The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-11-04

son had participated, and, measured by
THE results, his Jujgmsnt fesl peTcalit IDLY
in value. Yet 1t was partially vlndicaIt ID.
lie dlu not want independence, but to
secure 1t commended That we should have
hs1p. England was ty-laEfcal in AmsI1-
ca, he adlEvted, and that which gave
Tase ito his first note OF resistance was
Charles TownSherds substitute I'm par
diament for THE stamp alci. either letters
speedily followed In them Dickinson tx
Inhibited readiness and capacity for
injecting the sfrewd staltemanship of
iToWnshend that no ore else evinscsd,
and by that became tine foremost of Tho
leaders here. In that position the full
shock of highlands attack fefl upon IN,
and he met TT successfully.
Under The pretsnsa CT regulating COM
MERGE parliament had, i'm JIun., 1857 sub
stituted for q direct tax an indirect duty
on imports, the srcome thevefroim to be
used in supporting the colonies. That
was the finely drawn measure pr q ented
for considera len. Dickinson instantly
detected dts weak poiL't, which was to
appropriate the money of the cosonies
without their consent, and with the ce-
Rsrity of a Napoleon fell upon that. 1t
was the Grenville stamp act done over.
They were merely two FORMS Of one rr n
ciple. Let this truth be irdelibly inn
pressed on our minds" wrote Dickinson,
''that we cannot BE- free without being
secure I'M our property, and that we cam
not be secure in our property II. without
our nsenlt, others may, as b'y right,
take 1t away" The whsle series of the
Farmers Lett-us'' is conceded Ito be a
mastery summary of the political sat
uation and the needs of the time. They
brought Dickinson Immediately into poll
tics and gave him a high reputation.
This tttude Dickrlsan maintained fer
about eight y'i,aris. His ideas were DOM
INFANT In the first continental congress.
This once great Chatham, then but a
g1niSt of his former self announced to
the Lords that for the NhIibftion of wis.,
dom and saganity under difficult cifcum-
stances nobody OF men could compare
with this congress at Philadelphia. THE
compliment was in answer Ito a petition
to the king drafted by Dickinson, which
Patrick Henry had esaaye1 and failed.
But the arrogance and teriadJty of Great
Britain soon eXha listed the patience of
thu americans. UDder oppression and
in the midst of wiar they would not r5iaS-
on, and an irresistitly Impulse, arising
in Massachusetts, swept the country.
Against this migh ty gathering of the
people was heard the protest of John
Dickinson But 1t was in vain. The ad-
vice of John Adams that adj authority
under the crown should fla suppressed
prevailed and in spite of Dickinson the
declaration of independence was adopt
ed Thenceforwsrd a. cloud gathered
about his NAME that has never been dis
PEELED. His courEe cce1t him his seat in
congress ard hts Influence in public life.
Dickinson's opportunity Ito retrieve his
lost ground came with the dispute for
rathying or rejecting the constitution.
I'm a series OF mime essays signed "Fa-
bius" he enforced the necessity of its
adoption. Ham g.o1i and Madison did the
same thing in "Tins Fedsraifslt." The
'FaibfuH' letters appeared shortly after
the adjournment of the constitutional
convention, and without pretending to
thh prehenl5fvenesS of THE papers of
THE Federalist'' wsre widely inf1u-rl,tll.
II wlas Dickinson who secured in the
convention THE double representation of
each state in the Senate. Besides the ef-
feet of his farmers Letters this much
OF his work reinlairis. THAT Dickinson
was free from the fear of consolidated
government by which so many were
oppressed, Is cIearly apparent from the
spirit of "Fabius." In seaching HISTORY
the emily comparison of the confederation
he could fird was Greece, and he insists
upon THE fact as worthy of conslidera-
tion that Greece fell "a victim to Rome
and Macedonia by dfsunion, and not
Through a tendency to ar.S.ociacy. Dick
fnson was am aristrocrst. ct is likely thaib
from him Monroe got the idea OF COM
parison of republics. When THE ia
buf5 Gsuters were written D.ckinson was
a ponounced fedela1iSt but the fear of
national consolidation eventually got hold
of him and hi swung to the other side.
His unique distinction lis that while ar
guing the Justice of war and the cc'ntsti-
tutional government of the states he was
personally loyal to the crown of Eng
land. That is why the work of Dick
inson outflves the mann.