From a careful examination of these resolutions, it will appear that the colonists were desirous at this time to maintain their allegiance to their sovereign, while they stood forth in the defence of their rights; and that they were even willing to acknowledge the authority of the British parliament in regulating- their commerce, while they contended that it was unjust and subversive of all liberty to tax them without their consent.
It was now perceived by the ministry in Europe, that they must either repeal the obnoxious statutes, or oblige the Americans to submit to them by force of arms. The confederacy against them was general, systematic, and alarming: it was universally agreed that no articles of British manufacture should he imported, and that those which were prepared in the colonies, though both dearer and of worse quality, should be employed in all the set tlements. Even the ladies, animated with a similar spirit, cheerfully relinquished every species of ornament, which was manufactured in England. The proceedings in the courts of justice were suspended, that no stamps might be used; and the colonists were earnestly and frequently exhorted by those who took the lead on this occasion, to terminate their disputes by reference. In addition to this, not a few of the people at home espoused the cause of the Americans, openly declaring, that the imposition of a tax upon them, without their consent, was nothing else than levying a contribution : and that, if the minis try persevered in doing so, they would persevere in violating the rights of every British subject. Alr Pitt, whom we have already seen conducting the war against the French in America, with unexampled vigour and success, was now in opposition. Ile entered warmly into the views of the colonists on the present emergen cy: and maintained in his place, with all the eloquence for which he was conspicuous, " that taxation is no part of the governing or legislative power; but that taxes are a voluntary gift and grant of the commons .done;" and he concluded his speech with a motion, that the stamp act he repealed absolutely, totally, and immediately. About this time the celebrated Dr Franklin was exa mined before the house of commons, and gave it as his opinion, that the tax in question was impracticable and ruinous; asserting, that it had alienated the :auctions of the colonists from the mother country ; and that they regarded the people of England as conspiring against their liberties, and the parliament as willing to oppress, rather than to assist them. A petition was received from the congress at New York ; and some change hav ing taken place in the cabinet, the existing administra tion agreed with Mr Pitt, and the stamp act was repeal ed, to the universal joy of the Americans. In Virginia in particular, it was resolved by the house of burgesses, that a statue should be erected to his majesty, as an ac knowledgment of the high sense which they entertain ed of his attention to the rights and the petitions of his people.
But though the ministry had consented to repeal the stamp act, they had not abandoned the purpose of draw ing a revenue from the colonies in America. They fan cied likewise, that they had yielded too much by com plying with the wishes of the settlers: the pride of do minion was wounded ; and, in order to support the dig nity of the crown, and the credit of their administration, they published a bill, in which the superiority of Great Britain over her colonies was declared to extend to all cases whatever. The assertion of the right of England, in this instance, greatly diminished the joy which the repeal of the stamp act had occasioned. It was consi dered by the Americans as a foundation on which any future ministry might oppress them under the sanction of parliamentary authority ; and it had no other effect, than that of rendering them more suspicious of arbitrar? designs, and more solicitous to mark, with a jealous eye, the first encroachments of power.
An opportunity for the exercise of this spirit was not long wanting. An act had been passed by the Rock ingham administration, for providing the soldiers in the colonies with the necessaries and accommodations which their circumstances might require. But the asqembl) of New York explained this act according to their own inclinations; and asserted, that it was meant to apply to the troops only when they were marching from place to place. The assembly at Boston followed the exampls of that in New York : they proceeded even farther: and resolved, that the conduct of the governor in issuing money from the treasury, in order to furnish the arti• lery with provisions, was unconstitutional and unjust ; and that it disabled them from granting cheerfully to the king the aids which his service These resolutions of the colonists, however, were not approved of in England by many of those who had espoused their interests on other occasions. Their disposition seemed to them now to be, not that of a rational defence ot the0 lights and pi Ix ileges. oil that of a systematic opposition to the ruling pow cr.,. It is not easy to discover on what principle this change of sentiment was rested ; but it is ac knowledg,ed, that, in consequence of the change, the bill which was introduced by Mr Townshend, the chan cellor of the exchequer, imposing a duty on all tea, pa per, colours, and glass, imported into the colonies, w as passed, (A. D. 1768,) with much less opposition than it would otherwise have experienced. And in order to punish the refractory spirit of the assemblies, the legis lative power was taken from that of New York, till it should comply with the requisitions of the parent state.