William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, and the growth and division of the British Empire, 1708-1778; . r action in fact was the signalfor immediate union among the colonies, and theircoercion of a single town was answered by a Conti-nental Congress. The House of Commons sharedtheir ignorance, and it is surely the height of irony tofind Horace Walpole writing to a friend in the monthwhen the acts were before Parliament, We are ingreat tranquillity here — even America gives us nopain—at least it makes no sensation, for the Oppos-ition has not taken up the cause. The general lineagainst the Bostonians is
William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, and the growth and division of the British Empire, 1708-1778; . r action in fact was the signalfor immediate union among the colonies, and theircoercion of a single town was answered by a Conti-nental Congress. The House of Commons sharedtheir ignorance, and it is surely the height of irony tofind Horace Walpole writing to a friend in the monthwhen the acts were before Parliament, We are ingreat tranquillity here — even America gives us nopain—at least it makes no sensation, for the Oppos-ition has not taken up the cause. The general lineagainst the Bostonians is threats. * While the Amer-icans prepared for their Congress, a general electionwas taking place in England and the majority ofLord North was increased. Chathams view of the situation was fully stated ina letter to Shelburne of March 20, 1774. The violence committed upon the tea cargo is cert-ainly criminal ; nor would it be real kindness to the Amer-icans to adopt their passions and wild pretensions, whenthey manifestly violate the indispensable ties of civil soci- * Lettersy vi., 69,. Copyright Walker & Cockerell. HORACE WALPOLE. FROM THE PAINTING BY N. HONE IN THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY. 1778] The Attempt to Save the Empire. 341 ety. Boston, therefore, appears to me to owe reparation forsuch a destruction of the property of the East India Com-pany. This is, to my mind, clear and evident; but, Iconfess, it is equally clear to me, that in pursuing thisjust object, Government may become unjust ; if they at-tempt to blend the enforcement of general declared rightsof the British Parliament (which I must for ever treat asrights in theory only) with a due satisfaction for a tu-multuous act of a very criminal nature. The methods,too, proposed, by way of coercion, appear to me too se-vere, as well as highly exceptionable in order of time, forreparation ought first to be demanded in a solemn man-ner, and refused by the town and magistracy of Boston,before such a bill of pains a
Size: 1423px × 1756px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectpittwil, bookyear1901
