act was passed i'm
posing duties on tea, painters colors,
white and red lead glass, pasteboard and
paper, Exasperated as they were, the
colonies were not inclined TO receive this
act any more iayorably than the stamp act,
and they Immediately DECIDED not To use
any OF these articles until the duties were
repealed. The duties were soon repealed
ON al. except tea. The East India Com.
many were allowed n great reduction In
Their duty II they would ship their tea 70
America, they thinking that the colonists
would buy It on account OF the reduced
prics. They shipped large quantities. but
In New YORK aud philadelphia 1t was sept
back, in Charleston i TsS put In damp
cellars and allowed to rot, and In Boston 4
parry Of men disguised as Indians vent on
board the ships and threw It over Into the
For this act England punished tho Bos'
tonians by passing, on March SlsL liza,
what was called the Boston Port Bill,
which prohibited all intercourse with that
city by sea In other words, destroying The
use Of her harbor. all Of the other coicnies |
now made common cause with Mass. |
achuAO:ls, and on September 9th l774, the
first continental Congress met at Philadel.
phiA, all Of the colonies being represented,
with Peyton Randolph, Of Virginia, as
president. II adopted again 4 resolution
setting forth their right only 10 tax them.
selves, and leclaring the acts recently
passed by Parliament violation OF their
rights.
But even before the, Boston Tea Par.
ty," an ayent had happened there, known
Algekbu llAsAAulHI
did more toward the final outbreak 10
Massachusetts, than the former, The peO.
ple were exasperated at the troops being |
quartered there, and frequently showed
this dislike by insulting them. On March |
9th ITO, they had been especially en-
ragged against them, and were pelting them
with sticks and stones. An officer order. |
ed out the guard, and when II looked as
though the troops would be assaulted he
ordered them TO Ore. They did SO, and
killed and wounded eleven. This so ex.
cited the people that for time threats q
destroying all the Bhtishers in Boston
were rife.
but all these demonstrations and Pc
| ,itious had no effect 10 the policy oil Great
Britain, and the colonlsts therefore de
clared not TO import or consume any arti'
cles from that country, and also to begin
10 make preparations Tor armed resistance;
men we're drafted into companies and
trilled, ready to take the Geld at mo-
nents notice. Gunpowder was manu-.
! iactured, and arms and ammunitions OF
war we're collected everywhere. The
British had determined TO destroy these
stores wherever they conld be found, and
for that purpose sent 500 regulars under
the command Of Major Pitcairn. On the
night Of april 18th l7f5. toward Concord.
This departure was known to the patriots,
and In the morning. when they passed
through Lexington, they found 00or 20
minute mrn" drawn up on the green,
commanded by Captain John Parker.
Major Pitcairn ordered them 10 dispersei
they raiuIed and he ordered his men TO
DIRE. Eight we're killed and ten wounded.
This WIS the first blood Of the Revolution
shed; but the British paid dearly for 1t,
; even on the same day. The soldiers
marched on TO Concord and destroyed
small amount OF stores, and then set out
on their return; but this was destined 10
prove c harder undertaking than their
coming. Men were hnrrying, from all Of