washington and his comrades in arms-第11章

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n　in　the　country　nature　was　most　alluring。　Otherwise　they　were　off　to　their　estates　whenever　they　could　get　away　from　town。　The　American　Revolution　was　not　remotely　affected　by　this　habit。　With　ministers　long　absent　in　the　country　important　questions　were　postponed　or　forgotten。　The　crisis　which　in　the　end　brought　France　into　the　war　was　partly　due　to　the　carelessness　of　a　minister　hurrying　away　to　the　country。　Lord　George　Germain；　who　directed　military　operations　in　America；　dictated　a　letter　which　would　have　caused　General　Howe　to　move　northward　from　New　York　to　meet　General　Burgoyne　advancing　from　Canada。　Germain　went　off　to　the　country　without　waiting　to　sign　the　letter；　it　was　mislaid　among　other　papers；　Howe　was　without　needed　instructions；　and　the　disaster　followed　of　Burgoyne's　surrender。　Fox　pointed　out；　that；　at　a　time　when　there　was　a　danger　that　a　foreign　army　might　land　in　England；　not　one　of　the　King's　ministers　was　less　than　fifty　miles　from　London。　They　were　in　their　parks　and　gardens；　or　hunting　or　fishing。　Nor　did　they　stay　away　for　a　few　days　only。　The　absence　was　for　weeks　or　even　months。

It　is　to　the　credit　of　Whig　leaders　in　England；　landowners　and　aristocrats　as　they　were；　that　they　supported　with　passion　the　American　cause。　In　America；　where　the　forces　of　the　Revolution　were　in　control；　the　Loyalist　who　dared　to　be　bold　for　his　opinions　was　likely　to　be　tarred　and　feathered　and　to　lose　his　property。　There　was　an　embittered　intolerance。　In　England；　however；　it　was　an　open　question　in　society　whether　to　be　for　or　against　the　American　cause。　The　Duke　of　Richmond；　a　great　grandson　of　Charles　II；　said　in　the　House　of　Lords　that　under　no　code　should　the　fighting　Americans　be　considered　traitors。　What　they　did　was　〃perfectly　justifiable　in　every　possible　political　and　moral　sense。〃　All　the　world　knows　that　Chatham　and　Burke　and　Fox　urged　the　conciliation　of　America　and　hundreds　took　the　same　stand。　Burke　said　of　General　Conway；　a　man　of　position；　that　when　he　secured　a　majority　in　the　House　of　Commons　against　the　Stamp　Act　his　face　shone　as　the　face　of　an　angel。　Since　the　bishops　almost　to　a　man　voted　with　the　King；　Conway　attacked　them　as　in　this　untrue　to　their　high　office。　Sir　George　Savile；　whose　benevolence；　supported　by　great　wealth；　made　him　widely　respected　and　loved；　said　that　the　Americans　were　right　in　appealing　to　arms。　Coke　of　Norfolk　was　a　landed　magnate　who　lived　in　regal　style。　His　seat　of　Holkham　was　one　of　those　great　new　palaces　which　the　age　reared　at　such　elaborate　cost。　It　was　full　of　beautiful　thingsthe　art　of　Michelangelo；　Raphael；　Titian；　and　Van　Dyke；　rare　manuscripts；　books；　and　tapestries。　So　magnificent　was　Coke　that　a　legend　long　ran　that　his　horses　were　shod　with　gold　and　that　the　wheels　of　his　chariots　were　of　solid　silver。　In　the　country　he　drove　six　horses。　In　town　only　the　King　did　this。　Coke　despised　George　III；　chiefly　on　account　of　his　American　policy；　and　to　avoid　the　reproach　of　rivaling　the　King's　estate；　he　took　joy　in　driving　past　the　palace　in　London　with　a　donkey　as　his　sixth　animal　and　in　flicking　his　whip　at　the　King。　When　he　was　offered　a　peerage　by　the　King　he　denounced　with　fiery　wrath　the　minister　through　whom　it　was　offered　as　attempting　to　bribe　him。　Coke　declared　that　if　one　of　the　King's　ministers　held　up　a　hat　in　the　House　of　Commons　and　said　that　it　was　a　green　bag　the　majority　of　the　members　would　solemnly　vote　that　it　was　a　green　bag。　The　bribery　which　brought　this　blind　obedience　of　Toryism　filled　Coke　with　fury。　In　youth　he　had　been　taught　never　to　trust　a　Tory　and　he　could　say　〃I　never　have　and；　by　God；　I　never　will。〃　One　of　his　children　asked　their　mother　whether　Tories　were　born　wicked　or　after　birth　became　wicked。　The　uncompromising　answer　was：　〃They　are　born　wicked　and　they　grow　up　worse。〃

