Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
onsider the enormous range of these ex.

petitions over the face of the planet the
| multiplicity and variety of them, their
combination of natural ornaments by
sea and by land of maritime blockade
and long marches. storming parties both
| by sea and land-the schemes of Chatham
are on scale more elaborate than any of
| Frederick or OF Washington-indeed they
surpass In area even those of Napoleon
and In English history can only be COM
| pared with those of Cromwell, which were
| on smaller and less successful scale.
Il turn now to the second point where
the United States owe to Chatham a
deep debt of reverence and Affection
| mean his heroic efforts to stem the tor
rent OF folly and injustice of the British
crown and government and to defend the
just claims Of the American colonies to
self-government and freedom. This is
very different picture from that Of the
| triumphant statesman we have been COM
templati1 9s;,o No longer in power. but
| out friends or help. Chatham, for some
| ten years, stoutly resisted the oppressive
policy Of George III and Lord North.
1.-THE story has been often told, and
do not think it has ever been. summed
up In words more eloquent than those Of
one who Is a once an experienced states
man and a brilliant historian-Sir George
/ Trevelyan--a former secretary for Ire
!dHo, the nephew OF MdCaulay-OI q ram
lily which for at least three generations
have served the state. In Trevelyan's
monumental history of the American
revolution .11;.,, | read this noble panegyric:
his aao Hs heart his SHIFT
Chatham knew America and he loved
her, and he was known and loved by her
in return. He had done more for her
since william the Silent saved and made
Holland. and she repaid him with true
loyalty. When the evil day came it was
to Chatham that she looked for the good
Offices which might avert an appeal Id
arms When hostilities had broken out
she fixed on him her hopes for an honor
able peace. And when he died-in the
very act of confessing her wrongs though
| of repudiating and condemning the estab-
lishment of that national independence
on which her own mind was irrevOcably
set-she refused to allow that she had
| anything to forgive him. and she mourned
for him as father of her people
ION the first day Of the session of 1774
| Chatham moved in the house of lords
to withdraw the British troops from Bos-
ton. He denounced the plan of trying to
has no right under heaven to tax Ameri-
ca When the famous riot about the tea
chests took place in Boston harbor he
made a good speech denouncing the tea
tice and civil policy The day is not far
distant he said again. when America
may vie with these kingdoms not only in
arms, but In arts also. 1t Is an estaD-
lished fact that the principal towns Of
! America are learned and polite, and un-
| derstand the constitution of the empire
as we'll as the noble lords who are now
In office
/ 4 X
| "'The cause of America was the cause
of all Irishmen. Catholic and Protestant.
/ ihor Lei in Enc nd of
every man who is not a friend to arbi-
| trary power. The colonists were our
countrymen, and If we persisted in treat
ing them as aliens and foes the conse-
quences were incalculable. It was civil
| war.
| What words Of wisdom and of pro-
| phetic genius!
Chatham was in close touch with
| Franklin, the envoy to England and
France of the United States. He boldly
introduced him into the house of lords.
defended him there when attacked, and
consulted him as to the bill of reconciia-
ton and settlement that he proposed. tie
| said in parliament, If l We're minister l
| would not hesitate to call Franklin a man
| whom all Europe holds in estimation for
| his knowledge and wisdom
'Oh, that Chatham could have re-
| trieved his health. His magnificent out
bursts of patriotism and genius were
only in the occasional hours of relief
| from his cruel and paralyzing malady.
Had Chatham been able to return to
power, to break down the foolish OBJ
! stinacy of King George and his viz;ers-lf
! he could have brought in Burke and with
| him could have made u settlement with
Franklin and snington-how different
| would the history of the eighteenth cen
| tupy have been. Britain and the United
States would have been in brotherhood
and aIliance-in a harmony which it has
i needed nearly q century and a half to
cement. 1t was not to be.
Again, Chatham told the lords that
| the resolutions and addresses of Congress
| at Philadelphia for solidity of reasoning,
force of sagacity. and wisdom OF con-
ciusion under such a complication or
men i'll any age or nation. The colonlStS,
he Numbered, are our compatriots. l
trust that free men i'll England do not
| desire TO see 5000, 200 Englishmen slaves
| in America!
HE took a step of extraordinary au-
dacity and sacrifice His eldest son and
heir, Lord Pitt, was in the military serv-
ice. Chatham had taken care to place
his beloved SON on the staff of his own
friend, Gen. Carleton, who was in COM
mand In Massachusetts,. Chatham was
intensely proud of his heir, and proud of
the army in which he had been an Of
ticer prOudest of all Of the honor Of his
house and his country. But he could
not bear to think Of his boy fighting in
an unholy war. In 1916. as hostiiities be-
came continuous and bitter, Chatham
faced the contempt and indignation Of
soldiers and politicians and wrote to the
general that from his fixed opinion with