OF THE BOSTON TEA PARTY 175 
A situation, however, was arising which would soon 
put an end to friendly discussion, and which would 
neither let the question drop nor deal with it fairly. 
It is a pity that great political questions could not 
more often be argued in an atmosphere of sweetness 
and light. Their solution would exhibit a kind and 
degree of sense such as the world is not yet familiar 
with. Suppose that in 1860 the Americans, north and 
south, could have discussed the whole slavery question 
without passion; and suppose that all the slaves had 
been set free, and their owners compensated at their 
full market value; how small would have been the 
cost in dollars and cents compared with the cost of 
the Civil War, to say nothing of the saving of life! 
Such a supposition seems grotesque, so great is the 
difference, in respect of foresight and self-control, be- 
tween the human nature implied in it and that with 
which we are familiar. It is to be hoped that the 
slow modifications wrought by civilized life will by and 
by bring mankind to that stage of wisdom which now 
seems unattainable; but for many a weary year no 
doubt will still be seen the same old groping and stum- 
bling, the same old self-defeating selfishness. 
In 1766 the questions connected with raising a con- 
tinental revenue in America might have been carried 
along toward a peaceful settlement, had it been possible 
to keep them out of politics. But that was impossible. 
The discussion over the Stamp Act had dragged the 
American question into British politics, and there was 
one wily and restless politician who soon came to stake 
his very political existence upon its solution. That pol- 
itician was the young king, George III., who was enter- 
ing upon his long reign with an arduous problem before 