There　is；　of　course；　in　much　of　this　something　of　the　malignance　of　party。　In　an　age　when　one　reverend　theologian；　Toplady；　called　another　theologian；　John　Wesley；　〃a　low　and　puny　tadpole　in　Divinity〃　we　must　expect　harsh　epithets。　But　behind　this　bitterness　lay　a　deep　conviction　of　the　righteousness　of　the　American　cause。　At　a　great　banquet　at　Holkham；　Coke　omitted　the　toast　of　the　King；　but　every　night　during　the　American　war　he　drank　the　health　of　Washington　as　the　greatest　man　on　earth。　The　war；　he　said；　was　the　King's　war；　ministers　were　his　tools；　the　press　was　bought。　He　denounced　later　the　King's　reception　of　the　traitor　Arnold。　When　the　King's　degenerate　son；　who　became　George　IV；　after　some　special　misconduct；　wrote　to　propose　his　annual　visit　to　Holkham；　Coke　replied；　〃Holkham　is　open　to　strangers　on　Tuesdays。〃　It　was　an　independent　and　irate　England　which　spoke　in　Coke。　Those　who　paid　taxes；　he　said；　should　control　those　who　governed。　America　was　not　getting　fair　play。　Both　Coke　and　Fox；　and　no　doubt　many　others；　wore　waistcoats　of　blue　and　buff　because　these　were　the　colors　of　the　uniforms　of　Washington's　army。

Washington　and　Coke　exchanged　messages　and　they　would　have　been　congenial　companions；　for　Coke；　like　Washington；　was　above　all　a　farmer　and　tried　to　improve　agriculture。　Never　for　a　moment；　he　said；　had　time　hung　heavy　on　his　hands　in　the　country。　He　began　on　his　estate　the　culture　of　the　potato；　and　for　some　time　the　best　he　could　hear　of　it　from　his　stolid　tenantry　was　that　it　would　not　poison　the　pigs。　Coke　would　have　fought　the　levy　of　a　penny　of　unjust　taxation　and　he　understood　Washington。　The　American　gentleman　and　the　English　gentleman　had　a　common　outlook。


Now　had　come；　however；　the　hour　for　political　separation。　By　reluctant　but　inevitable　steps　America　made　up　its　mind　to　declare　for　independence。　At　first　continued　loyalty　to　the　King　was　urged　on　the　plea　that　he　was　in　the　hands　of　evil…minded　ministers；　inspired　by　diabolical　rage；　or　in　those　of　an　〃infernal　villain〃　such　as　the　soldier；　General　Gage；　a　second　Pharaoh；　though　it　must　be　admitted　that　even　then　the　King　was　〃the　tyrant　of　Great　Britain。〃　After　Bunker　Hill　spasmodic　declarations　of　independence　were　made　here　and　there　by　local　bodies。　When　Congress　organized　an　army；　invaded　Canada；　and　besieged　Boston；　it　was　hard　to　protest　loyalty　to　a　King　whose　forces　were　those　of　an　enemy。　Moreover　independence　would；　in　the　eyes　at　least　of　foreign　governments；　give　the　colonies　the　rights　of　belligerents　and　enable　them　to　claim　for　their　fighting　forces　the　treatment　due　to　a　regular　army　and　the　exchange　of　prisoners　with　the　British。　They　could；　too；　make　alliances　with　other　nations。　Some　clamored　for　independence　for　a　reason　more　sinisterthat　they　might　punish　those　who　held　to　the　King　and　seize　their　property。　There　were　thirteen　colonies　in　arms　and　each　of　them　had　to　form　some　kind　of　government　which　would　work　without　a　king　as　part　of　its　mechanism。　One　by　one　such　governments　were　formed。　King　George；　as　we　have　seen；　helped　the　colonies　to　make　up　their　minds。　They　were　in　no　mood　to　be　called　erring　children　who　must　implore　undeserved　mercy　and　not　force　a　loving　parent　to　take　unwilling　vengeance。　〃Our　plantations〃　and　〃our　subjects　in　the　colonies〃　would　simply　not　learn　obedience。　If　George　III　would　not　reply　to　their　petitions　until　they　laid　down　their　arms；　they　could　manage　to　get　on　without　a　king。　If　England；　as　Horace　Walpole　admitted；　would　not　take　them　seriously　and　speakers　in　Parliament　called　them　obscure　ruffians　and　cowards；　so　much　the　worse　for　England。

It　was　an　Englishman；　Thomas　Paine；　who　fanned　the　fire　into　unquenchable　flames。　He　had　recently　been　dismissed　from　a　post　in　the　excise　in　England　and　was　at　this　time　earning　in　Philadelphia　a　precarious　living　by　his　pen。　Paine　said　it　was　the　interest　of　America　to　break　the　tie　with　Europe。　Was　a　whole　continent　in　America　to　be　governed　by　an　island　a　thousand　leagues　away？　Of　what　advantage　was　it　to　remain　connected　with　Great　Britain？　It　was　said　that　a　united　British　Empire　could　defy　the　world；　but　why　should　America　defy　the　world？　〃Everything　that　is　right　or　natural　pleads　for　separation。〃　Interested　men；　weak　men；　prejudiced　men；　moderate　men　who　do　not　really　know　Europe；　may　urge　reconciliation；　but　nature　is　against　it。　Paine　broke　loose　in　that　denun