登陆注册
15478300000004

第4章 CHAPTER I. THE TREATY OF PEACE(4)

Two subjects involving the greatest difficulty of arrangement were the compensation of the Loyalists and the settlement of commercial indebtedness. The latter was really a question of the payment of British creditors by American debtors, for there was little on the other side of the balance sheet, and it seems as if the frugal Franklin would have preferred to make no concessions and would have allowed creditors to take their own chances of getting paid. But the matter appeared to Adams in a different light--perhaps his New England conscience was aroused--and in this point of view he was supported by Jay. It was therefore finally agreed "that creditors on either side shall meet with no lawful impediment to the recovery of the full value in sterling money, of all bona fide debts heretofore contracted." However just this provision may have been, its incorporation in the terms of the treaty was a mistake on the part of the Commissioners, because the Government of the United States had no power to give effect to such an arrangement, so that the provision had no more value than an emphatic expression of opinion. Accordingly, when some of the States later disregarded this part of the treaty, the British had an excuse for refusing to carry out certain of their own obligations.

The historian of the Virginia Federal Convention of 1788, H. B. Grigsby, relates an amusing incident growing out of the controversy over the payment of debts to creditors in England:

"A Scotchman, John Warden, a prominent lawyer and good classical scholar, but suspected rightly of Tory leanings during the Revolution, learning of the large minority against the repeal of laws in conflict with the treaty of 1783 (i. e., especially the laws as to the collection of debts by foreigners) caustically remarked that some of the members of the House had voted against paying for the coats on their backs. The story goes that he was summoned before the House in full session, and was compelled to beg their pardon on his knees; but as he rose, pretending to brush the dust from his knees, he pointed to the House and said audibly, with evident double meaning, 'Upon my word, a dommed dirty house it is indeed.' The Journal of the House, however, shows that the honor of the delegates was satisfied by a written assurance from Mr. Warden that he meant in no way to affront the dignity of the House or to insult any of its members."

The other question, that of compensating the Loyalists for the loss of their property, was not so simple a matter, for the whole story of the Revolution was involved. There is a tendency among many scholars of the present day to regard the policy of the British toward their North American colonies as possibly unwise and blundering but as being entirely in accordance with the legal and constitutional rights of the mother country, and to believe that the Americans, while they may have been practically and therefore morally justified in asserting their independence, were still technically and legally in the wrong. It is immaterial whether or not that point of view is accepted, for its mere recognition is sufficient to explain the existence of a large number of Americans who were steadfast in their support of the British side of the controversy. Indeed, it has been estimated that as large a proportion as one-third of the population remained loyal to the Crown. Numbers must remain more or less uncertain, but probably the majority of the people in the United States, whatever their feelings may have been, tried to remain neutral or at least to appear so; and it is undoubtedly true that the Revolution was accomplished by an aggressive minority and that perhaps as great a number were actively loyal to Great Britain.

同类推荐
  • 洪恩灵济真君事实

    洪恩灵济真君事实

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛祖统纪说

    佛祖统纪说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 孟冬纪

    孟冬纪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 爝火录

    爝火录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Beast in the Jungle

    The Beast in the Jungle

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 我可以爱你么

    我可以爱你么

    他——是四大学院的校草,受万人瞩目,却惟独钟情于她。她——是知名度很高的学生会会长,在他眼中,他不过是一株弱不禁风的校草。他失忆后,她才知道,什么叫珍惜——
  • 留东外史

    留东外史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 巨龙王国与魔法

    巨龙王国与魔法

    作者电脑损坏......会不定期更新......欢迎关注作者微博:利奥尼克《巨龙、王国与魔法》I黑暗王子简介在与来自地下未知世界“炼狱”的邪恶种族恶魔的战争中,有如传奇一般的人类王国赛特瑞斯的国王利奥纳多.赛特瑞斯不幸战死,而恶魔也被击溃,被迫撤回了地下世界;而国王的死造成了赛特瑞斯王国内部朝政的剧变,逝去国王的子嗣被迫流亡,展开了一场关乎整个人类王国命运的冒险。
  • 低调总裁

    低调总裁

    忍受寂寞的煎熬,只为等待他的归来。归期何时?只愿让你看到改变后的自己。情不孤独爱寂寞……
  • 带刀

    带刀

    “侠以武犯禁”。荆川无意犯禁,只是这一生都由不得他做主。他师父曾对他说:“一旦入了江湖,就算你跑到天涯海角,你也走不出江湖这个圈子。”荆川不信,他要走,要远离江湖,要逃脱“人在江湖,身不由己”这个魔咒。--------------------重置《带刀》,轻装出发!
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 冷面总裁呆萌妻

    冷面总裁呆萌妻

    片段一:“七七,欢迎回来。”说完就在机场众目睽睽的情况下,抱着她就开始往她唇上啃。片段二:“旭尧哥,你确定要今天领证?”对面的沈旭尧肯定的点点头表示同意。苏沐曈看着他点头立马抱走,她往着车外人从民政局门口一直排到大门那边,丢掉以往的呆萌乖巧开始暴走,对着他大吼“今天虽然是5月20日,你今天带我来领证表示你很爱我,可是要是因为你好多女性同胞都决定不结婚了怎么办!”看商界冷面阎罗遇到了呆萌小可爱怎么沦陷,智商丧失变成妻奴。
  • 天界助我做明星

    天界助我做明星

    太白金星请求帮助天界收集信仰之力?人前显圣?装神弄鬼展示超能力?nonono~新时代当然要用新时代的方法了,还有什么比当大明星更能收集人气的呢?请帮助我成为世界上独一无二的超级巨星吧!
  • 模特倾国:倾城总裁过度宠

    模特倾国:倾城总裁过度宠

    【特级宠文】“依依,你不要走,你给我回来!”“依依,我会把全世界最好的给你,你只要乖乖地留在我身边,做我的妻子。”……他,长相倾城,他和她经过几番周折过后,他们相恋了。原本他们好好相爱,有一天他却不辞而别,令她伤透了心。一次模特秀,让他们再次相见...某男:“郑助理,你慌慌张张的,手上在拿着些什么?”“没有什么!”“拿给我看看!”总裁大人的话实在太有威慑力,郑助理只好小心翼翼地递给他。“嘶啪...嘶啪啪啪...”某女那性感的写真变为一堆碎纸。一切故事的源头,在这里展现......这是一个绝色小鲜肉倒追妻的故事…【宠宠指数爆棚】