The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-04-25

and they had come out Of the hot
business confident that henceforth, at
any rate. they could dispense with
English troops and take care OF them
selves.
They had lost both their fear OF the
French and their awe OF the English.
Twas hardly an opportune time for
statesmen in London TO make a new
and larger place for EngIands author
ity in America, and yet that was what
they Immediately attempted.
Save Chatham and Burke and few
discerning men who had neither place
nor power, there was no longer any
one In England who knew, though it
were never so vaguely. the real tenn
per and character OF the colonists.
Twas matter of common knowledge
and comment, 1t is true, that men Of
Massachusetts were beyond all reason
Impatient of command or restraint,
affecting an independence which was
hardly to be distinguished from con-
tumacy and INSTRUMENTATION; but what
ground was there to suppose that
like naughty and ungoyernable spirit
lurked in the loyal and quiet south, or
among the prudent traders and phleg-
matte farmers who were making the
middle colonies 80 rich, and so regard
full of themselves In every point Of
gain or interest?
Hands Off," the British Policy.
Statesmen OF an elder generation
had had sure instinct what must be
the feeling Of Englishmen in America,
and had. with "a wise and salutary
neglect" suffered them to take their
own way in every matter Of self-gov.
eminent.
Though ministry after ministry had
asserted rigorous and exacting SUI
premacy for the mother country in
every affair of commerce, and had de-
termined as they pleased what the col
onies should be suffered to manufac-
ture, and how they should be allowed
to trade-with what merchants, in
what commodities. in what bottoms,
within what limits-they had never
theless withheld their hands hitherto
from all direct exercise OF authority
in the handling of the internal affairs
OF the several settlements, had given
them lea always to originate their
own legislation and their own meas
ures Of finance until self-government
had become with Item thing as II
Of immemorial privilege.
A shrewd Statesman.
Sir William Keith, sometime gov
ernor of Pennsylvania, had suggested
to Sir Robert Wal2ole that he should
raise revenue from he colonies.
What. exclaimed that shrewd mas
ter of men. Il have Old England set
against me. and do you think will
have New England iilewise2"
But men had come into authority in
England now who lacked this stout
sagacity, and every element Of sound
discretion. English arms and English
norey. they could say. had swept the
French power from America in order
that the colonies might no longer suf-
fer menace or rivalry. A great debt
had been piled up in the process.
Should not the colonies, who had
reaped the chief benefit, bear part of
the cost?
They had themselves incurred bur
densome debts, no doubt, in the strug.
gle. and their assemblies -ould very
likelZ profess themselves willing to
vote what they could should his males
ty call upon them and press them.
But an adequate and orderly system
of taxation could not be wrought out
by the separate measures of dozen
petty legislatures: 'twere best the
taxation should be direct and by par
lament, whose authority, surely, no
man outside turbulent Boston would
be mad enough seriously to question
or resist