The True Life Stories of the Declaration of Independence Signers. Charles Augustus Goodrich
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of country, or of party spirit, or greater splendour of eloquence, than in these debates. Nor was the shock of opinion less violent without the walls of Westminster': All Europe, it may be said, and especially the commercial countries, were attentive to the decision of this important question."
The principal supporters of the bill were Lord Grenville and Charles Townshend. Unfortunately for the colonies, Mr. Pitt, their constant friend, was absent; being confined to his bed by sickness. The principal opposers, were Gen. Conway, Alderman Beckford, Col. Barre,Mr. Jackson, and Sir William Meredith. The two first of these opposed the measure on the ground that parliament had no right to tax the colonies; the others contended that it was not expedient.
In the conclusion of one of his speeches on the bill, Mr. Townshend exclaimed: "And now, will these Americans, planted by our care, nourished up by our indulgence, until they are grown to adegree of strength and importance, and protected by our arms, will they grudge to contribute their mite to relieve us from the heavy burden we lie under!"
The honourable member had no sooner taken his seat, than Col. Barre rose, and replied: "They planted by your care. No, your oppression planted them in America. They fled from your tyranny, to a then uncultivated and inhospitable country, where they were exposed to almost all the hardships, to which human nature is liable, and among others, to the cruelties of a savage foe; the most subtle, and I will take upon me to say, the most formidable, of any people upon the face of God's earth; and yet actuated by principles of true English liberty, they met all hardships with pleasure, compared with those they suffered in their own country, from the hands of those who should have been their friends.
"They nourished by your indulgence! They grew by your neglect of them. As soon as you began to take care of them, that care was exercised in sending persons to rule them in one department and another, who were deputies of deputies to some members of this house, sent to prey upon them; men, whose behaviour, on many occasions, has caused the blood of those sons of liberty to recoil within them; men promoted to the highest seats of justice, some, to my knowledge, were glad by going to a foreign country, to escape being brought to a bar of justice in their own.
"They protected by your arms! They have nobly taken up arms in your defence; have exerted their valour, amidst their constant and laborious industry, for the defence of a country whose frontier was drenched in blood, while its interior parts yielded all its little savings to your emolument.
"And believe me, that same spirit of freedom which actuated that people at first, will accompany them still. But prudence forbids me to explain myself further.
"God knows, I do not, at this time, speak from party heat . However superior to me, in general knowledge and experience, the respectable body of this house may be, yet I claim to know more of America than most of you, having seen and been conversant in that country. The people, I believe, are truly loyal as any subjects the king has; but a people jealous of their liberties, and who will vindicate them, if ever they should be violated — but the subject is too delicate — I will say no more."
For this unpremeditated appeal, pronounced with an energy and an eloquence fitted to the high occasion, the house was not prepared. For some minutes, the members remained motionless, as if petrified by surprise. But the opposition at length rallied. Their pride could not allow of retreat. The measure was again urged, the question was taken, and the bill adopted.
No act of the British government could have been more impolitic; and none ever excited, in the colonies, a more universal alarm. It gave birth to feelings, which could never be suppressed, and aroused those intestine commotions in America, which, after kindling a civil war, and involving all Europe in its calamities, terminated in the total disjunction from the British empire, of one of its fairest portions.
After the arrival of the news that the stamp act had been adopted in parliament, the first public body that met was the assembly of Virginia. Towards the close of the session, about the last of May, the following resolutions were introduced into the house of burgesses, by Patrick Henry; a lawyer, at that time a young man, but highly distinguished for the strength of his intellect, and the power of his eloquence.
"Resolved, that the first adventurers and settlers of this his majesty's colony and dominions of Virginia, brought with them, and transmitted to their posterity, and all others his majesty's subjects, since inhabiting in this his majesty's colony, all the privileges and immunities that have at any time been held, enjoyed, and possessed, by the people of Great Britain.
"Resolved, that by the two royal charters granted by King James I. the colonists aforesaid are declared entitled to all privileges of faithful, liege, and natural born subjects, to all intents and purposes, as if they had been abiding and born within the realms of England.
"Resolved, that his majesty's most liege people of this his most ancient colony, have enjoyed the right of being thus governed by their own authority, in the article of taxes and internal police, and that the same have never been forfeited, nor any other way yielded up, but have been constantly recognised by the king and people of Great Britain.
"Resolved, therefore, that the general assembly of this colony, together with his majesty, or his substitute, have, in their representative capacity, the only exclusive right and power to lay taxes and impositions upon the inhabitants of the colony; and that any attempt to vest such a power in any person or persons whatever, other than the general assembly aforesaid, is illegal, unconstitutional, and unjust; and has a manifest tendency to destroy British as well as American freedom."
The debate on these resolutions was animated, and even violent. Nothing like them had ever transpired in America. They evinced a settled purpose of resistance; and conveyed to the ministry of Great Britain a lesson, which had they read with unprejudiced minds, might have saved them the fruitless struggle of a seven years war. There were those, in the house of burgesses, who strongly opposed the resolutions; but the bold and powerful eloquence of Henry bore them down, and carried the resolutions through. In the heat of debate, he boldly asserted, that the king had acted the part of a tyrant; and alluding to the fate of other tyrants, he exclaimed, "Caesar had his Brutus, Charles I. his Cromwell, and George III." — here pausing a moment, till the cry of " treason, treason," resounding from several parts of the house, had ended — he added — " may profit by their example; if this be treason, make the most of it."
The above resolutions had no sooner passed, than they found their way into the papers of the day. and were circulated widely and rapidly through the colonies. They were received with enthusiasm; and served to raise still higher the indignant feelings which pervaded the country.
Before these resolutions had reached Massachusetts, the house of representatives of that colony had declared the expediency of a congress, composed of commissioners from the several colonies, "to consult together on the present circumstances of the colonies; — the acts of parliament laying duties and taxes upon them; and to consider of a general and humble address to his majesty and the parliament for relief."
The measure thus proposed by Massachusetts, on being communicated to the several colonies, was received with cordial approbation by most of them; and on the 7th of October, 1765, commissioners from the colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania,Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina, met at New-York, on the important and responsible business assigned them.
This congress, the first that was ever held in America, published, as the result of their deliberation, a declaration of the rights and grievances of the colonists; and agreed upon a memorial to the house of lords, and a petition to the king and commons.
In their declaration, they acknowledged their allegiance to his majesty, and their willingness to render due honour to the rightful authority of parliament; but they claimed that they had interests, rights, and liberties, as the natural born subjects of his majesty, and that, as they could not be represented in parliament, that body had no right to impose taxes upon them without their consent. They declared the stamp act, and other acts of parliament, " to have a manifest tendency to subvert the rights and liberties of the colonists."
The address and petition, agreed to by this congress, were at this time signed by the commissioners from six colonies only. But their proceedings