annulled in 1720, and Carolina taken under royal government. The crown, in 1728, purchased the property of feven of the owners, for feventeen thoufand, five hundred pounds. 12. General Remarks on the foregoing Facts. From the hiftory of the colonies, it appears that the principles of their oppofition to the parent ftate, were moftly planted in the minds of the first settlers, or in their primitive conftitutions of government. In New-England, an enmity to the ecclefiaftical power of the English church naturally foftered an enmity to monarchy; and this enmity was increased by repeated attempts of the crown to establish its power and prerogatives in the colonies. This enmity gra dually matured into habitual and fyftemized oppofition, which was greatly encouraged and confirmed by the speculations on government found in the writings of Locke, Sidney and others. The authority of thefe authors was reinforced by the parliamentary difcuffions on royal prerogative and popular liberty, at the revolution in England. In the proprietary and royal governments, the endless contentions between the governors and affemblies, encouraged a fpirit of inveftigation into the extent of the power of the crown, and formed the principle of oppofition into habit. The open rupture therefore between Great Britain and the colonies, was not the fudden effect of a tumultuous oppofition to a particular act of parliament, but the effect of hoftile principles and habits which had grown out of a long feries of events, and which a few measures of the British government ripened into action. 13. Immediate Caufes of the Revolution. The proceedings of the British parliament which manifefted a settled determination to keep America subject to the crown, and subfervient to the interefts of Great Britain, were the direct causes of an opposition to her claims, which ended in an appeal to arms. As early as 1750, an act was paffed in parliament, to encourage the exportation of iron in pigs and bars, from America to London; and to prevent the erecting of any mill in the colonies for flitting or rolling iron, or any plating forge, or furnace for making fteel.The purpose of the British government was to check the growth of manufactures in the colonies, and to compel them to export their iron, and import the manufactures of England. This arbitrary law was enforced, to the de-. ftruction of some machines of the kinds mentioned, and the diffatisfaction of the colonies. 14. Stamp A. After the peace of 1763, the British parliament formed a plan of raifing a revenue by taxing the colonies. The pretext for it, was to obtain indemnification for the great expenfes of Great Britain in defending the colonies, and to enable her to discharge the debt incurred in the preceding war. But a more influential motive, was to check the increasing spirit of oppofition, which it was apprehended would, in time, mature into a revolt; the parliament, therefore, determined to affert its fovereignty and establish the immediate exercife of authority over the colonies. For this purpose, an act was paffed for laying a duty on all paper, vellum or parchment, used in America, and declaring all writings on unftamped materials to be null and void. This act received the royal affent on the 22d of March, 1765. 15. Reception of the Stamp act in America. When the news of the ftamp act reached the colonies, the people every where manifested alarm, and a determination to oppofe its execution. The affembly of Virginia firft declared its oppofition to the act, by a number of spirited refolves; but Maffachusetts took the lead in this important crisis, and maintained it in every stage of the subsequent revolution. In all the colonies however, the determined spirit of resistance prevented the execution of the act. The ftamp-mafters were burnt in effigy-and popular tumults fucceeded. In Boston, the friends of the British measures, and the crown officers were infulted; their houses demolished; and among other damages, the populace deftroyed a valuable collection of original papers, concerning the history of the colonies, which governor Hutchinfon had made, and intended to publish. This lofs was irreparable. To render the oppofition complete, the merchants affociated, and agreed to a refolution not to import any more goods from Great-Britain, until the ftamp law fhould be repealed. 16. Principles in which the Parliament and the Colonies acted. The British parliament, previous to the repeal of the stamp law, paffed an act declaring that "they had, and of right ought to have, power to bind the colonies in all cafes whatsoever."They alledged that the colonies were planted by their care, nourished by their indulgence,. and protected by their arms, and their money-And therefore the colonies owed allegiance, fubjection and gratitude to the parent state. The colonies denied very juftly that they were planted by the British government. Not one of them was fettled at the expenfe of the crown; but with a vaft expenfe of individuals, and with hardfhips and fufferings beyond defcription or credibility. Nor did the government of England expend any money or furnith any force for protecting the colonies, for fixty years after the fettlement of Plymouth. On the other hand, the government neglected the colonies, while feeble and poor; and did not extend a protecting arm, until the colonies had conquered and expelled feveral Indian tribes---had overcome the difficulties of fettlement--had acquired a good degree of ftrength, and began to have a valuable commerce. Then the government of England lent affiftance to defend the colonies, and fecuce to herfelf a beneficial trade. 