The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-06-27

| by their charters and by the action of
William and Mary-that state had the
right TO demand not only their prop
erty, but their service in the army and,
in the last extremity. their lives. 1t
cannot be, then, that the American
Revolution was fought that colonists
might escape paying taxes. The great
struggle that they passed through must
make such a duty seem Insignificant.
The real principle was not one of the
right of the state or the duty of the
citizens ii was a question of govern
ment a question of form and method.
1t is this that is meant above in the
statement that the struggle was not
between nations or for new principles.
1t was not so much a revolution. a
propagation of new ideas. as the main
tenance of the old forms of representa-
and constitutional liberty. England
had fought for this in 1888 and i'm
agined it was secured But it was only
so in name.
George III was by nature despot;
at heart he was another Stuart He
had the parliament almost completely
under his control in its Legislation
upon English questions, but in regard
TO the kings colonies his will was SUI
preme
He forced a policy of government
upon America that he could not and
dared not force upon England. though
his disposition was strong enough.
Were the descendants of CromwelPs
Puritans going back to submit to
Stuart regime?
That is what is meant when we hear
| that America fought at once the battle
of freedom in the colonies and in Eng
land. That is what England's great
statesman meant when he declared on
the floor of parliament that he rejoiced
in the resistance of the colonists The
earl of Chatham knew that the govern
ment of George Ill in whose ears was
ringing the admonition Of his mother
Ito be king" was undermining the con-
stitution of Great Britain and bringing
the. state back to the forms of mon
archy that had existed in the times Of
the Stuarts and the Tudors.
But if the leading principle was the
government from the encroachments
of king and parliament, says the essay
list, there is another principle as far
reaching as the development of the
state in government. Sovereignty is
always finally vested in the people.
And he goes on:
If the king could have accommodated
himself to the existing state of affairs
for America as he managed to do for
England. there would have been the
limited constitutional monarchy that
Great Britain finally reached in 1882.
But this was impossible, and so the
colonies were driven to assert by war
what the commons of England partly
gained by legislation sixty years later
There was further gained in the
United States a recognition that quail
ity. not quantity. is the basis of the
peerage of man and accordingly all
men were declared free and equal
Still. there is another factor that
must have eventually led to separation
The great land of America had a part
to play in the history of the world
that could best be performed by max
ing IL an independent nation.
England's great work was to plant
colonies. America could not aid in that
work 1t was her place to found
great nation on this side of the At
lantic and bring out the conception. of
free government
And when this was done, concludes
the essayist, then America stretched
out her hand over the sea TO aid the
oppressed of Europe. to furnish them
a place of refuge, and as soon as they
could assume the duties, make them
citizens, not alone of our United
States, but of the world.