Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-02
TAKES STRONG EXCEPTION.

Editor Every Evening While read
Ing the Life Of Samuel Adams" nv
James Is. Hosmer. which was one
OF series OF biogra phies Of American
statesmen. j came across sundry pas
sages whose veracity is rather prc-
earious 10 me. After peru-ing them.
the reader VIII agree with me that they
are merely hourishes Of rhetoric and
that Mr.. Hosmer's forte would be the
writing OF biographies OF eminent
British statesmen. as Chatham. the
younger Pitt, or Gladstone. He saws:
IF arliamentary representation OF the
American Colonies had come 10 pas
the British Empire might have re-
mained 10 this day undivided. and
would not the welfare of the English
speaking race Of the world in general
have benefited thereby?"
The above statement Of Mr.. Hos
mer's Is only suppositiOn, but II is
indeed an absurd one. To repudiate
any possibility Of a representation in
parliament. II is only necessary TO
quote few sentences OF Samuel
Adams. He states In letter 10 Dennvs
Deberat. colonial agent OF Massa-
chusetts in England: I'VE are far
however, from desiring any represen-
tation there, because we think the
Colonies cannot be fully and equally
represented; and if not equally. then
in effect not az all. 4 representative
should be. and continue TO be. well
acquainted with circumstances Of the
people whom he represents. Il is often
necessary that the circumstances of
individual towns should be brought
into comparison with those OF the
whole; so 1t is particularly when
taxes are in consideration. The pro-
portionate part of each of the whole
can be found only by an exact know
ledge of the internal circumstances OF
each. Now the Colonies are at 80 great
a distance from the place where Par
| Lament meets. from which they are
separated by a wide ocean. and their
circumstances are so often and con-
tinually varying, as is the case in
countries not fully settled, that il
would not be possible for men. though
ever so well acquainted with them al
/ the beginning OF Parliament, 10 con-
tinue 10 have an adequate knowledge
OF them throughout that parliament.
But would the British Empire hav,
remained undivided? Our representa-
tItes would have had little or n,
power TO prevent the passage Of bills
The number of men chosen to repre-
sent a bare million Americans coul,
not compare with the number of Eng
li9h representatives. History woul,
have repeated itself. Ministers of tn
Townsend type would have arisen, an,
knowing the vast resources of tn
Colonies, would have imposed exces
sive taxes and strict trade regula
tions. This would have provoked tn
Ire of the lovers Of old Anglo -Saxo
equity, and then connections with IN
mother country would have been sev
cred. If We had been a part of IN
British Empire. would America hav
presented 10 the down -trodden for
eigner the aspect OF a prolific oasi
surrounded by the barren sand of ar
bitrary monarchies? We certainl
would have lost an immense numbe
of immigrants, who have enriched ou
country In many ways. II we woul
have remained a part of the Britis
Empire, even today We might haV
been hemmed in by the ocean and IN
Alleghanies, for it was ever the polio
OF Great Britain to discourage ne
colonies expansion.
Another of Hosners sentences read
thus: "Inasmuch as the American
had profited especially from the sue
cesses of the war, il had been fel
! Justly enough. that they should bea
/ part of the burden" Mr.. Hosme
does not state what the successes wer,
There might have been disadvantages
ii required all the energy and infiuenc
| of Benjamin Franklin to prevent Ems
/ land from allowing France to con
! tinue in possession Of Canada in orde
| 10 prevent the expansion of the Co
| onies. America certainly did bear
large part OF the burden during tn
French and Indian War. The Amer
and voluntarily contributed large sun
OF money 10 alleviate the burden {
England. Ii was because Englan
| wished 10 drain some of the seeming
| ly endless opulence of America an
not because OF any financial defic
she suffered that England attempte
| to tax the colonists.
1 one other of Mr.. Hosmers ill-starre
sentences is: with the change
/ temper OF the Motherland and III
changed conditions under which OF
lives now pass, the objections To
connection with England, so importal