several parts of this
empire;

"To extend every freedom to trade that our respective interests can
require;

"To agree that no military forces shall be kept up in the different
States of North America without the consent of the General Congress, or
particular Assemblies;

"To concur in measures calculated to discharge the debts of America, and
to raise the credit and value of the paper circulation;

"To perpetuate our union by a reciprocal deputation of an agent or
agents from the different States, who shall have the privilege of a seat
and voice in the Parliament of Great Britain; or if sent from Great
Britain, in that case to have a seat or voice in the Assemblies of the
different States to which they may be deputed respectively, in order to
attend to the several interests of those by whom they are deputed;

"In short, to establish the power of the respective Legislatures in each
particular State; to settle its revenue, its civil and military
establishment, and to exercise a perfect freedom of legislation and
internal government; so that the British States throughout North
America, acting with us in peace and war under one common sovereign, may
have the irrevocable enjoyment of every privilege that is short of total
separation of interests, or consistent with that union of force on which
the safety of our common religion and liberty depends."[8]

The three Acts of Parliament and the proposals of the five English
Commissioners were far in advance of any wishes which the colonists had
expressed before the Declaration of Independence, and placed the
colonists on the footing of Englishmen--all that the Earl of Chatham and
Mr. Burke had ever advocated--all that the free, loyal, and happy
Dominion of Canada enjoys at this day--all and nothing more than was
required for the unity of the empire and of the Anglo-Saxon race; but
the leaders of Congress had determined upon the dismemberment of the
empire--had determined to sever all connection with the elder European
branch of the Anglo-Saxon family--had determined, and that without even
consulting the constituents whom they professed to represent, to
transfer their allegiance from England to France, to bind themselves
hand and foot to France--that they would make no peace with England,
upon any terms, without the consent of the French Court.

It may be easily conceived what an effect would be produced upon the
truly national mind of both England and America by such a tr