the fathers of the constitution-第3章

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r　neighbors；　they　had　bullets　shot　into　their　bedrooms；　their　horses　poisoned　or　mutilated；　money　or　valuable　plate　extorted　from　them　to　save　them　from　violence；　and　on　pretence　of　taking　security　for　their　good　behavior；　their　houses　and　ships　burned；　they　were　compelled　to　pay　the　guards　who　watched　them　in　their　houses；　and　when　carted　about　for　the　mob　to　stare　at　and　abuse；　they　were　compelled　to　pay　something　at　every　town。〃　There　is　little　doubt　also　that　the　confiscation　of　property　and　the　expulsion　of　the　owners　from　the　community　were　helped　on　by　people　who　were　debtors　to　the　Loyalists　and　in　this　way　saw　a　chance　of　escaping　from　the　payment　of　their　rightful　obligations。　The　〃Act　for　confiscating　the　estates　of　certain　persons　commonly　called　absentees〃　may　have　been　a　measure　of　self…defense　for　the　State　but　it　was　passed　by　the　votes　of　those　who　undoubtedly　profited　by　its　provisions。　Those　who　had　stood　loyally　by　the　Crown　must　in　turn　be　looked　out　for　by　the　British　Government；　especially　when　the　claims　of　justice　were　reinforced　by　the　important　consideration　that　many　of　those　with　property　and　financial　interests　in　America　were　relatives　of　influential　persons　in　England。　The　immediate　necessity　during　the　war　had　been　partially　met　by　assisting　thousands　to　go　to　Canadawhere　their　descendants　today　form　an　important　element　in　the　population　and　are　proud　of　being　United　Empire　Loyalistswhile　pensions　and　gifts　were　supplied　to　others。　Now　that　the　war　was　over　the　British　were　determined　that　Americans　should　make　good　to　the　Loyalists　for　all　that　they　had　suffered；　and　His　Majesty's　Commissioners　were　hopeful　at　least　of　obtaining　a　proviso　similar　to　the　one　relating　to　the　collection　of　debts。　John　Adams；　however；　expressed　the　prevailing　American　idea　when　he　said　that　〃paying　debts　and　compensating　Tories〃　were　two　very　different　things；　and　Jay　asserted　that　there　were　certain　of　these　refugees　whom　Americans　never　would　forgive。　But　this　was　the　one　thing　needed　to　complete　the　negotiations　for　peace；　and　the　British　arguments　on　the　injustice　and　irregularity　of　the　treatment　accorded　to　the　Loyalists　were　so　strong　that　the　American　Commissioners　were　finally　driven　to　the　excuse　that　the　Government　of　the　Confederation　had　no　power　over　the　individual　States　by　whom　the　necessary　action　must　be　taken。　Finally；　in　a　spirit　of　mutual　concession　at　the　end　of　the　negotiations；　the　Americans　agreed　that　Congress　should　〃recommend　to　the　legislatures　of　the　respective　states　to　provide　for　the　restitution〃　of　properties　which　had　been　confiscated　〃belonging　to　real　British　subjects；〃　and　〃that　persons　of　any　other　description〃　might　return　to　the　United　States　for　a　period　of　twelve　months　and　be　〃unmolested　in　their　endeavours　to　obtain　the　restitution。〃　With　this　show　of　yielding　on　the　part　of　the　American　Commissioners　it　was　possible　to　conclude　the　terms　of　peace；　and　the　preliminary　treaty　was　drawn　accordingly　and　agreed　to　on　November　30；　1782。　Franklin　had　been　of　such　great　service　during　all　the　negotiations；　smoothing　down　ruffed　feelings　by　his　suavity　and　tact　and　presenting　difficult　subjects　in　a　way　that　made　action　possible；　that　to　him　was　accorded　the　unpleasant　task　of　communicating　what　had　been　accomplished　to　Vergennes；　the　French　Minister；　and　of　requesting　at　the　same　time　〃a　fresh　loan　of　twenty　million　francs。〃　Franklin；　of　course；　presented　his　case　with　much　〃delicacy　and　kindliness　of　manner〃　and　with　a　fair　degree　of　success。　〃Vergennes　thought　that　the　signing　of　the　articles　was　premature；　but　he　made　no　inconvenient　remonstrances；　ill　procured　six　millions　of　the　twenty。〃*　On　September　3；　1783；　the　definite　treaty　of　peace　was　signed　in　due　time　it　was　ratified　by　the　British　Parliament　as　well　as　by　the　American　Congress。　The　new　state；　duly　accredited；　thus　took　its　place　in　the　family　of　nations；　but　it　was　a　very　humble　place　that　was　first　assigned　to　the　United　States　of　America。　*　Channing；　〃History　of　the　United　States；〃　vol。　III；　p。　368。

