New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-28
a iopted TO diminish the natural growth OF 'iie
DC uulation He adds:

1 lopted TO diminish the natural growth VI 'iio
pc nulation. He adds
1t would be difficult imagine c9onial 20 6y
Nor Nor .nd ct qbIs s and it IS cult agree
witt those who hold that II was "aIl on coinnies
tion that lost Great Britain her American cted
she lost her colonies simply because s5e Nal. NJ
! colonies and the colonies wanted 40 b3n6ness
amount gracousness friendhness c ~ to
| coud make the colonial conditions acCep'ao'e -
! The patriots of lffO
rrudant regard for the attitude of France
| NAV have been an influence but "lio'e' III
| n,otive The fact remains that In the year men
TONED Great Britain withdrew the TWO sre"
Colonial decentralization for revenue anu
coronr,Isorv support Of a standing army-ailu
"4bis event should moi be obscured or put Ia ti'0
] background of historical narratives meTey 'e
cause il does not show sufficient tyranny u
+! oppression On the part of England III ~
pre-revouticnary days smuggling III ule 0'
nies was so universal as to be an accepteu a
! acknowledged responsibility. and nothing was
thought Of It until the ministry decided to help
| The suffering East India company by remlttlns
the tea duty in England and colIecliiis - -
| the colonies Says the author:
| Looked at in cold blood the whole plan was
raj her amusing and very English device Tor elpIs
cut the bankrupt companS, p5 II noEsibIe stop
ping by ingenuity smuggling thai could noi ne
ers troors and men -of-war. It was So far f19I T
yrannous and cruel that Il was pueo'e SINS for
controlling its colonies
It Will be seen that Mr.. Fisher is persistent
in refusing to accept all the traditlchs OF me
period He has droll way Of thinking Tor NM
self of weighing the evidence. OF forming MS
owl, judgments and rendering the verdict IN
good plain unvarnshed English prose lie
avoids histrionics and has no regard for th9
gallery Even some rather inflated heroes yleid
their tinseI There are the three SINNERS who
obi
offer of $1,000 to let him go. and were pen
sionad bz, CONGRESS They disregarded the
brine because they thought it would not be PAID
They consulted a long time and saw safety ana
greater profit in turning over their prisoner TO
an American officer
Mr.. Fisher is able to treat battles ana strategy
with more than ordinary interest His VIDE
reading has SUPPLIED the details of his picture
while the scope of his canvas Is generous
Events succeed each other in orderly progress
sion. and the whole subject is presented with
due regard TO proportion and scale He at
tributes great weight to the negative assistance
afforded the colonists through the inactivity
inca7acity of General Howe. BY innuendO and
inference that generals course Is regarded as
hardly less helpful to the Colonists than the
French alliance. General Howe's refusal TO join
Burgoyne. his idle, pleasure seeking winter in
Philadelphia. and his general lack of energy and
initiative led 10 a conviction that there was
some strange political move behind his course.
He was a Wing, and people believed that he was
trying to bring about compromise by lack OF
severity or that he wished to stop just short of
crushing the rebellion. and thus prove the Wing
theory that the rebellion was unconquerable.
Mr. Fisher does not fail to point out the diff
ference in the reception given TO Burgoyne and
80 CORVALLIS upon their return to England.
The first was discredited and laid on the shelf.
and the latter exalted to the highest posi-
tions the empire had to offer.
Mr.. Fishers handwork is careful and consci-
entious, and his history be read with profit
and interest No Englishman would think he
has done full justice to the English colonial sys-
TEN, and his attitude toward the empire is
rather critical than constructive. His por-
traits Of the leading figures Of the time are
sympathetic and appreciative, and his excur-
sions in oUt-of-the corners of literature af-
ford him color and illustrations which, Joined 10
a plain and pleasing style. illumined by a dry
and monkish humor, make his pages salient in
structive and delightful