317. Grounds on which the Colonies oppofed the Stamp A. The colonies always acknowledged themfelves fubjects of the crown of Great Britain, until the declaration of Independence; and were moit loyal and affectionate fubjects, until the Parliament afferted the right of laying internal taxes on them, without admitting them to a fhare of reprefentation. The great principle, afferted by the friends of liberty in parliament, that "taxation and reprefentation are infeparable," was univerfally embraced and m:intained in America; and the colonies denied the right of the parliament to tax them without their confent.. In vain did the miniftry alledge that a revenue raifed in America B would be expended in fupporting government and defending the colonies. The affemblies wifhed not to have the taxes raised by Great-Britain, nor to be at her difpofal. ; 18. Congress at New-York. To give fyftem and efficacy to the colonial oppofition to the ftamp-act, Maffachusetts propofed a meeting of deputies from the feveral colonies, to be held in New-York in October 1765. Ac. cordingly deputies from nine of the colonies affembled in congrefs at New-York, and after deliberation, agreed on a declaration of their rights and grievances-afferted their exemption from taxes not impofed by their own reprefentatives and fent a petition to the king, with memorials to both houfes of parliament. This fpirited oppofition, feconded by the energetic eloquence of Mr. Pitt and other friends of America, produced a repeal of the ftamp law, on the 18th of March 1766. The news of this event was received in America, with bonfires, ringing of bells, and other unufual demonftrations of joy. 19. Duties on Glafs, Paper, Paints and Tea. Not difcouraged by the fate of the ftamp act, the British miniftry perfifted in their defign of raising a revenue in America and in 1767, an act was paffed, for laying duties on glass, painters colors, paper, and tea, imported into the colonies. To render the act effectual, a custom-houfe was directed to be eftablished in America, with a board of commiffioners to fuperintend the revenue, and to refide at Boston. Thefe duties were small, but the colonies objected to the principle, rather than to the amount, of the tax; and remonstrated against the act. A fecond affociation was formed for fufpending the importation and confumption of the goods on which the duties were charged, and other British manufactures. Thefe meafures of Maffachusetts were adopted by the other colonies, and a circular letter from Bolton had its influence in giving concert and confiftency to the opinions and proceedings of the colonial affemblies. This eppofition, fupported by petitions and remonftrances in January 1770, procured an abolition of all the duties, except that of three pence on every pound of tea. 20. Caufes of Sinuggling. The enterprizing commercial spirit of the people in America, bore, with extreme impatience, the fevere regulations impofed on their trade, which prevented their feeking the beft markets, and poured all the profits of a thriving commerce into the bofom of the parent ftate. So unjuft and tyrannical were thefe reftrictions confidered, that fmuggling goods to evade the duties, was deemed honorable and greatly encouraged In 1768, the revenue officers feized a floop, in Bofton harbor, for attempts to fmuggle wine. The populace affembled with a view to refcue the floop, but he was moored under the protection of a British ship of war. The populace then attacked the houfes of the commiffioners, who faved themselves by flight to the castle. 21. First Armed Force fent to fupport the A&ts of Parliament. The miniftry, finding all mild efforts to establish their authority, in regard to a revenue, unavailing, fent four regiments of troops to be stationed at Boston, to overawe the inhabitants, and affist the crown officers to enforce the obnoxious acts of parliament. The arrival of these in 1768 gave no small uneafinefs to the colonies, but no oppofition was then made. The miniftry alfo gave onders to station armed fhips in the principal ports to prevent smuggling. An armed fchooner called the Gafpce, was stationed in Providence river, where fhe was burnt in 1772 by an exasperated populace. A large reward was offered for the difcovery of the offenders, but no difcovery was made. 22. Further Meafures to enforce Obedience. In 1769, the parliament paffed an act to revive the provifions of a ftatute enacted in the arbitrary reign of Henry Sth; by which perfons charged with treafon in any of the colonies, might be arrested and fent to England for trial. The grofs injuftice of this act, augmented the clamor against the miniftry in Great Britain, and served only to exafperate ftill more, the minds of the Americans. This impolitic act alone would have raised a rebellion in the colonies. Indeed the fpirit of oppofition increased, in proportion to the determination of the British miniftry to |