The sun., 1893-07-04

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tho growth Of popular powers. and the
steady purpose Of the Assemblies was to
uphold what they deemed their constitu
tional rights. 1t is this long-continuet
friction and the antagonisms excited by 1t
which account for many Of the Indictment
levelled against the King in the Decl zratior
Of Independence: when long train oi
abuses and usurpations. pursuing invaria.
| bly, the same object. evinces design to re-
| duce them under absolute despotism. It lie
their right, 1t Is their duty. to throw of
such government. and to provide new
| guards for their future security" For
| specifications. the signers Of the Declare
| tion recited that the King had refused his
assent to laws the most wholesome for the
public good: he had forbidden Governors to
pass laws OF pressing Importance; he had
refused other laws for the accommodation
OF the people. unless the people would re-
linquish their right Of representation; he
had repeatedly dissolved Representative
Houses for opposing royal invasions OF pop
ular rights. and he had attempted to make
Governors and Judges dependent upon
his will alone for their tenures and sala-
ries. In a word. the long experience OF the
oolonists in their contests over the prerog-
ative and In their resistance to arbitrary
rule. had furnished q preparation and mo-
tive for severance from the mother country.
The second ancient and serious grievance
which figures. as we have said. among the
indirect causes Of the Revolution. was the
commercial restrictions upon the colonies.
From CROMWELL In 1851 to GRANVILLE In
1853. we encounter persistent series Of
mn fr frov nj m o,y,,rr
cial and industrial activities Of tho colo
nists for the beneflto Of the parent State. The
colonists were confined to the British do
minions for their market. They could carry
no goods from Europe to America which
had not been first landed in England. All
forms Of colonial manufactures which could
possibly compete with those OF England were
crushed. In the interest OF English sugar
planters. the Importation Of sugar and mo-
lasses and rum from the French West Indies
was forbidden. Then. again, for the sake
OF few merchants carrying on trade with
Virginia. the colonies were drained OF their
gold and silver coin by the remittance Of 1t
to England. and yet were repeatedly for
hidden to issue the paper money rendered
necessary for their internal commerce. In
view OF these things some writers have in
sisted that to release trade and labor from
such restrictions was the object OF the Revo-
luton. One historian has said that. but
for the policy which oppressed the COM
merce and inhibited the use OF the water
falls OF New England. the dispute would
have been left to posterity." DANIEL WEB
sTER affirmed that "whoever has looked
deeply into the causes which produced our
Revolution has found the original principle
far back in this claim on the part Of Eng
land to monopolize our trade. and in the
continued effort on the part Of the colonists
to resist or invade that monopoly"
Nevertheless, the evidence seems incon-
trovertible that had the tact and wisdom
displayed by WALPoLE and CHATHAM con-
tinued to mark the conduct Of British
Minister'S: had no fresh and stinging prov
ocation been given to the colonists; the old
tendencies to separation might have long
remained latent and imperative. and the
opportunity offered by the extinction OF the
fear Of French aggression might havo been
neglected for many a decade. It was only.
said BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. when England.
after the Seven Years War, asserted the
right Of domestic taxation by Parliament,
that the Americans began to revolve In
their minds those ancient grievances
which. from their respect and love to Eng
land. they had long submitted to and seemed
almost willing to forget. On another oc-
casion FRANKLIN testified that the temper
of Americans toward Great Britain at the
close OF the Seven Years War was the best
In the world. Even JAMES OTIs, who. two
years before, had thundered against the
Writs Of Assistance. proclaimed in 1763 the
love Of all Englishmen In America for the
mother country. their pride in the glory of
the English name. and declared that what
Gop in His providence had joined together.
no man should dare to pull asunder." 1t
to colonial taxation announced by GREN-
WILLIE in 1854; it was the Stamp Act and the
vindictive and oppressive measures which
followed 1t. that irreparably alienated the
colonists. aroused them to a lively
and resentful recognition OF their former
wrongs. and led directly to the in
of America. That is why tho
Stamp Act Is pronounced by LECKY. when
Its ultimate consequences are considered,
one of the most momentous pieces Of legis-
lation in the history Of mankind. It may
be true that. by severe accuracy Of detini-
ton. by refinement Of reasoning. and by
the letter Of the law. 1t Is impossible to prove
that there was any distinction between
taxing and other legislative acts In which
the colonists had acquiesced. Nevertheless,
1t is admitted by LECKY that. by the con-
sututional traditions and usages OF the
English people, such a distinction was
clearly recognized. 1t Is on this account
that he comedies that the Stamp Act.
" though 1t was by no means as unjust or
as has been alleged. did I'M
questionably infringe upon principle |
which the English race. both at home and |
have always regarded with pecul- |
lar jealousy" The doctrine that In free
nations taxation and representation are in
connected. and that no people |
ian be legitimately taxed except by them
selves or their representatives. lay at the
very root of the English conception OF
political liberty. 1t Is true that the Stamp