I'd been looking for a counterpoint to Peter Oliver's Origin and Progress of the American Rebellion: A Tory View and found it in Mercy Otis Warren's History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution. [In Google Books]
Mrs. Warren is an interesting character - very much a part of the Massachusetts Patriot scene back in the day, and very much of the Anti-Federalist persuasion. Apparently she even got in a tiff with John Adams once upon a time, when he complained her history of the Revolution didn't give him a big enough part. :)
Anyhow, this is one of the gems I've found from her (p.302) -
"The dread of slavery in free nations, has at all times produced more virtues than the principles of their political institutions."* This dread hung heavily on the most sober and judicious, the most wise and virtuous part of the inhabitants of America. They were sensible that both public and private virtue sink with the loss of liberty, and that the nobler emulations which are drawn out and adorn the soul of man, when not fettered by servility, frequently hide themselves in the shade, or shrink into littleness at the frown of a despot. They felt too much for themselves, and feared too much for posterity, longer to balance between either complete or partial submission, or an unreserved and entire claim to absolute independence.
* quoting from Travels of Anarchsis
One for your list, Paul. :)
1 comment:
Very interesting, and one which had escaped previous notice on my part. Thanks!
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