But Burke
and many other Whigs were ready now for this, though Chatham
still believed it would be the ruin of the British Empire.
Chatham, however, was all for conciliation, and it is not hard to
imagine a group of wise men chosen from both sides, men British
in blood and outlook, sitting round a table and reaching an
agreement to result in a real independence for America and a real
unity with Great Britain. A century and a quarter later a bitter
war with an alien race in South Africa was followed by a result
even more astounding. The surrender of Burgoyne had made the
Prime Minister, Lord North, weary of his position. He had never
been in sympathy with the King's policy and since the bad news
had come in December he had pondered some radical step which
should end the war. On February 17, 1778, before the treaty of
friendship between the United States and France had been made
public, North startled the House of Commons by introducing a bill
repealing the tax on tea, renouncing forever the right to tax
America, and nullifying those changes in the constitution of
Massachusetts which had so rankled in the minds of its people. A
commission with full powers to negotiate peace would proceed at
once to America and it might suspend at its discretion, and thus
really repeal, any act touching America passed since 1763.
Pages:
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195