The sun., 1902-12-27
NEW BOOKS.
Some Letters 10 Wash,r~,eu.

''S ~ 'no puDiiootlOn OF all the
et'ers addressed TO Washington which are
contained IN the manuscript collection in
tne department OF State at the Federal
capatai. Tho task Of editorship, entrusted
70 MI stanislaus Murray Hamil on. has
oeen well discharged. the explanatory com.
menus which In the case Of many letters
were Indispensable. having been provided
IN footnotes. The fifth and concluding
volume OF the work has now been issued
oy Messrs Houghton, Mifflin 4 Co. II
covers about q year. namely, from Nav.
iHA. to July, ITS. and contains a general
index. In the letters here presented may
o. seen the gradual evolution of public
opinion In the ruling class of Tidewater
virginia with reference TO the relations Of
the colonies to the mother country. When
the volume ends with a reproduction OF
the general orders issued by Washington
on his arrival at Cambridge to take COM
mand OF the Continental Army, the vir-
ginian planters. Of whom he was a typical
representative. are by no means, az vet.
prepared for declaration Of Independence,
though they are already disposed to CO.
operate zealously with the other colonies in
resisting the coercion applied to the town
OF Boston. Among the influential and dis
unguished Virginians letters from whom
are printed in the volume before us. may be
mentioned Bryan Fairfax, George William
FAIRFAX, George Mason, Edmund Pendle-
ton and Richard Henry Lee. A few ex-
tracts from their correspondence will throw
light upon the prevailing sentiment in the
Old Dominion during the eventful year
which preceded the battle Of Bunker Hill.
In letter written to Washington on
July 3, l774. his old friend, Bryan Fairfax,
eeis him that he has declined to stand a. a
candidate for the House of Burgesses at the
next election. because he should think him
SELF bound to oppose violent measures
against the mother country. and especially
the projected non-lmportation agreement
The entering upon a plan.' he says, of
having no trade would be an arduous un-
dertaking; ! mean If persisted in, and, IL
once entered upon it ought to be strictly
kept. /, therefore, think it more proper
to try what effect petition would have
towards obtaining a repeal of the duty ION
teal. I would willingly give the Parlia-
ment fair opportunity to do it. and, there
fore. should be for a petition unaccom-
panied with any threats or claims Cfor we
have already used them, and, if such an
opportunity should be missed, we might
be better able to judge of their real inten-
tion toward us. II the Parliament had ever
% good right to lay a tax upon the colo
MES, which has been much disputed, IL Is
certainly unjust to exercise that right; but.
In opposing this, we should consider all
the consciousness that may follow. Threat
enings at this time, l am Of opinion. will
have no effect: think whenever they are
used they must be followed by a steady
perseverance. This must occasion so great
Inconvenience that many will probably
fall of, and 90 by degrees the whole. which
would bring us into disgrace. For which
reason / am for postponing it till the effect
Of petition be first tried The majority
Of Mr.. Fairfax's neighbors were more reso-
ute and aggressive. In meeting held at
Alexandria, they resolved. among other
things. that, while a petition should be ad-
dressed to his Majesty asserting their
constitutional rights and privileges, his
Majesty should, at the same time, be be-
sought mot to reduce his faithful subjects
Of America to a state Of desperation, and to
reflect that from our sovereign there can
Be but one appeal Writing on July H.,
i774. Bryan Fairfax demurs to the words
that we have quoted No threatenings, y
he said, ought to accompany the petition.
II ought to be as modest aspossible without
descending to meanness. There s one ex-
preston, then. in one of our resolves on
this subject that must object to; that il
. hint to the King that. II his Majesty will
not comply. there lies but one appeal This
ought surely to be erased Bryan Fairfax
was one Of many well Informed and thought
ful men in the colonies who believed that
the British Parliament had a prescriptve
right to make laws binding on the colonies,
except laws imposing taxes. BY pre-
scription the Americans were exempted
from internal taxation. but not from trade
regulations. which. as many held. included
the right to impose customs duties. The
objection raised by these men to the duty
on tea was that 1t was imposed, not for the
regulation OF trade, but for the avowed
purpose OF raising revenue. In a third
letter penned on Aug. 5. l77l. Mr.. Fairfax
mentions that he had never heard Col
George Mason or Col. Richard Henry Lee
60 % far as to assert that Parliament had
no right to make any laws at all for the
colonies.
Under date Of March 2, i775, we find
letter from the Hon. George William Fair
fax. who. some time before. had left the
Old Dominion for the mother country and
then was living at Newton in England. The
writer refers to a motion intended TO con-
ciliats the colonies which had been intro
duoed by Lord North, the Prime Minister
on Feb. 20, ITS, and which had been passed
In the House OF Commons by very large
majority. Mr.. Fairfax also testihes to
the strength Of the party which was friendly
to the colonies: what can or dare / say
about the unhappy differences between
this country and America. That you are
condemned by the Ministry and their de-
pendents, and much applauded by every
well wisher to the ancient and constitutional
right OF Englishmen. whether on this or the
other side Of the Atlantic; Of which there
are a great majority in this county. You
win hear probably before this reaches you
what steps have been taken. how supported
and defended, and, At last. how inconsist-
entity they have acted In the great world
Various are the conjectures about the much
talked-of Motion Lord Norths concil-
iatory motionl and sudden change. Some
think it proceeds from unfavorable ao-
counts from the Continent Of Europe. some
that thev are frightened at. the expense and