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The raising a revenue thereby was never intended…. This I call an innovation; and a most dangerous innovation. It may perhaps be objected, that Great Britain has a right to lay what duties she pleases upon her exports, and it makes no difference to us, whether they are paid here or there. To this I answer. These colonies require many things for their use, which the laws of Great Britain prohibit them from getting anywhere but from her.
Such are paper and glass. That we may legally be bound to pay any general duties on these commodities, relative to the regulation of trade, is granted; but we being obliged by the laws to take from Great Britain , any special duties imposed on their exportations to us only, with intention to raise a revenue from us only, are as much taxes , upon us, as those imposed by the Stamp Act …. Some persons perhaps may say, that this act lays us under no necessity to pay the duties imposed, because we may ourselves manufacture the articles on which they are laid; whereas by the Stamp Act no instrument of writing could be good, unless made on British paper, and that too stamped.
Such an objection amounts to no more than this, that the injury resulting to these colonies, from the total disuse of British paper and glass, will not be so afflicting as that which would have resulted from the total disuse of writing among them; for by that means even the Stamp Act might have been eluded. Why then was it universally detested by them as slavery itself? Because it presented to these devoted provinces nothing but a choice of calamities, embittered by indignities, each of which it was unworthy of freemen to bear.
But is no injury a violation of right but the greatest injury? If… eluding the payment of the taxes imposed by the Stamp Act , would have subjected us to a more dreadful inconvenience, than… eluding the payment of those imposed by the late act; does it therefore follow, that the last is no violation of our rights, though it is calculated for the same purpose the other was, that is, to raise money upon us , WITHOUT OUR CONSENT?
But the objectors may further say, that we shall suffer no injury at all by the disuse of British paper and glass. We might not, if we could make as much as we want. But can any man, acquainted with America , believe this possible?
I am told there are but two or three glasshouses on this continent, and but very few paper mills; and suppose more should be erected, a long course of years must elapse, before they can be brought to perfection. This continent is a country of planters, farmers, and fishermen; not of manufacturers. The difficulty of establishing particular manufactures in such a country is almost insuperable.
For one manufacture is connected with others in such a manner that it may be said to be impossible to establish one or two without establishing several others. The experience of many nations may convince us of this truth….
Great Britain has prohibited the manufacturing iron and steel in these colonies, without any objection being made to her right of doing it. The like right she must have to prohibit any other manufacture among us. Thus she is possessed of an undisputed precedent on that point. This authority, she will say, is founded on the original intention of settling these colonies; that is, that we should manufacture for them, and that they should supply her with materials.
The equity of this policy, she will also say, has been universally acknowledged by the colonies, who never have made the least objection to statutes for that purpose; and will further appear by the mutual benefits flowing from this usage ever since the settlement of these colonies…. Colonial America. The Busy-Body, No. Laws, Rights, and Liberties Related to Religion in December 31, Indenture between the four Adventurers and Robert September 07, Letter from an Indentured Servant to his Parents Passengers Bound for New England March 20, On Censure or Backbiting September 07, Old Mistresses Apologue June 25, Of the Original Contract On Conciliation with the Colonies March 22, Memoirs of Alexander Graydon August, Letter to the Secretary of the Society for the Pro October 31, What is an American September 28, George Washington.
Chapter 4: Experiments with Freedom of Conscience. Letter to Peter Collinson May 09, Reasons Against Satirizing Religion December 13, Shortly thereafter, the Stamp Act was repealed after only four months of unsuccessful operation.
Victory over the repeal of the Stamp act was short lived. With yet more burdensome acts, Parliament continued to make life difficult for the colonies. The Declaratory Act stated that Parliament could pass laws on the American colonies because its authority was the same in America as in Britain. This was followed by a new Revenue Act in which taxed other goods besides sugar. The most danger, however, was presented by the Townshend Acts which, in addition to taxing yet more goods such as tea, threatened the integrity of the New York legislature.
In the letters, Dickinson argued, amongst other things, that the Townshend Acts were illegal because they were intended to raise revenue, a power held only by the colonial assemblies.
His arguments were a collection of ideas that were written in a clear and concise manner which the general population could understand. In response, Parliament passed the Coercive Acts. His fundamental belief was that popular defense of rights should not destroy constitutional unity and that amendment of the laws was possible through civil disobedience.
He adopted this view from the Quakers, who did not believe that violence or revolution were legitimate options to resist government oppression.
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