Contents [Volume One]
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Parrington, Vernon Louis
II. Argument and Propaganda: American case based on the British Constitution; on natural rights. Theories of representation, English and colonial. Powers of Parliament. Natural rights and Locke—reasons for his appeal
186
III. Certain Social Consequences: Emergence of republicanism. Attitude of upper class. Expulsion of Loyalists. Influence on American culture. Rise of middle class; political centralization
190
II. The Mind of the American Tory
I. Thomas Hutchinson—Royal Governor: The House of Hutchinson. Character and intellectual attainments. Insincerity of the Tory philosophy. Situation on his accession to the governorship. Prerogative and democracy. Proposals for remodeling Massachusetts government. The Town Meeting. Affair of the letters. The problem of sovereignty. Government by ministerial instructions. Comment on his enemies. His failure
194
II. Daniel Leonard—Tory Lawyer: Character. Massachusettensis. A follower of Hobbes—the leviathan state. The sin of rebellion and the law of treason. Groundlessness of American sedition—the virus of republicanism. On the right of revolution
207
III. Jonathan Boucher—Tory Priest: Character. A View of the Causes and Consequences of the American Revolution. Influence of Filmer’s Patriarcha. Doctrine of obedience. Evil effects of republicanism. Government a divine institution—the patriarchal nature of kingship. An extreme Tory
214
III. John Dickinson—The Mind of the American Whig
A moderate—spokesman of the colonial Whigs. Essence of Whiggery—the rule of property. His social position; conception of political stewardship. A constitutional lawyer. Accepted parliamentary sovereignty, right to regulate trade. Taxation and Whiggery—a tax and an imposition. Not a republican. His Two Letters on the Tea Tax. In the Constitutional Convention. Letters of Fabius. His views old-fashioned
219
IV. Samuel Adams—The Mind of the American Democrat
An agitator and practical politician. Member of the opposition. Advocate of home rule. Understood the ways of Tory government. Master of political theory. Three lines of argument: natural rights, constitutional rights, the charter compact. Influence of Locke, of Coke. Reliance on public opinion. Use of publicity, organization, town meetings. Newspaper articles. Motive of attacks on royal officials. Faith in the people. A democrat. The cost in reputation
233
V. Literary Echoes
I. The Whig Satirists
1. John Trumbull: A lover of belles lettres drawn into the strife. M’Fingal. The note of humor. A potential intellectual; a moderate liberal. An echo of Connecticut opinion
248
2. Francis Hopkinson, Esq.: The state of Philadelphia culture. A dilettante. A potential Tory turned Whig. The New Roof; Objections to the Proposed Plan of a Federal Government. A Federalist
252
II. The Tory Satirists
1. Jonathan Odell: A bitter nature. His satires—an embodiment of class prejudice. The American Times. Estimate of Whig leaders
255
2. Samuel Peters: His curious ambition. His History of Connecticut. Explanation of the cause of the Revolution—ministerial neglect. The cure—establishment of a colonial aristocracy
259
Book III: Liberalism and the Constitution
Part I
The Agrarian Defeat—1783–1787
I. Agrarianism and Capitalism
I. Background of Ideas—English and French contributions. The struggle between political realists and humanitarian liberals. Influence of English middle class. Puritan ethics of work and capitalism. Attitude towards current liberalisms—the state. Influence of Harrington, Locke, Adam Smith. The new individualism. Rousseau and French humanitarianism—decentralization and the paternalistic state. Reasons why English influence prevailed
267
II. The Political Situation: Party alignments. Weakness of agrarians. The composite group of Federalists. Odium attaching to democracy—confused with Populism. Shays’s Rebellion. Reaction from natural rights to economic realism. The return to seventeenth-century republicanism
273
II. The Great Debate
Inadequate theory of republicanism. Earlier English liberalism undemocratic. Democratic theory undeveloped. First debate: republicanism and the majority rule—Madison’s view; the Whig doctrine of property rule. Second debate: opposition to checks on majority will. The Federalist—its repute, the augmented state, theory of faction, economic basis of government. Letters of R. H. Lee—analysis of economic conditions, the Constitution undemocratic. Emergence of parties
279
III. Political Thinkers—The English Group