New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-22
WHO WERE THE RgVoLUTToyysTs,

The publication Of Sir George Trevelyan's
History of the American Revolution" has re-
newed both In Great Britain and in America
various chronic disputes concerning that strug-
gle, some Of which may be regarded as hope
lessly indeterminate, but some Of which may
be so readily and surely settled that there seems
10 be no satisfactory reason for their contin-
uance. To the former class belongs the cues
ton how large proportion Of the colonists at
any given time favored revolution and indie
pendence. That, It is simply impossible to tell.
Some English writers at the present time are
vigorously declaring that such were always in
the minority. That contention seems to us con-
trary to reason Down to 1875. perhaps down
TO the spring Of 1776, no doubt the advocates
Of entire separation from England were few
After 1776 there are strong reasons for believ-
ing they were large majority. That minor
ity could have carried the Revolution through
successfully against a royalist majority con-
Joined with the mother country Is simply I'M
beiieVable. No census was taken on the SUBJ
ject Of course, and therefore we can never
speak with certainty of detail But upon the
basis OF all obtainable data it is reasonable to
believe that the proportion OF anti-reVolutionsts
in America after 1776 was smaller than that
OF sympathizers with the Revolution In Eng
land.
There is also some dispute as to the charac-
ter of the Revolutionists We have recently
seen it set forth that the Revolutionary party in
America, and especially the Revolutionary army,
contained few Englishmen, but were composed
chiefly Of disaffected Irishmen and Adventures
from non-British lands. This contention seems
to US uncommonly foolish. 1t is true that no
census was taken on this subject either But
it is perfectly well known that down to the end
,F,ov fvfoI,
immigrants in the colonies was small as
TO be insignificant excepting the Dutch and
French Huguenots in the Hudson Valley. The
rosters of the Revolutionary regiments show,
moreover, a vast preponderance of British
names. It is true that Silas Deane did ship a
great many non-Bridsh adventures to this
country. But we all know what Washington
thought Of them and how he received them On
the whole. therefore, it seems quite judicious
to believe that there were more non-British-to
wit, Germans, French Canadians, even-in the
British army than In the American army.
On one point we have positive information
that is, the nativity and ancestry of the lead
ers in the Revolution, in both civil and military
life. They were chiefly American born, and
despite contentious to the contrary often made
in this country, they were chiefly OF English
parentage OF the signers of the Declaration
OF Independence only eight were born outside
OF the colonies, and of those FIVE were British
and three Irish. or the army officers, Lafay-
cite Steuben and De Kalb were aliens Schuy-
Ter was American, Of Dutch descent. Montgom-
cry was born in ireland, and Sullivan was of
Irish ancestry. The traitor Lee and the incom-
petent Gates were born in England, and Mercer
and St Clair in Scotland. But the others, Wash
ington. Greene Wayne. Harry Lee. Morgan,