penses, urged, in a masterly treatise, the
necessity of giving the Americans, at once, the liberty they sought.
Others, who overrated the importance of the colonies in a mercantile
view, wished to retain them, but to adopt conciliatory measures. Lord
Chatham put forth all the eloquence of which he was such a master, to
arouse the ministers. He besought them to withdraw the troops from
Boston. He showed the folly of metaphysical refinements about the
right of taxation when a continent was in arms. He spoke of the means
of enforcing thraldom as inefficient and ridiculous. Lord Camden
sustained Chatham in the House of Lords, and declared, not as a
philosopher, but as a constitutional lawyer, that England had no right
to tax America. Mr. Burke moved a conciliatory measure in the House of
Commons, fraught with wisdom and knowledge. "My hold of the colonies,"
said this great oracle of moral wisdom, "is the close affection which
grows from the common names, from the kindred blood, from similar
privileges, and from equal protection. These are the ties which,
though light as air, are as strong as links of iron. Let the colonies
always keep the idea of their civil rights associated with your
government; they will cling and grapple with you, and no power under
heaven will be able to tear them from their allegiance. But let it
once be understood that your government may be one thing, and their
privileges another, then the cement is gone, and every thing hastens
to dissolution. It is the love of the people, it is their attachment
to your government from the sense in the deep stake they have in such
glorious institutions, which gives you your army and navy, and infuses
into both that liberal obedience without which your army would be but
a base rabble, and your navy nothing but rotten timber." But this
elevated and sublime wisdom was regarded as a philosophical
abstraction, as a vain and impractical view of political affairs, well
enough for a writer on the "sublime and beautiful," but absurd in a
British statesman. Colonel Barre and Fox supported Burke; but their
eloquence had not much effect on the Commons, and the ministry was
supported in their measures. The colonies were declared to be in a
state of rebellion, and measures were adopted to crush them.

To declare the colonies in a state of rebellion was, in fact, to
declare war. And this was perfectly understood by the popular leaders
who fanned the spirit of resistance. All idea