New-York tribune., 1890-03-30

ernment fell. The fortunes Of all the friends OF
the colonies bad. The infatuation OF thc
King and the servility of North finally carried
both beyond what is usually one of the most
cogent considerations namely. the commercial
interests Of Great Britain The petitions appeais
and protests of the merchants who were oeln4
ruined by the complete stoppage Of colonial traoe.
and which, at any other time. would have cleared
the eyes of the House of Commons. at least on
this occasion had no power or In
huepce. but were deliberately ignored
and thrust aside. 1t in vain that
Chatham and Burke and Barre tEundered against
the iniquitous and fatty unconstitutional prin-
cple which was at the bottom of the whole con-
troversy. Parliament simply took the bit be-
tween its teeth and in defiance of precedent OF
history of reason, Of justice, stubhorny asserted
its right TO impose taxation without representa-
ton. Nothing is more remarkable. perhaps.
than the extent and depth Of this political blind
ness Only few of the English Judges were
candid enough to condemn the monstrous doc
trire set up by Parliament though every lawyer
in the country, every Member Of the House.
every student every country squire. knew per-
fectly we'll that the practice insisted upon as
lawfully applicable to the English people in
America was precisely that which the English
people in England for themselves their heirs
and assigns. had once and forever rcpudated
and condemned 1t was. In truth. popular
frenzy that urged on King and Commons together
/ TO the measures which literally forced the col
onsts into the attitude of armed resistance ana
which evolved from that position new nation.
Mr.. P,lfrey's history throws into strong re-
lief the patience and lone-suflering Of New-Eng-
land and fully justifes his contention that the
thought of separation from the mother country
was the last to be entertained. in his account
,.,.,f|f fA fhA WrlfG n
Assistance. No doubt the operation of the Stamp
Act was far general. and this fact iullN
accounts for the swift spread OF resistance to 1t.
but when the incidence of the Writs of As
sistance is considered. il appears nothing less
than q signal proof of American docility that the
! outrageous inQuistions and various iniaultous
practices of that measure should not have set
the provinces in a flame No principle was ever
dearer to the heart of the English people than
I that which declares that every mans house is his
castle Again and again the people OF England
had risen against attempts on the part OF their
rulers to violate this principle. The night OF
forcible entry and OF domicile search had always
been surrounded with the most solid safeguards.
4 The right of entry without special warrant had
always been refused Yet here the Customs Of
fcers were invested with general and irrespon-
sibLc power to break into all Buildings to seize
all suspected merchandise. and as il Of malice
prepensc TO DEPRIVE the citizen of redress To re-
move the adjudication Of such cases al the caprice
Of the revenue authorities to some distant court.
attendance upon which mnst involve needless
expense TO the defendant. at the same time taking
him away from those friends and business asso-
ciates from whom alone he could hope TO obtain
the securities indispensable TO the establishment
of his case. Such usagc would not to-day DC
yentured upon by a victorious enemy toward
A,,tt tl.a Rriti f.nxe n
thought it not unreasonable trt atmcnt Of her own
| colonies and, so thinking she lost them. To-day
such measures would cause revolt anywhere. but
Ncw-Eneland bowed her shoulders and accepted
tEe monstrous burden and had that been all. might
/ have learned 10 tolerate il.
The historian gives n full and very interesting
| account of the struggle between the three last
roval Governors of Massachusetts and their Ecn-
| eral Court As the quarrel with the mother
country grew, il was perhaps inevitable that the
executive officers holding from and paid by the
| Crown should become more and more engaged IN
chickering's with the popular representatives; bu'
il certainly appears that Bernard and Hutchinson
went out of their way To exasperate the people,
to maintain friction with the House, and to pre-
vent any reaction against the process Of en-
! bittcrment and alienation which the policy OF
| Parliament had engcndcred In almost every IN
stance where true craftsmanship indicated con
cesson and fricndlincss as the policy 10 be pur-
sucd opposite course was taken. "hch
! General Gage took over the Governorship the
colonies were in fact, beyond redemption, and II
was only left TO him TO prcpitate the COLLISION
for which his predecessors had been seduionsN
preparing, in cooperation with the home Govern
ment Had Mr. Palfrey lived TO revise his work.
we may be permitted to believe that he would
have included in his final chapters more de-
IoI nf fba nat rio
brilliant and clear-sighted Massachusetts men
whose names are so closely associated with the
beginnings of National development The main
and necessary facts are indeed all noted, and
due weight is allotted to them; but there is
| kind Of hurry and contraction in the last pages
Of the narrative which detracts somewhat from
the impressveness Of separate acts and utterances'
each and all of which require and deserve care
! ful and even elaborate treatment. As regards
the Boston Port Act, which drew all the colonies
together while intensitying the anger and silnen-
ing the resistance Of Massachusetts, an interest
| ing parallel between that measure and Je1ersOns
Embargo might have been Instituted. The dis
trcss and mischief caused by the last-named meas
urc probably more than cquallcd the effects OF
the Boston Port closure, and curious inquiry
might be made 10 the probable consequences
Of that strict maintenance Of it which Jefferson
wished to hold to.
Speculation as to other dangers-avoidcd by
the occurrence of the great breach between the
countrics-is also suggested by the increase of
intercolonial difficulties and disputes Oh questions
OF boundary. AS the settlement Of the provinces
proceeded it seems by no means unlikely that these
Misunderstanding trouble with the home govern
ment-would have tended to keep up much
friction as might have retarded even pre-
vented union harmony OF action among the
several commonwealths The exposure of the
whole of the colonies 10 the same peril however
almost at burned away these trivial disagree
ments and welded them into homogeneous
mas strong TO endure and not less strong to act.
MI Palfrcys history ends with the outbreak
Of the War of Independence and the appearance
upon the scene OF George Washington. As an in
PRODUCTION to that mOmcntous and deeply exciting
struggle the whole work has long been recognized
for its sterling merits and its varied eXceences