Evening star., 1923-09-02


" v wrote an essay on THE
Principles Fought for in the
American Revolution" he received
$50 gold medal as winner in the
contest. open 10 seniors Of all Amer
lean colleges.
Since then that essay has become
doubly famous because Of its author
ship. A close friend of the President
has secured copy for publication.
The essay follows:
| When histor. looks beyond the
immediate cause OF the American
revolution for the justifying prin-
ciples, 1t is very soon brought back
to the spirit of English liberty. 1t
is the same genius for freedom that
has led the race from the primeVal
forests Of Germany to the thirteenth
amendment OF the Constitution.
Such an honorable antiquity or po-
iitical ideas has made the race very
conservative Of self-government. The
idea il prehistoric. 1t is the DESCENT
ants OF those very freemen descTibsd
fhy- TacituS. who not only dictated the
policy of Edward the Coufessor. but
extorted the great charter of human
rights from King John in the thtr-
| taentli century.
And during the next 400 years. too.
this spirit was not dormant, but came
10 the surface on three great occa-
isions-the confirmation Of Magma
Charta by Edward l, the petition Of
right to Charles |. and the reNolu-
[ tton that drove James III from his
! throne.
Divine Right Of People.
Although it is characteristic of
. Engllshmcn to have great love for
a king 50 long rs he respects the
liberties Of the people. yet. the fact
1 hfz iru ra1,.ll o.
against two and executed three
shows clearly enough that there Was
always a strong idea of the divine
fright of th@ pcople as well as Of
kings.
Precodents. then, are BY no means
wanting among the EnglishMen Tor
the successful resistance Of arbitrary
despotisn whenever it encruachtd
upon their liberties.
Another fact that must be noted
is the character Of the colontsts. and
especially those OF Massachusetts,.
| These were the Puritans. who had
fought the wars Of liberty in Eng
land. Then. because they We're not
! satisfied with church ordinances. they
were driven by Archbishop Lard to
seek religious freedom across the
sea.
OF all the race they were the most
tenacious OF their rights and the most
jealous Of their liberties. The ATneri-
struggle for emancipation from
slavery. and the colonists were free
men. Nor was it at first so much for
gaining new liberties as for prcserv-
ing the old.
Nor can il, as is often thought, be
icalled war between different ma
tions. Both sides We're IInglishmea =
who gloriiied in the name Of England.
William and Mary had. moreov:r
given the colonists q full share of the
| vii n- n~ifish subjects Another
i fact showing thee same thing is that
Il almost the ablest advocates Of the
colonial cause were members Of the
British house OF parliament. whii7 the
most ardent adherents OF the King
we're colonists.
Object of Resistance.
The real object OF resistance wF.s to
gain security from parliamentary en-
| croachrnents. This was the chief cause
for which the revolutionists contend
cd, but by no means all they obtained.
The war was finally fought oft on
principles as far-reaching as tho his
tory of nations. 1t was a struggle Tor
the retention of those great institu-
tons that check oppression and vio-
lence.
The colonists were contendinG for
1 VI =
government of chartered rights and
Constitutional liberties. They were
defending themselves against The
military despotism OF George III and
| struggling to change the foundation
Of government from force to equality.
The defense of the principles set
forth above involves scarcely any
thing more than a narration Of the
leading events that eliminated in the
Declaration of Independence. 1t has
been said that the separation of
America from the mother country was
the logical outcome of the French and
Indian war. However this may be, il
is quite certain that the condition OF
England at the close OF this war
. forced a new colonial policy that
would not have been thought Of be
! fore 1853, and could not be executed
until after that date.
|, South to Break Restrictions.
For. instead of wanting new taxes
and new restrictions upon their com
breaking away from the old restric-
tions by their systematic evasion OF
the navigation acts. These laws of
trade We're merely commercial regu-
; lations and not at all for revenue.
But because the colonies were no
!longer trading stations in their rela-
tions to the central government they
Instead. however. OF noting these
tendencies. Grenville made a leading
: part of his scheme Of government the
; passage of laws for raising revenue
in America. He proposed to enforce
!, 1.-THE trade laws. which meant that
the, interests of a few merchants in
England were TO be considered be
jects in America: he proposed to
quarter soldiers here. nominsliy for
onies. which meant force and a mill
tary despotism; he proposed ,te to Ths Eaise
: Hsh parliament, which meant the
, disfranchisernent Of 100000 British
subjects and the surrender Of all
those rights laid down in Magma
5 Charta.
! raising this tax was the notorious
] stamp act This. however. met with
so much disapproval that II was soon
Exhibit to Reveal