George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 6, 10th edition.

[319] Middle Ages was to make way for authority resting

Chap. XLII.} 1769. Dec.

on centralized power, or for government resting on the consent of the public reason. The colonists had friends in the friends of liberty in England. As the cause of the people was every where the same, South Carolina in December remitted to London ten thousand five hundred pounds currency, to the Society for supporting the Bill of Rights, that the liberties of Great Britain and America might alike be protected.¹

Many of the patriots of Ireland² saw that their hopes were bound up with those of the Colonies; and Bushe, the friend of Grattan, in imitation of Molineux, published ‘the case of Great Britain and America,’ with a vehement invective against Grenville. ‘Hate him,’ said he to Grattan; ‘I hope you hate him.’ And it was Grenville's speeches and Grenville's doctrine, ‘that roused Grattan to enter on his great career in Ireland.’³

The laboring people of England, also, in the manufacturing districts, especially in Birmingham, longed to enjoy the abundance and freedom of America, and the ships which refused to take English merchandise might have returned full freighted with skilful artisans.⁴ In the history of the English people, this year marks the establishment of Public Meetings,⁵ under the lead of Yorkshire. The principle of representation, trampled upon by a venal Parliament, was to be renovated by the influence of voluntary assemblies.