The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

1972 PRELUDE TO INDEPENDENCE 237principles of the English Constitution,and the several charters orcompacts, have the following rights[among others] :That they are entitled to life, liberty,and property, and they havenever ceded to any sovereign powerwhatever, a right to dispose of eitherwithout their consent.That our ancestors, who first settledthese colonies, were at the timeof their emigration from the mothercountry, entitled to all the rights,liberties, and immunities of free andnatural-born subjects within therealm of England.That by such emigration they by. no means forfeited, surrendered, orlost any of those rights....9The line of action they were toundertake was provided for by theestablishment of a Continental Association.Themen gathered at theCongress hoped to get Britishpolicy altered by the use of economicsanctions. They adopted aprogram of non-importation, nonconsumption,and non-exportationfrom, of, and to Britain, the nonexportationto be put into effectlater than the others. Enforcementwas to be carried out in this way."In the first place, the people wereasked to pledge themselves not tobuy British merchandise - theNonconsumption Agreement-thusleaving ill-disposed merchants nomarket for their proscribed wares.Secondly, the enforcement of theAssociated.was entrusted to localcommittees...."10 Economic sanctionsare, of course, a two-edgedsword: they hurt the imposers aswell as those on whom they are imposed,though not necessarily inequal degree. In any case, theywere probably the most nearlypeaceful means open to the coloniststo attempt to inflict damageon the British. In the coloniesthere was much sentiment thatwhatever they did without wouldbe good for them, in any case.Whatever the merits of economicsanctions in general, they did notlead to a peacefulresolution of thedispute between· the colonies andEngland. The great majority ofthose in power in England favoredthe use of force now to bring thecolonists to terms. Colonial peti...:tions, declarations, and resolutionswere rejected with alacrity byParliament. Colonial agents inLondon were refused in their requestto appear before the Houseof Commons on behalf of a petitionfrom America by a vote of218-68. Petitions from London andBristol merchants were denied aneffective hearing by a vote of 250­89. William Pitt, now Earl ofChatham, offered a resolution forthe withdrawal of troops fromBoston; it was defeated by theLords temporal and spiritual, 68­18. Charles James Fox's efforts toget the ministry censured by the