History of the settlement of Upper Canada (Ontario,): with special reference to the Bay QuintéCanniff, William
History
History of the settlement of Upper Canada (Ontario,): with special reference to the Bay Quinté
Canniff, William
Ontario -- History; Quinte, Bay of (Ont.)
remained to rankle and fester in the mind of many a military aspirant.
The proposal to introduce Episcopal Bishops, to give precedence to the
Established Church, had its effect upon many, yet many of the
non-conformists were equally loyal.
The contest was originally between New England and Old England. While
the Middle and Southern States were for peace, or moderate measures, the
north sedulously worked to stir up strife by disseminating specious
statements and spreading abroad partisan sentiments. Massachusetts took
the lead. Founded by Puritans, (who, themselves were the most intolerant
bigots and became the greatest persecutors America has seen,) these
States possessed the proper elements with which to kindle discontent.
Thus we have learned that independence was not the primary object of
revolt, and we have seen that the leaders in rebellion were principally
New Englanders, and were actuated mainly by mercenary motives, unbounded
selfishness and bigotry.
CHAPTER V.
CONTENTS—The signers of the Declaration of Independence—Their
nativity—Injustice of American writers for 80 years—Cast back
mis-statements—The whigs had been U. E. Loyalists—Hancock—
Office-seekers—Malcontents stir up strife—What the fathers of the
Republic fought for—Rebel committees—Black mail—Otis, John Adams,
Warren, Washington, Henry, Franklin—What caused them to rebel—What
the American revolutionary heroes actually were—Cruelty, during
and after the war—No freedom—The political mistake of the rebels
in alienating the loyalists—The consequence—Motives of the
loyalists—False charges—Conscientious conservatives—Rebellion not
warranted—Attachment to the old flag—Loyalists driven away—
_Suppressio veri_—Want of noble spirit towards the South—Effects—
Comparison between loyalists and rebels—Education—Religion—The
neutral—The professions.
Of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence nine were
born in Massachusetts, seven in Virginia, six in Maryland, five in
Connecticut, four in New Jersey, four in Pennsylvania, four in South
Carolina, three in New York, three in Delaware, two in Rhode Island, one
in Maine, three in Ireland, two in England, two in Scotland, and one in
Wales. Of these twenty-one were attornies; ten merchants; four
physicians; three farmers; one clergyman; one printer; and ten men of
fortune.
THE MOTIVES.
But let us more carefully consider the motives in connection with the
rebellion of ‘76. So assiduously have our fathers, the U. E. Loyalists,
been branded by most American writers as altogether base, that it
becomes us to cast back the mis-statements—to tear away the specious
covering of the American revolutionary heroes, and throw the sunlight of
truth upon their character, and dispel the false, foul stigma, which the
utterances of eighty years have essayed to fasten upon the noble band of
Loyalists.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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