Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-29
EDITORS BOOK TABLE
"THE CAUSES OF THE AME-
RICAN REVOLUTION"
Marion CrawfOrd's Definition
of n Novcl--Noticcs OF
New Works.

ton. BY JAMES A. WOODBURY., Ph.
D., Professor OF American History,
Indiana University. Baltimore Tho
Johns Hopkins press. Tenth series
No. II. Of Johns Hopkins University
studios in Historical and Political
Science. December, 1892. 80 cents.
This pamphlet closes the series forthe
tenth year of the Johns Hopkins studies,
and was originally a NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
lecture Tho author is one OF tho
graduates in the department OF history
at the Hopkins, and is now connected
with the University Of Indiana.
The starting point for the study OF the
American Revolution is fixed at l763,
turning point in the history of Europe
as we'll as marking the close Of tho Seven
Years War. From the English Revolu-
ton in 1853 TO the field of Waterloo in
1915 France and England had been en-
gagged in almost constant warfare, and
one OF the main causes was the rivalry
Of the two nations in respect to colonies
both in Asia and America Another Col
bert and another La Sale, instead OF the
shameful and imbecile reign of Louis
XIV, and how changed might have been
the history of the western world (page
81 Pitts genius aided America during the
Seven Years War and won to England
the treaty of Paris with its great results
French cession OF Canada to England
and that of Louisiana and the Lower
Mississippi Valley to Spain. In this
way English America was brought into
being and the way prepared Tor the
American Revolution. Tho rest was
now TO depend on the colonists them
selves.
Asindirect causes Of the war there are
given % the arbitrary rule of the royal
governors and C2) the commercial re-
striction by the navigation act and laws
of trade. Professor Woodburn follows
Lecky's chapter on America in his third
volume pretty closely, and takes up
separately the three distinct measures
Of Grenyille which resulted so dlsas-
trously: ~ The enforcement OF the
trade laws; CD the quartering OF British
troops in America 81 the effort to raise
by parliamentary taxation part OF the
money necessary for this army 5 sup
port. This last, Of right, receives tho
greater attention rs the prime motor OF
events. and interest Is at once concen-
tr,ted on the Stamp Act. The different
virwsare clearly set iorth-the EngllSl ar
pnments with exceptional candor, as also
the American-Lecky being sui the
chief authority. and is throughout sug-
gestive of the method OF treatment as
well as the leading lines OF thought.
This pamphlet is therefore q general
summary of the conditions precedent to
tbe breaking out of the Revolution, and,
while containing little that IS original, IS
veta surclnct outline as betting M cX-
tension lecture.
iut We must take distinct Issue with
its conception ant the character OF Its
spirit. We are well aware that the
Northwest. though originally belonging
to Virginia. yet after ces5lon 10 the
Tr,tcd States. became largely peopled
with cmgmnis from New England and
TINS accounts m great measure for the
fact that tncv have borrowed their habit
O mind largely from that section. We
GO not find any fault IN recognizing ali
tLat Massachusetts, contributed To 1.-THE
causes OF DE .merictu revolution. but
W. are amazed bow "a qua,l-sclrHtihc ar
mi q
virtually ignorug the existence OF \lr.
gina atogetd r. The second page OF
tie mouoer,ph speaks OF "tho settle
ncnt OF the country at Plymouth and
jamestown We did not know b fore
that the Iymoath settlement was ante
nor t. that at jamestown, Is would
i,c surmiscl from tins collocation. Fur
Their. We had been led 10 suppose that II
GINA had played by no means neon
spicuous part in bringing about the Re
yomtion. but mere We have the name
Virginia" scarcely mentioned at AL,
save perhaps twice, and that merely III
an Incidental way. In sooth, 1t was be-
cause the affair was chiefly matter OF
trade that 1--WE can easily account for
The fact that the revolutionary spirit, the
opposition to the home government, was
stronger IN New England than in the
South page 2}l. This IS not Only illogi-
cal, the terms in the sylloglsm not being
identical, but Is furthermore sheer ale
cation and in no sense proof. We won
der if Professor WOOdburn has taken
!ne trouble t. examine into the mani
fesiatiOns of "the revolutionary spirit
IN the South From what follows We
should say not in another place page
43l he declares that Estates rights were
very early a part of the American pohtl-
cal faith Surely he might have al
lowed the South some revolutionary
sp'nt' springing from tins principle.
example of arbitrary rule on the
p.i, Of the royal governors Is found III
New England in 1888 under Governor
Andres (page 80, but had the author
deigned he might at least have men
Toned a more notable case IN BacOns
rebellion against Berkeley IN Virginia
decade earlier. OTIS Is cited at length
(page 90, and John Adams's verdict a
half century later is given "Then and
there was the first scene in the first act
OF opposition TO the arbitrary claims OF
Great Britain. Then and there the
child Independence was born, " but the
name OF Patrick Henry occurs R0Whcrc
in any connection in the text, Of and to
whom the same John Adams wrote that
Henry would shave the glory with
posterity of beginning and concluding
this great Revolution (!-ife and
Works of John Adams, Volume IL, page
1866. Again, on page 80, the author
states that 1.-the first public opposition
in America TO parliamentary taxation
was made In Massachusetts,, and Patrick
Henry's claims are relegated to a foot
note where they are summarily disposed
OF by reference to Weiss
Life Of Samuel Adams but only
the one side is given, and the
fact that the latest biographer of
Henry has reviewed tins evidence,
brought in fresh material, and asserted
distinct claims. is not even limited. In
deed, the presumption is that the author
is personally ignorant of Mr.. William
Writ Henry's three volumes. as, besides
there being no reference to it IN the
text, it is. not even given in the two
pages of photography cited at the end