The sun., 1893-07-04
Causes of tho American Revolution.


How 1t happened that on July4. 177s. the
Continental Congress at Philadelphia de-
Clared the independence OF thirteen British
colonies Is a question which English. as
well as American. writer's have during tho
last twenty years reexamined from the
viewpoint of the scientific historian. They
have reached conclusions which do not. in
some respects. materially differ from those
previously expressed by certain American
statesmen. and conspicuously by DANIEL
WEBSTER: but they have set them forth in
language free from any taint Of partisan
ehip or acrimony. AS an example OF dis
passionate treatment Of the subject. we
may fttingly on this anniversary call at
tentlon to remarkable paper contributed
by Prof. JAMES A. WOODBURY. OF the Indi-
ana University to the Johns Hopkins
studies In historical and political science.
The title OF Prof. WooDBURN's essay,
Causes OF the American Revolution, is
somewhat narrow for the field that he ex-
plores. What he proves is that our asser-
ton Of independence was the outcome,
first. Of opportunity, next OF indirect in
centives Of long standing. and. finally. of q
proximate and direct cause. 1t Is plain, in
deed. that the peace Of 1868. by which the
colonies were relieved from the fear Of
French aggression on the north and Of
Spanish aggression on the south. furnished
not the cause but the opportunity OF the
American Revolution. The rebounding Of
o bow. when the string is cut, Is due not to
the withdrawal Of the constructive agent.
but to the bows inherent elasticity. Un-
doubleday the presence OF the French In
Canada and Of the Spaniards in Florida
had exercised powerful restraint upon
separatist tendencies. Ground between
the upper and the neither milestone. the col
onists had had no leisure to brood over the
grievances with which they had ample
reason to reproach the mother country.
But for those grievances. however there
would have been no separatist impulses to
deal with. after the Seven Years War had
destroyed the empire OF France upon this
continent and consigned America to Eng
ush civilization.
What were the strong incentives to sep
aration which were OF long standing. but
which then for the first time became fully
operative. and must. therefore. be accounted
indirect causes OF the Revolution They
were: first. the attempts OF the royal Gov
ernors ut arbitrary rule In America. and
the contest and irritation arising over the
question Of the royal prerogative; secondly.
the commercial restrictions imposed by tho
English Navigation Acts and Laws Of Trade.
ana their obviously mischievous effects
upon colonial interests. When in 1885, Sir
EDMUND ANDRos came to America. with the
intention of depriving certain colonies OF
their charters. the colonists resisted on pre-
cisely the same grounds which their de-
scendants took nearly century later. claim
ing for themselves the ancient rights of
Englishmen. guaranteed by their charters.
and denying the right Of the mother coun-
try to interfere in their internal affairs.
To many students OF that epoch 1t has
seemed reasonable to say that. had there
been 100000 people in America In 1885.
instead OF 100000. revolution would have
occurred hundred years earlier. There
was nothing exceptional. in the conduct OF
AsDRnA: ON tho contrary. 1t was repre-