XIV. 1775 CHAP. fuch colony fhould also engage to provide for the fupport of its civil government and the adminiftration of juftice, parliament fhould forbear the exaction of duties or taxes, except fuch as fhould be neceffary for the regulation of trade. It was frequently the fate of lord North's measures, both deliberative and executive, to be proposed too late for answering an end, which they might have attained had they been fooner propofed. It has been already remarked, that during many years there was a great diverfity of fentiment in the feveral colonies, concerning principles of government, and other fubjects connected with their relation to the mothercountry; and that it might have been eafy for the minifter, by attending minutely to their different views and opinions, to have fo effectually kept their interests separate, as to prevent any coalition. But the plans which he had lately purfued, had ferved to unite in one mafs materials before difcordant: from diverfity, government had driven them to uniformity of views. This scheme of compromise might, and probably would, have been received by the middle and fouthern colonies, from lord North, at the beginning of his administration, and its reception by them must have compelled the northern republicans at length to accede; but the season was past. The minister, on introducing his motion, made a fpeech, in which he demonftrated that he confidered his prefent plan as a deviation from the high fyftem of coercion which he had before inculcated. He quoted a variety of inftances from the hiftory of this country, of ministers and parliaments altering their opinions in a change of circumftances. The prefent XIV. 1775 Appre prefent system, he urged, would be a touchstone to CHAP. try the fincerity of the Americans: if their oppofition was founded on the principles which they pretended, they would comply with the terms; if they should refuse them, they must have been actuated by different motives from thofe which they profeffed. "We (faid he) fhall then be prepared, and know how to act; after having fhewn our wifdom, our justice, and our humanity, by giving them an opportunity of redeeming their past faults, and holding out to them fitting terms of accommodation, if they reject them, we shall be justified in taking the most coërcive measures, and they must be answerable to God and man for the confequences." This meafure appeared a conceffion to the colonies, and met with its first oppofition from gentlemen who ufually fupported government. It was by fome ministerial members opposed, as contrary to the principles both of the late addrefs and other acts of government. These objections were preffed with the greateft ardour by Mr. Dundas, and alfo the partisans of the Bedford intereft; the former, in whatever he undertook, preferred firmness and decifion, and difliked the present plan as wavering and indecifive; the latter, who had uniformly been the abettors of coërcion, reprobated every indication of a conciliatory fpirit. The disapprobation of perfons on whose coincidence he had relied, embarrassed and distressed the minister, and he repeatedly endeavoured to explain himself, but without giving fatisfaction. At length, fir Gilbert Elliot profeffed to reconcile the apparent deviation, and for that purpose observed, R 2 that hended by one party to con cede too much; XIV. 1775 CHAP. that the addrefs contained two correfpondent lines of conduct; on the one hand, to reprefs rebellion, protect loyalty, and enforce the laws; on the other, to grant indulgence to colonists who fhould return to their duty. For the first of these purposes, the forces had been augmented, and the prohibitory fyftem adopted; for the laft, the prefent plan was propofed, and without it the reftrictory act would have been defective and unjuft. By this propofition, parliament would not lose the right of impofing taxes; that was a power which it expressly referved, neither did it suspend its exercise; it manifefted the firm refolution of the legislature to compel America to provide what we (not they) thought juft and reasonable for the fupport of the empire. Their compliance was the only ground of their hope to be reconciled to this country. REVENUE WAS THE SUBJECT OF DISPUTE: if the Americans offered a fatisfactory contribution, their paft offences would be pardoned, and if they did not, we should *This refined diftinction did not prevent difcerning supporters of lord North's adminiftration from regarding fuch very oppofite measures in the true light, as the reader may obferve in the following extract from Gibbon, written upon this occafion. "We gɔ on with regard to America, if we can be said to go on; for laft Monday a conciliatory motion of allowing the colonies to tax themselves, was introduced by lord North, in the midst of lives and fortunes, war and famine. We went into the house in confufion, every moment expecting that the Bedfords would fly into rebellion against those measures. Lord North rofe fix times to appease the ftorm, but all in vain; till at length fir Gilbert declared for administration, and the troops all rallied under their proper standard." Gibbon's Letter to lord Sheffield, Feb. 25th, 1775; compel XIV. 1775. by another inconfift ency. compel them to do us juftice. Members who had CHA P. difliked this motion, under the idea that it was not coërcive, now became more favourable. The opponents of miniftry contended, that the measure was too little. invidious: "It carries (faid they) two faces on its very first appearance: to the Americans, and to those who are unwilling to proceed in the extremes of violence against them, the minister holds out negotiation and amity: to those who have joined him, on condition (faid Mr. Fox *) that he will fupport Mr. Fox the fupremacy of this country, the propofition holds oppofits out a determination to perfevere in purfuit of that object. But his friends fee that he is relaxing, and the committee fees that they are all ready to withdraw from under his ftandard. No one in this country, who is fincerely the advocate of peace, will truft the fpecioufnefs of his expreffions, and the Americans will reject them with disdain. This propofition, fo far from tending to difunite, would unite the Americans more clofely; they would guard against artifice, as well as defend themselves against force. The minister is contradictory to himself in his profeffions of conciliation, and very short-fighted in conceiving that they would impofe on the Ame ricans." The plan was evidently only a change of the mode, not a renunciation of the right, of levying taxes; it was a half measure, an attempt to compromise the difference, when it was plain, from the very beginning, that there was no medium between coercion and abandonment. If the ministry were *See Parliamentary Debates, February 20th, 1775. XIV. 1775. CHAP. before right, they conceded by far too much; if wrong, by far too little. Lord North was too anxious to please one party, without much difpleafing the other; there was a fluctuation of counfels, a mixture of foothing and irritating measures, which reciprocally defeated the effect of each other. With abilities that fitted him for being a leader, from want of firmness he was too often a follower of men who were much inferior to himself. While this bill was the fubject of difcuffion, he difplayed more dexterity in retreating, than boldness in maintaining his poft. His conciliatory plan having undergone fuch modifications as made a confiderable change in its principle and tendency, paffed the house by a majority not altogether fo great as those which had voted for other propofitions of ministers. Policy of lord North, wavering and irrefolute. Conciliatory plan of Mr. Burke, on the ground of expedi ence. Mr. Burke, having devoted a great part of his time and attention to inquiries into the state of America, and having concluded that an attempt to fubjugate the colonists would be impracticable, perfifted in recommending conciliation. On the 28th of March 1775, he proposed to the house a plan for the re-establishment of concord. He forbore enter. ing into the question of right, but confined himself to the confideration of expediency; and proceeded upon a principle admitted by the wifeft legiflators, that government must be adapted to the nature and fituation of the people for whofe benefit it is exercifed. He therefore investigated the circumstances, modes of thinking, difpofitions, and principles of action, of those men in particular, the treatment of whom was the object of deliberation. To afcertain the propriety of conceffion, he examined and explained |