ion.]

CHAPTER XII.

SUMMARY OF EVENTS FROM THE REPEAL OF THE STAMP ACT, MARCH, 1766, TO THE
END OF THE YEAR.

The universal joy caused in both Great Britain and America by the repeal
of the Stamp Act foreshadowed a new era of unity and co-operation
between the mother country and the colonies. But though trade and
commerce resumed their activity, and mutual expressions of respect and
affection characterized the correspondence, private and official,
between England and America, the rejoicings of re-union were soon
silenced, and mutual confidence, if restored at all, soon yielded to
mutual suspicion. The King regretted the repeal of the Stamp Act as "a
fatal compliance" which had "wounded the majesty" of England, and
planted "thorns under his own pillow." He soon found a pretext for
ridding himself of the Ministers who had influenced the Parliament, and
compelled himself to adopt and sanction that measure, and to surround
himself with Ministers, some of whom sympathized with the King in his
regrets, and all of whom were prepared to compensate for the humiliation
to America in the repeal of the Stamp Act, by imposing obligations and
taxes on the colonies in other forms, under the absolute authority of
Parliament affirmed in the Declaratory Act, and which the Americans had
fondly regarded as a mere salve to English pride, and not intended for
any practical purpose. Mr. Pitt had rested his opposition to the Stamp
Act upon the distinction between _external_ and _internal_ taxes, as did
Dr. Franklin in his evidence at the bar of the House of Commons; the
opposition and the protesting Lords denied the distinction; and when Dr.
Franklin was asked--

"Does the distinction between internal and external taxes exist in the
Charter?" he answered: "No, I believe not;" and being asked, "Then may
they not, by the same interpretation, object to the Parliament's right
of external taxation?" he answered: "They never have hitherto. Many
arguments have been lately used here to show them that there is no
difference, and that if you have no right to tax them internally, you
have no right to tax them externally, or make any other law to bind
them. At present they do not reason so, but in time they may possibly be
convinced by these arguments."[287]

I now proceed to give a summary statement of the events between Great
Britain and the colonies which followed the repeal of the Stamp Act,
March 19th, 1766.

Within ten days of its p