hical boundaries.

"American historians," remarks Lord Shelburne's biographer, "have seen
in the policy thus pursued a deliberate intention of closing the West
against further emigration, from the fear that remote colonies would
claim the independence which their position would favor. The statesmen
of the eighteenth century have follies enough to answer for without
charging them with this in addition. However impossible it was in
practice to dam up the ever-advancing tide of the English race, it was
equally impossible in theory openly to avow the intention of
dispossessing the still powerful savage nations, which were bound to
England by numerous conventions, and were regarded for the most part as
subjects of George III., equally entitled with the inhabitants of
Boston, or even of London, to the protection of his government. To
adjust the relations between savage and civilized man during the period
of the struggle which can have but one result is a task as difficult as
it is thankless, but American Presidents have not been accused of
attempting to prevent further colonization of their continent because
they have from time to time issued proclamations ascertaining and
attempting to protect the ever-retiring bounds of the Indian
reservations."

But the march of events was soon to take the responsibility of the
"settlement" (save the mark!) of American affairs out of the hands of
Shelburne. He had joined the ministry more because of the insistance of
his friend, Bute, the potent cabinet-maker, than from any general
sympathy with the views of the men with whom he had to act; and every
week put him more and more out of touch with them. He protested formally
to Egremont against the dual government of the colonies, and when the
latter tried to shelve the question by professing fatigue, curtly told
him--what was true enough--that he must expect more if the affairs of
America were to be put in order. He questioned the legality of the
action of his colleagues, the Triumvirate (Grenville, Halifax and
Egremont), in ordering the arrest of Wilkes of _North Briton_ fame.
But, oddly enough, considerations of a wholly different character
appear to have influenced his actual resignation of office. Bute,
nominally in retirement, but really playing the _role_ of ministerial
wirepuller-in-ordinary, had a surprising fancy for devising unlikely
combinations; and now he was minded to conjure with the still potent
name of Pitt. Once more, and