Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-23
AN OLD CHRONICLE.
Curious Information Gathered From
a Book Published in 1765.
FACTS ABOUT THE STAMP ACT.
How the Wig Makers Petitioned the King
for Mckinley Bill.
THE BATTLE FOR A FREE PRESS
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcH.J

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be of great interest to an antiquarian, or a
bibliomaniac with passion for rare books
and first editions, aud who is willing to go
as far in the satisfaction of his taste in
this direction as the Marquis of Blandford,
who paid over $4,000 for the only copy in
the world of the first edition of Boccaccio's
"Decameron" known to be perfect. Such q
supposed treasure is not for the pleasure of
reading, but for the joy of its possession
the proud satisfaction of knowing that one
has what nobody else can get. A "Breeches
Bible is a source of rapture to such col
lectors of rare books, while a man with a
craze for china will find equal delight in the
peach-hlow vase-sold not great while ago
for fortune-which, after all, is merely
something to look at, but too precious to be
used
But while it may require several GEN.
turies to make book superior or val
liable to these dilletanti, people who have
taste for history will find some very inter
esting reading in one which presents a
picture of the good old times in England
when George the Third was King, and sub
America
THE SITUATION 126 YEARS AGO.
The Annual Register for 1765, now before
us, gives history of the 'Politicks and Lit
erature of England" at the time when the
stamp act was passed by the English Par
Lament, through the influence and power of
Grenville, and which reused the people in
this country to resistance, rebellion and
finally revolution When this book-now
only fragment, printed upon coarse paper
and discolored with ase-was published,
George Washington and his wife Martha
were living in domestic happiness at Mt.
Vernon. On this magnificent estate of
5000 acres Washington, without thought
perhaps of the coming Republic, the War
of Independence or the honors Of the Presi-
dency, was living the quiet life of a farmer,
while his wife gave her time and attention
to her children, her housekeeping, and the
management of her maids. When these an
mails were written Thomas Jefferson was
studying law and languages, and making
love; John Adams had just been married to
his wife Abigail Smith, and was engaged in
the study of law. The passage Of the stamp
act plunged him into politics, and he became
the legal adviser of the patriots. While the
writer of these records of 1865 was congrat-
pose which Great Britain was enjoying, and
the pleasing prospect of its continuance,
James Otis, of Boston, who was said By Ad-
ans to be 'tfame of fire" was making
those eloquent speeches against the arbi-
trary measures of the British Government
which resulted at last in American indie
pendence, and Patrick Henry was talking
treason after the same fashion in Virginia
WHAT GREAT MEN WERE DOING.
In this same year, 1865, James Watt was
making his experiments for the application
of steam, and had just hit upon the happy
idea that filled him with rapture and made
his name forever famous. Herschel, with
out thought of coming greatness, was in
the music line and playing the organ in q
church at Bath, where he was also in great
demand for fashionable concerts and ora
torios A look through a telescope turned
his mind to study the stars and set the
spark to his genius for astronomy. His dis
covery of the great planet which ne named
Georgium Sidus (Uranus) in honor of
George III, brought him pension and
gave him chance to achieve the fame of
one of the greatest astronomers in the
world. Voltaire at this time was settled at
Ferney engaged in writing his plays and
satires and in planting the seeds of the
French Revolution. Tom Paine was teach
ing school in London and writing the fore
runners of his famous essays, which after
ward made such a stir in the colonies. He
came to this country through acquaintance
with Benjamin Franklin, then also in Eng
land as representative of the colonies, using
his best efforts before the Privy Council
and the Government for the repeal of the
oppressive measures from which the people
of this country were suffering.
a1i ctor ontrU rIrrr
this year of 1865, but through the efforts of
Franklin, aided by the intelligence and in
fuence of the best minds in the kingdom, it
was soon repealed. The editor of this old
Register, while still hoping the storm
would blow over, goes largely into the SUBJ
ject and tells in amusing style the stories of
how the Americans conducted themselves
to show their detestation of the British
Ministry and the stamp act and how they
abused every officer who attempted in any
way to enforce it.
CAUTION OF THE EDITOR
The courts were closed, the ports were
shut up and even persons of quality sub
mitted to have their bans called in church
rather than take out a license for mar
riage The writer evidently had sense
enough to see that the Americans had ample
cause for their 'sullenness" and "refrac-
toriness," but claims that much as the laws
they resisted injured the colonies they very
much more hurt Great Britain herself. He
expresses great surprise, rather mildly
though and with due Difference, that the
ministry and British Privy Council and
Parliament should pass such measures, and
says that they realized the worst idea that
could be formed of them, and argued such
want of reflection as could scarcely be
paralleled in the history of the country.
He does not allude to the obstinacy,
bigotry, prejudice and hatred that ever dis
George Ill, who egged them on
in their idiocy, but speaks of him always as
his ''Most Gracious Majesty" alludes TO
his tender and paternal regard for all his
tenderness manifested, as history
proves, by Aeecing them and taxing them
to death. The writer Of the Register is full
of the loyalty that ventures on no structures
upon the royal family. The King to him
was sacred. Every wrong he did, every
of bitter prejudice and want
of common sense was due to his advisers and
ministers. The adulation of royalty and
nobility, always nauseous to an independ-
ent mind, is not so striking in these days as
in centuries ago, when people were so over
awed by the royal presence that they fell
down fainting-but it is no less fawning and