55. By Undeniable Supremacy of Parliament ANDREW (1775) THE BURNABY the colonies observed and noted not only the character and customs of the people and the as pect of the also political and social country, but movements and tendencies. The selected as a extract is HE present unhappy differences subsisting among us, with regard to America, will, I am sensible, expose the publication of this account to much censure and criticism; but I can truly aver, that I have been led to it, by no He carefully party motive whatsoever. My first attachment, as it is natural, is to my native country; my next is to America ; and such is my affection for both, that I hope nothing will ever happen to dissolve that union, which is so necessary to their common happiness. Let every Englishman and American, but for a moment or two, substitude [-te] themselves in each other's place, and, I think, a mode of reconciliation will soon take effect. Every American will then perceive the reasonableness, of acknowledging the supremacy of the British legislature; and every Englishman perhaps, the hardship of being taxed where there is no representation, or assent. There is scarcely any such thing, I believe, as a perfect government, and solecisms are to be found in all. present disputes are seemingly the result of one. can be more undeniable than the supremacy of parliament over the most distant branches of the British empire: for although the king being esteemed, in the eye of the law, original proprietor of all the lands in the kingdom; all lands, upon defect of heirs to succeed to an inheritance, escheat to the king; and all new discovered lands vest in him: yet in neither case can he exempt them from the jurisdiction of the legislature of the kingdom. The temperate statement of the English side of the controversy. For Bur - Nothing naby, see the He may grant them, under leases or charters, to individuals or companies; with liberty of making rules and regulations for the internal government and improvement of them; but such regulations must ever be consistent with the laws of the kingdom, and subject to their controul. Contempora ries, II, No. 32.- For Tory views, see Contem poraries, II, Nos. 138, 156. This was really a new doctrine: the colonial charters had all been granted by the crown, Parliament applied only to general trade. and acts of The colonists held not only that they were not rep resented in Parliament, but that they could not be represented, owing to the distance. By longestablished On the other hand, I am extremely dubious, whether it be consistent with the general principles of liberty (with those of the British constitution, I think, it is not), to tax where there is no representation: the arguments hitherto adduced from Manchester and Birmingham, and other great towns, not having representatives, are foreign to the subject; at least they are by no means equal to it ; — for every inhabitant, possessed of forty shillings freehold, has a vote in the election of members for the county: but it is not the persons, but the property of men that is taxed, and there is not a foot of property in this kingdom, that is not represented. It appears then, that certain principles exist in the British constitution, which militate with each other; the reason of their doing so is evident; it was never supposed that they would extend beyond the limits of Great Britain, or affect so distant a country as America. It is much to be wished, therefore, that some expedient could be thought of, to reconcile them. The conduct of the several administrations, that have had the direction of the affairs of this kingdom, has been reciprocally arraigned; but, I think, without reason; for, all things considered, an impartial and dispassionate mind, will find many excuses to allege in justification of each. -The fewest, I am afraid, are to be pleaded in favour of the Americans, for they settled in America under charters, which expressly these powers reserved to the British Parliament the authority, whether consistent or not consistent, now asserted. Although, therenot been ex- fore, they had a right to make humble representations to his majesty in parliament, and to shew the impropriety and inconvenience of inforcing such principles, yet they had certainly no right to oppose them. custom of Parlia ment had ercised. Expedients may still be found, it is to be hoped however, to conciliate the present unhappy differences, and restore harmony again between Great Britain and her colonies; but whatever measures may be adopted by parliament, I am sure, it is the duty and interest of America to submit. — But it is Andrew Burnaby, Travels through the Middle Settlements in Thomas Paine, Large Additions to Common Sense, appended to his Common Sense (Philadelphia, 1776), 80. By REVER- SON (1743 1776), a Concord clergyman, grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson. At the outbreak of the Revolution he joined the continental army as chaplain, and lost his life in the Ticonderoga expe dition. His story is one of the best illustrations 57. Battle of Lexington and Concord [1775, April] 19. (1775) ΤΗ HIS Morn betw 1 & 2 o'clock we w! [were] alarm'd by ye ring of ye Bell- & upon Exam [ination] fou[nd] yt ye Troops, to ye No of 800, had stole y March from Boston in Boats & Barg' [barges] from ye Bottom of ye Common over to a Point in Cambridge, near to Inman's Farm, & were at Lexington Meeting House, half an Hour before Sunrise, where they had fired upon a Body of our Men, & (as we afterv heard) had killed several. This Intelligence was bro't us at fst [first] by D Sam" Prescott, who narrowly escap'd y ume of the effectiveness of a narrative heat of con written in the flict. - For count of LexConcord, see ington and Contempora 191.-For ries, II, No. the first stage of the war, see Contemch. xxxi. poraries, II, "Inman's present site Square, port. Guard y were sent before on Horses, purposely to prevent in this volall Posts & Messengers from giving us timely Information. He, by ye Help of a very fleet Horse crossing several Walls and Fences, arriv'd at Concord at ye Time abovemend [abovementioned]. When several Posts w immediately] dispatch'd, that return" confirm'd y Account of ye Regulars Arrival at Lexington, & that they were on their Way to Concord. Upon this a No of our Minitute [Minute] Men belongs to y [this] Town, & Acton & Lyncoln, with several others y were in Readiness, march'd [o]ut to meet them: While ye alarm Company w preparing to receive them in ye Town.-Cap Minot who command[ed] ym tho't it proper to take Possess[ion] of ye Hill above ye Meeting house as ye most advan[tageous] Situa[tion]. No sooner Farm," had y gain'd [it] than we were met by y Companies y were of Inman sent out to meet ye Troops, who inform'd us, yt [they] were just upon us, & that we must retreat, as their No was more than threbble to ours. - We then retreat'd fr[om] y Hill near [the] Liberty Pole & took a new Post back of ye Town, upon a rising Eminince, w[h]ere we form'd into two Battalions, & waited y Arrival of ye Enemy. Scarcely had we form'd, before we saw ye brittish Troops, at ye Dista[nce] of a of a Mile, glittering in Arms, advancing towards [us] with ye greatest Celerity. Some were for making a Stand, notwithstanding] ye Super[iority] of y! No' but others more prudent tho't best to retreat till our Stren[g]th sha be equal to ye Enemy's by Recruits from neigh" [neighboring] Town's y' were contin [ually] com in to our Assistance Accordingly we retreat over ye Bridge, when ye Troops came into y Town,- set fire to several Carriages for ye Artillery, destroy'd 60 Barrels of Flour, rifleled sev[eral] Houses - took Possession of ye Townhouse, destroy'd 500 lb of Ball[s] set a Guard of 100 Men at ye N Bridge, & S* sent up a Party *Thus in to y Hou[se] of Col! Barrett, w[h]ere they were in Expec- original, ta[tion] of finding a Quan[tity] of warlike Stores; but these L |