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Burke, Edmund, 1729-1797

"Burke's Speech on Conciliation with America"


Vol. xxviii.--June 1st, 1758; April 26th and 30th, 1759;
March 26th and 31st, and April 28th, 1760;
Jan. 9th and 20th, 1761.
Vol. xxix.--Jan. 22d and 26th, 1762; March 14th and 17th,
1763.
Sir, here is the repeated acknowledgment of Parliament that the Colonies not
only gave, but gave to satiety. This nation has formally acknowledged two
things: first, that the Colonies had gone beyond their abilities, Parliament
having thought it necessary to reimburse them; secondly, that they had acted
legally and laudably in their grants of money, and their maintenance of troops,
since the compensation is expressly given as reward and encouragement. Reward is
not bestowed for acts that are unlawful; and encouragement is not held out to
things that deserve reprehension. My Resolution therefore does nothing more than
collect into one proposition what is scattered through your Journals. I give you
nothing but your own; and you cannot refuse in the gross what you have so often
acknowledged in detail. The admission of this, which will be so honorable to
them and to you, will, indeed, be mortal to all the miserable stories by which
the passions of the misguided people [Footnote: 58] have been engaged in an
unhappy system.


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