CHAPTER　II。　TRADE　AND　INDUSTRY　Though　the　word　revolution　implies　a　violent　break　with　the　past；　there　was　nothing　in　the　Revolution　that　transformed　the　essential　character　or　the　characteristics　of　the　American　people。　The　Revolution　severed　the　ties　which　bound　the　colonies　to　Great　Britain；　it　created　some　new　activities；　some　soldiers　were　diverted　from　their　former　trades　and　occupation；　but；　as　the　proportion　of　the　population　engaged　in　the　war　was　relatively　small　and　the　area　of　country　affected　for　any　length　of　time　was　comparatively　slight；　it　is　safe　to　say　that　in　general　the　mass　of　the　people　remained　about　the　same　after　the　war　as　before。　The　professional　man　was　found　in　his　same　calling；　the　artisan　returned　to　his　tools；　if　he　had　ever　laid　them　down；　the　shopkeeper　resumed　his　business；　if　it　had　been　interrupted；　the　merchant　went　back　to　his　trading；　and　the　farmer　before　the　Revolution　remained　a　farmer　afterward。　The　country　as　a　whole　was　in　relatively　good　condition　and　the　people　were　reasonably　prosperous；　at　least；　there　was　no　general　distress　or　poverty。　Suffering　had　existed　in　the　regions　ravaged　by　war；　but　no　section　had　suffered　unduly　or　had　had　to　bear　the　burden　of　war　during　the　entire　period　of　fighting。　American　products　had　been　in　demand；　especially　in　the　West　India　Islands；　and　an　illicit　trade　with　the　enemy　had　sprung　up；　so　that　even　during　the　war　shippers　were　able　to　dispose　of　their　commodites　at　good　prices。　The　Americans　are　commonly　said　to　have　been　an　agricultural　people；　but　it　would　be　more　correct　to　say　that　the　great　majority　of　the　people　were　dependent　upon　extractive　industries；　which　would　include　lumbering；　fishing；　and　even　the　fur　trade；　as　well　as　the　ordinary　agricultural　pursuits。　Save　for　a　few　industries；　of　which　shipbuilding　was　one　of　the　most　important；　there　was　relatively　little　manufacturing　apart　from　the　household　crafts。　These　household　industries　had　increased　during　the　war；　but　as　it　was　with　the　individual　so　it　was　with　the　whole　country；　the　general　course　of　industrial　activity　was　much　the　same　as　it　had　been　before　the　war。　A　fundamental　fact　is　to　be　observed　in　the　economy　of　the　young　nation：　the　people　were　raising　far　more　tobacco　and　grain　and　were　extracting　far　more　of　other　products　than　they　could　possibly　use　themselves；　for　the　surplus　they　must　find　markets。　They　had；　as　well；　to　rely　upon　the　outside　world　for　a　great　part　of　their　manufactured　goods；　especially　for　those　of　the　higher　grade。　In　other　words；　from　the　economic　point　of　view；　the　United　States　remained　in　the　former　colonial　stage　of　industrial　dependence；　which　was　aggravated　rather　than　alleviated　by　the　separation　from　Great　Britain。　During　the　colonial　period；　Americans　had　carried　on　a　large　amount　of　this　external　trade　by　means　of　their　own　vessels。　The　British　Navigation　Acts　required　the　transportation　of　goods　in　British　vessels；　manned　by　crews　of　British　sailors；　and　specified　certain　commodities　which　could　be　shipped　to　Great　Britain　only。　They　also　required　that　much　of　the　European　trade　should　pass　by　way　of　England。　But　colonial　vessels　and　colonial　sailors　came　under　the　designation　of　〃British；〃　and　no　small　part　of　the　prosperity　of　New　England；　and　of　the　middle　colonies　as　well；　had　been　due　to　the　carrying　trade。　