towards Great Britain, before the year 1763?" he .replied, "The best in the world. They submitted willingly to the government of the crown, and paid, m their courts, obedience to acts of Parliament. Numerous as the people are in the several old provinces, they cost you nothing in forts, citadels, garrisons, or armies, to keep them in subjection. They were governed by this country at the expense only of a little pen, ink, and paper; they were led by a thread. They had not only a respect, but an affection for Great Britain,—for its laws, its customs, and manners,—and even a fondness for its fashions, that greatly increased the commerce. Natives of Britain were always treated with particular regard; to be an Old England man was, of itself, a character of some respect, and gave a kind of rank among us."—"And what is their temper now?" it was asked. "O, very much altered," he replied. Did you ever hear the authority of Parliament to make laws for America questioned till lately?" "The authority of Parliament," said he, "was allowed to be valid in all laws, except such as should lay internal taxes. It was never disputed in laying duties to regulate commerce." To the question, "Can you name any act of Assembly, or public act of any of your governments, that made such distinction?" he replied, "I do not know that there was any; I think there was never an occasion to make such an act, till now that you have attempted to tax us; that has occasioned resolutions of Assembly, declaring the distinction, in which I think every Assembly on the continent, and every member in every Assembly, have been unanimous."[1]
The sentiments of Washington were in accordance with those expressed by Franklin. He spoke of the Stamp Act as "unconstitutional, and a direful attack on the liberties of the colonists." And not long after, when the obnoxious act had been repealed, he thus wrote in a letter to a friend: "The repeal of the Stamp Act, to whatever cause owing, ought much to be rejoiced at; for, had the Parliament of Great Britain resolved upon enforcing it, the consequences, I conceive, would have been more direful than is generally apprehended, both to the mother country and her colonies. All, therefore, who were instrumental in procuring the repeal, are entitled to the thanks of every British subject, and have mine cordially."[2]
On the 22d of February, General Conway, who had opposed from the first, the attempt to enforce the Stamp Act, now brought in a bill for its total repeal. The debate upon it was long and interesting; but, as Burke said afterwards, "the House, by an independent, noble-spirited, and unexpected majority, in the teeth of all the old mercenary Swiss of the state; in despite of all the speculators and augurs of political events, in defiance of the whole embattled legion of veteran pensioners and practised instruments of court, gave a total repeal to the Stamp Act, and if the scheme of taxing the colonies had been totally abandoned, there would have been a lasting
