colonies better than any other one man. "But he (Grenville)
chose compulsion rather than persuasion, and would not receive
from their good-will what he thought he could obtain without it.
Thus the golden bridge which the Americans were charged with
unwisely and unbecomingly refusing to hold out to the minister
and parliament, was actually held out to them, but they refused
to walk over it."

The action of the English Ministry in the matter of the tea tax
in particular, and of the whole question of American taxation in
general, is thus spoken of by Burke in his famous address in the
House of Commons:

"There is nothing simple, nothing manly, nothing ingenious, open,
decisive, or steady, in the proceeding, with regard either to the
continuance or the repeal of the taxes. The whole has an air of
littleness and fraud. * * * There is no fair dealing in any part
of the transaction."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"No man ever doubted that the commodity of tea could bear an
imposition of three-pence. But no commodity will bear
three-pence, or will bear a penny, when the general feelings of
men are irritated, and two millions of people are resolved not to
pay. The feelings of the colonists were formerly the feelings of
Great Britain. Theirs were formerly the feelings of Mr. Hampden
when called upon for the payment of twenty shillings. Would
twenty shillings have ruined Mr. Hampden's fortune? No, but the
payment of half twenty shillings, on the principle it was
demanded, would have made him a slave. * * * It is then upon the
principle of this measure, and nothing else, that we are at