It　would　seem　therefore　as　if　a　primary　need　of　the　American　people　immediately　after　the　Revolution　was　to　get　access　to　their　old　markets　and　to　carry　the　goods　as　much　as　possible　in　their　own　vessels。　In　some　directions　they　were　successful。　One　of　the　products　in　greatest　demand　was　fish。　The　fishing　industry　had　been　almost　annihilated　by　the　war；　but　with　the　establishment　of　peace　the　New　England　fisheries　began　to　recover。　They　were　in　competition　with　the　fishermen　of　France　and　England　who　were　aided　by　large　bounties；　yet　the　superior　geographical　advantages　which　the　American　fishermen　possessed　enabled　them　to　maintain　and　expand　their　business；　and　the　rehabilitation　of　the　fishing　fleet　was　an　important　feature　of　their　programme。　In　other　directions　they　were　not　so　successful。　The　British　still　believed　in　their　colonial　system　and　applied　its　principles　without　regard　to　the　interests　of　the　United　States。　Such　American　products　as　they　wanted　they　allowed　to　be　carried　to　British　markets；　but　in　British　vessels。　Certain　commodities；　the　production　of　which　they　wished　to　encourage　within　their　own　dominions；　they　added　to　the　prohibited　list。　Americans　cried　out　indignantly　that　this　was　an　attempt　on　the　part　of　the　British　to　punish　their　former　colonies　for　their　temerity　in　revolting。　The　British　Government　may　well　have　derived　some　satisfaction　from　the　fact　that　certain　restrictions　bore　heavily　upon　New　England；　as　John　Adams　complained；　but　it　would　seem　to　be　much　nearer　the　truth　to　say　that　in　a　truly　characteristic　way　the　British　were　phlegmatically　attending　to　their　own　interests　and　calmly　ignoring　the　United　States；　and　that　there　was　little　malice　in　their　policy。　European　nations　had　regarded　American　trade　as　a　profitable　field　of　enterprise　and　as　probably　responsible　for　much　of　Great　Britain's　prosperity。　It　was　therefore　a　relatively　easy　matter　for　the　United　States　to　enter　into　commercial　treaties　with　foreign　countries。　These　treaties；　however；　were　not　fruitful　of　any　great　result；　for；　〃with　unimportant　exceptions；　they　left　still　in　force　the　high　import　duties　and　prohibitions　that　marked　the　European　tariffs　of　the　time；　as　well　as　many　features　of　the　old　colonial　system。　They　were　designed　to　legalize　commerce　rather　than　to　encourage　it。〃*　Still；　for　a　year　or　more　after　the　war　the　demand　for　American　products　was　great　enough　to　satisfy　almost　everybody。　But　in　1784　France　and　Spain　closed　their　colonial　ports　and　thus　excluded　the　shipping　of　the　United　States。　This　proved　to　be　so　disastrous　for　their　colonies　that　the　French　Government　soon　was　forced　to　relax　its　restrictions。　The　British　also　made　some　concessions；　and　where　their　orders　were　not　modified　they　were　evaded。　And　so；　in　the　course　of　a　few　years；　the　West　India　trade　recovered。　*　Clive　Day；　〃Encyclopedia　of　American　Government；〃　Vol。　I；　p。　340。

More　astonishing　to　the　men　of　that　time　than　it　is　to　us　was　the　fact　that　American　foreign　trade　fell　under　British　commercial　control　again。　Whether　it　was　that　British　merchants　were　accustomed　to　American　ways　of　doing　things　and　knew　American　business　conditions；　whether　other　countries　found　the　commerce　not　as　profitable　as　they　had　expected；　as　certainly　was　the　case　with　France；　whether　〃American　merchants　and　sea　captains　found　themselves　under　disadvantages　due　to　the　absence　of　treaty　protection　which　they　had　enjoyed　as　English　subjects〃；*　or　whether　it　was　the　necessity　of　trading　on　British　capitalwhatever　the　cause　may　have　beenwithin　a　comparatively　few　years　a　large　part　of　American　trade　was　in　British　hands　as　it　had　been　before　the　Revolution。　American　trade　with　Europe　was　carried　on　through　English　merchants　very　much　as　the　Navigation　Acts　had　prescribed。　*　C。　R。　Fish；　〃American　Diplomacy；〃　pp。　56…57。

From　the　very　first　settl