New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-12
POINTS OF DEPARTURE.

A. tha outset tho distance was not great. ap-
parently, between Hutchinson and MS COM
patriots who were soon to be his Ditterest enc
mics He was native Of the Colony. Inc ma
1ority of the people were Puritan In their re-
lig,ous nreferencee He was a Church of Eng
land man In community where luxury was
comparatively unknown, he passed for a rlch
man. and he had always been used to the traoi-
tions and comforts Of wealth town mouse
IN Boston and a country house with an ample
stretch Of land and one of the finest views IN
the world attested his social position. But ne
labored as hard as his neighbors. the only diff
ference being that his private fortune enabled
him to get along without the salary which was
always meagre and sometimes lacking aito-
eether. The ideas for which he stood: have
not disappeared. Mr. Hosmer calls to nina the
approval with which Emerson quoted the re-
mark of Fisher Ames that "a monarchy Is
merchantmen which sails well. but will some
times strike on a rock and go to the bottom;
while a republic is a raft which would never
sink but then your feet are always In the
wafer" He imagines that democracy was never
more disagreeable than at the present hour,
and his only solace is that in America people
are ION the raft for good and ALL and VIII
have to make the best Of 1t. This Is a large
concession to the conservatives OF the present
day who hold without the monarchy. 70 much
tho game oninions az those for which Hutchin-
son suffered. In settled society these reac-
t,onists are even more useful than their radical
neighbors Up to the very outbreak of insur-
rection In the Colony Of Massachusetts Bay
Hutchinson, as represented in this book, was
far and away the most trusted OF It's cltizehS'
revered, as John Adams said. for his piety' MS
wisdom. his learning 1.-The greatest and best
tha1n ha
end. driven into exile as traitor to his coun-
try.
Mr. Hosmer gives us to understand that the
change was not in Hutchinson. but In the peo-
p,e who trusted him for nearly threescore years.
,,d have spoken Ill of him ever since. He re-
,nained always an upholder OF law; they founo
Tho twisting order intolerable. He saw In re-
bellion and disunior a great peril. as we'll al
great crime They approached the thought OF
tndependence very gradually but when they
had once grasped 1t, nothing else wouio 40
The result proved that they were right' ou'
then. says Mr.. Hosmer the result mas also
moved that Hutchinson was right. 100 ure~'
britain now rules her colonies the worid over
1ust as Hutchinson would have had the Ameri-
can Colonies ruled. He believed In the supreme
mower OF the English Parliament. but ne "ouio
never have had this power exercised unless IN
a time of dire necessity PrerogatNe man
though he was, his opposition to the Stamp ACT
and the later law taxing tea, before they were
nassed. was as strenuous as that OF any patriot.
But ne was opposed to them on the grouno
thar they were impolitic measures. wniie the
patricts advocated with more or ieSs eager
ness the principle that there shouio De no 'aHa-
ton without representation. Mr.. Hosmer mas
h,n hero go admirable that 1t sootnes his
ro,r,o,,c heart to censure Hutchinson Tor not
sos,rg the value OF this great principle. But.
s.,.r oil what good was there in It, except
49,. T., tho mouth of James Otis 1t made a
tremendous battle-cry. 1t never was prac-
.,ooh,e thing for the Colonies to send men,
h.rs 10 Parliament. All they could DO was 70
keep an agent In London