Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-03-02
p. G. S. in Chicago jour-

What class of people it was who
fought and won the war of the revo-
luton in 1776 is constantly obscured
by the glamour which time and pa
triotism has thrown over the events
of that stirring time, but Barrett Wen
dell, professor of English in Harvard
university, has done something to
clear up the point in his newly pub
lished History of American Litera-
ture." He makes it perfectly plain that
it was not the ruling class nor the
commercial class of colonial days
which set it in motion and carried the
day, but rather the plain, homely, COM
mon folk, who, in order to free them
selves from the yoke of Britain, fought
and bled and went cold and hungry,
themselves and their children, to leave
the priceless heritage of freedom be-
hind them. To gain some adequate
conception of what Boston was under
the king, it will be needful to go to
some British colonial town of the same
size today. The closeness of the COM
parison is shown by an anecdote which
Mr.. Wendell relates, to the effect that
a man of position and rank in one of
the British colonies was recently in the
room of the Boston Museum of Fine
of Boston merchants and similar
worthless, painted by Copley in the
years just preceding ITS. The Briton
had been puzzled by the United States,
but when he looked about at these men
and women of the older American day
his face lighted with comprehension
and he said, laughingly: why, that's
Just the kind of people we are" Now,
the notable thing about America is
that the revolution practically extermi-
mated that class in the country. Mr..
WendelPs testimony to this effect is
unimpeachable. "The revolution" he
says, destroyed the fortunes and the
social leadership Of this class. To find
such people again in America, we must
probably wait until after the civil
war" New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
and Ontario are populated largely to-
day with the descendants of these ex-
Hes, who as united empire loyalists
were driven out of the territories of
the United States for their adherence
to King George. They were, for the
most part, the "best people" of that
day, the gentry in both city and coun-
try, the women who entertained and
the men who provided the means for
such luxury as the world could then
afford, the components of polite soci-
ETY., those from whom aristocratic de-
scent could be taken with proper pride.
Who, then, did win the revolution?
Here Mr.. Wendell is again explicit
He says, "The people who had been so
profoundly stirred by this great awak-
ening were the same who, in 1776, de-
elared themselves independent of the
mother country" This great awak-
>cfn1,, moe tha wbftofeld reviva1 nm
ming the whole length of the country,
from Georgia to New England. through
the years between 1913 and 1745- The
great awakening testif1es to one lasting
fact-a far-reachfng spontaneity and
enthusiasm among the humble classes
Of America he says again. This is
one point which is always to be kept
I'm mind---the humble classes" of
America, not the educated classes, nor
the best people, nor the commercial
nor financial interests made this coun-
try free and gave 1t self-government-
The honor of being descended from