ny other oppressions and injuries, the young
Colonies groaned grievously. But, for all that, they were not to be
subdued or broken. Time and again, they sent petitions to this
unkindest and wilfulest of mothers, beseeching her, in humble and
loving and dutiful terms, to remove this degrading burden from their
shoulders, and once more receive them as children into her maternal
bosom; warning her, at the same time, of what must be the melancholy
consequences, if she hearkened not to their prayers. Then was the
time, if ever, when, by a few kind words betokening a desire for
reconciliation, she might have secured and made fast the love of these
devoted and affectionate children for ever; and, had she been as wise
as she was powerful, even so would she have done. But, like the Egypt
of olden times, she did but harden her heart against them all the
more, even to the hardness of the nether mill-stone; and only sought
how she could the more easily grind them into obedience and
submission. She had grown to be mighty among the nations, this
Britannia. Her armed legions told of her power by land; her ships of
war and her ships of commerce whitened a hundred seas. The great sun,
that set on every kingdom of the known earth, she boasted never went
down on her dominion. Wherefore was she swollen and big with pride,
and from a high place looked haughtily down upon the little nations at
her feet. What height of presumption was it, then, in these
insignificant young Colonies, struggling for bare existence off there
on the uttermost edges of the civilized earth, thus to lift themselves
against her sovereign will, and dare dispute her high decrees! It was
not to be borne: she would humble them for this presumption, chastise
them for their disobedience, and show them what a terrible thing it
was to provoke her wrath. Her heart thus steeled to mercy, she stayed
not her hand, but sent her hosts of armed men in her fleets of armed
ships, to lay her heavy yoke, and fit it firm and fast on the necks of
her rebellious children.

Beholding this, and that it were vain to hope for reconciliation, the
Colonies, with one voice, with one indignant voice, exclaimed, "Now,
since our mother seems bent on treating us as slaves and strangers,
and not as children, then are we compelled, in our own defence, to
treat her, not as our mother, but as a stranger and our enemy. And
bear us witness, O ye nations! how long and humbly and earnestly we
have prayed t