A
major tenet of the American Creed is that all kings are tyrants. This is implied from the Declaration of
Independence:
The history of the present
King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all
having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these
States.
But
this is very much an oversimplification of the American colonists’ views of
King George III and monarchy in general.
First
and foremost, it must be noted that His Majesty’s subjects in the 13 colonies
were very fond of their King. Their
grievances in the runup to the War for Independence were not mainly with him
but with actions of Parliament. This is
plainly evident in the colonists’ ‘Petition to the King’ of 1774 (for knowledge
of which we are indebted to the monarchist Charles Coulombe’s book Star-Spangled Crown). A bit from the Petition, which indicts
Parliament:
By
several Acts of Parliament made in the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and
eighth years of your Majesty's Reign, Duties are imposed on us for the purpose
of raising a Revenue; and the powers of Admiralty and Vice Admiralty Courts are
extended beyond their ancient limits, whereby our property is taken from us
without our consent; the trial by jury, in many civil cases, is abolished;
enormous forfeitures are incurred for slight offences; vexatious informers are
exempted from paying damages, to which they are justly liable, and oppressive
security is required from owners before they are allowed to defend their right.
Both
Houses of Parliament have resolved, that Colonists may be tried in England for offences alleged to have
been committed in America, by virtue of a Statute passed in the
thirty-fifth year of Henry the Eighth, and, in consequence
thereof, attempts have been made to enforce that Statute.
What
the colonists wanted was for King George III to place himself between
Parliament and the colonies, to protect the latter from the former. The words of affection from the colonists
towards their King in this Petition will probably offer a strong shock to those
who accept the standard textbook account of [u]nited States history, but here
they are nevertheless:
To
a Sovereign, who glories in the name of Briton, the bare recital of these Acts must, we presume,
justify the loyal subjects, who fly to the foot of his Throne, and implore his
clemency for protection against them.
From
this destructive system of Colony Administration, adopted since the conclusion
of the last war, have flowed those distresses, dangers, fears, and jealousies,
that overwhelm your Majesty's dutiful Colonists with affliction; and we defy
our most subtle and inveterate enemies to trace the unhappy differences between Great Britain and these Colonies, from
an earlier period, or from other causes than we have assigned. Had they
proceeded on our part from a restless levity of temper, unjust impulses of
ambition, or artful suggestions of seditious persons, we should merit the
opprobrious terms frequently bestowed upon us by those we revere. But so far
from promoting innovations, we have only opposed them; and can be charged with
no offence, unless it be one to receive injuries and be sensible of them.
. . .
Duty
to your Majesty, and regard for the preservation of ourselves and our
posterity, the primary obligations of nature and of society, command us to
entreat your Royal attention; and, as your Majesty enjoys the signal
distinction of reigning over freemen, we apprehend the language of freemen
cannot be displeasing. Your Royal indignation, we hope, will rather fall on
those designing and dangerous men, who, daringly interposing themselves between
your Royal person and your faithful subjects, and for several years past
incessantly employed to dissolve the bonds of society, by abusing your
Majesty's authority, misrepresenting your American subjects, and prosecuting the most desperate and
irritating projects of oppression, have at length compelled us, by the force of
accumulated injuries, too severe to be any longer tolerable, to disturb your
Majesty's repose by our complaints.
These
sentiments are extorted from hearts that much more willingly would bleed in
your Majesty's service. Yet, so greatly have we been misrepresented, that a
necessity has been alleged of taking our property from us without our consent,
"to defray the charge of the administration of justice, the support of
Civil Government, and the defence, protection, and security of the
Colonies." But we beg leave to assure your Majesty that such provision has
been and will be made for defraying the two first artiticles [sic], as has been and shall be judged by the
Legislatures of the several Colonies just and suitable to their respective
circumstances; and, for the defence, protection, and security of the Colonies,
their Militias, if properly regulated, as they earnestly desire may immediately
be done, would be fully sufficient, at least in times of peace; and, in case of
war, your faithful Colonists will be ready and willing, as they ever have been,
when constitutionally required, to demonstrate their loyalty to your Majesty,
by exerting their most strenuous efforts in granting supplies and raising
forces.[8]
Yielding
to no British subjects in affectionate attachment to your Majesty's person,
family, and Government, we too dearly prize the privilege of expressing that
attachment by those proofs that are honourable to the Prince who receives them,
and to the People who give them, ever to resign it to any body of men upon
earth.
. . .
We ask but for Peace,
Liberty, and Safety. We wish not a diminution of the prerogative, nor do we
solicit the grant of any new right in our favour. Your Royal authority over us,
and our connection with Great Britain, we shall always carefully and zealously
endeavour to support and maintain.
. . .
Permit
us then, most gracious Sovereign, in the name of all your faithful People in
America, with the utmost humility, to implore you, for the honour of Almighty
God, whose pure Religion our enemies are undermining; for your glory, which can
be advanced only by rendering your subjects happy, and keeping them united; for
the interests of your family depending on an adherence to the principles that
enthroned it; for the safety and welfare of your Kingdoms and Dominions,
threatened with almost unavoidable dangers and distresses, that your Majesty,
as the loving Father of your whole People, connected by the same bands of Law,
Loyalty, Faith, and Blood, though dwelling in various countries, will not
suffer the transcendent relation formed by these ties to be farther violated,
in uncertain expectation of effects, that, if attained, never can compensate
for the calamities through which they must be gained.
We
therefore most earnestly beseech your Majesty, that your Royal authority and
interposition may be used for our relief, and that a gracious Answer may be
given to this Petition.
That
your Majesty may enjoy every felicity through a long and glorious Reign, over
loyal and happy subjects, and that your descendants may inherit your prosperity
and Dominions till time shall be no more, is, and always will be, our sincere
and fervent prayer.
Source: Ibid.
Unfortunately
for the colonists of the Mid-Atlantic, the South, and New England, the kind of
king they desired did not exist in England at that time. Such a king had not existed since King Henry
VIII dissolved the monasteries and gave their lands to various lords of the
realm. In doing so, he created a class
of oligarchs more powerful than the king, though this would only become evident
with the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688:
. . .
The rest is
here:
--
Holy
Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!
Anathema
to the Union!
No comments:
Post a Comment