On the other hand there were
thousands of American Tories who took service under the
king's banner; and some of the severest defeats which
the rebel forces suffered were encountered at their hands.
It would be a mistake, however, to identify too closely
the parties in England with the parties in America. The
old Tory party in England was very different from the
so-called Tory party in America. The term Tory in America
was, as a matter of fact, an epithet of derision applied
by the revolutionists to all who opposed them. The
opponents of the revolutionists called themselves not
Tories, but Loyalists or 'friends of government.'
There were, it is true, among the Loyalists not a few
who held language that smacked of Toryism. Among the
Loyalist pamphleteers there were those who preached the
doctrine of passive obedience and non-resistance. Thus
the Rev. Jonathan Boucher, a clergyman of Virginia, wrote:
Having then, my brethren, thus long been tossed to
and fro in a wearisome circle of uncertain traditions,
or in speculations and projects still more uncertain,
concerning government, what better can you do than,
following the apostle's advice, 'to submit yourselves
to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake; whether
it be to the king as supreme, or unto governors, as
unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of
evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well?
For, so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye
may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; as
free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of
maliciousness, but as servants of God.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25