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CHAP. principles and paffive habits, by the mere force XXX. of foreign mercenary arms; because, amidst the exceffes and abufes which have happened, we muft refpect the spirit and principles operating in thefe commotions. Our with is to regulate, not to deftroy them; for, though differing in fome circumftances, thofe very principles evidently bear fo exact an analogy with those which fupport the most valuable part of our own conftitution, that it is impoffible, with any appearance of juftice, to think of wholly extirpating them by the fword, in any part of his majesty's dominions, and establishing precedents the moft dangerous to the liberties of this kingdom."

Tuis intemperate amendment was fupported by arguments equally violent and unfair. The value of the conquefts made by the British arms was ftudioufly depreciated. The victory at Long Ifland was not a matter of triumph; the ifland itself was a mere outpoft to New York, as New York was an outpoft to America, and it would have been the extreme of folly and rafhnefs in the provincials to attempt maintaining it. The ufe of the word treafon, in the king's fpeech, afforded much ground for reprehenfion, for ftrenuous vindication of the Americans, and prognoftics of final failure." Alas! Sir," Wilkes exclaimed, "what we call treafon and

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rebellion, and they juft refiftance and a glo“rious revolution, has taken root, a very deep "root indeed, and has fpread over almost all "America. The loyal colonies are three, the "free provinces thirteen." The declaration, he obferved, of independence, was not intirely unexceptionable, but the Americans were driven to it by rigorous perfecution. We had hired foreign troops to fight against them, and they had no refource but throwing off the

yoke,

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yoke, and inviting foreign aid. Minifters CHAP. might fafely predict that the Americans would declare themfelves independent, when they knew that the unjust and fanguine meafures they intended to purfue muft occafion the event. The Jefuits rifqued nothing when, in 1610, they prophefied the death of the beft prince that ever reigned in Europe, within that year; they verified it by employing Ravillac to affaffinate their fovereign. The colonifts followed the example of England againft James II. When he quitted the kingdom, they declared the throne abdicated, and chofe another king. When the late fevere laws were paffed against the Americans, they were thrown into anarchy; they declared we had abdicated the government, and therefore they were at liberty to chufe a government for themfelves. The fpeech mentions a difcovery of the original defigns of the leaders of the Americans. In God's name, who made the leaders? How came they to be fo? If you force men together by oppreffion, they will form into bodies and chufe leaders. Mr. Hancock was originally a merchant of credit and opulence: fuch men are not very prone to a change of government. A few old women have faid, that the civil war of laft century was contrived by Cromwell; the firft oppofition to Charles I. was begun in order to advance him to the protectorship. A fimilar fagacity and penetration has now happily difcovered the original views of thofe who are leaders of the Americans. We have been two years engaged in a favage and piratical, as well as unjuft war; every demand of government has been complied with, and not a fingle province has been hitherto recovered; on the contrary, the evil grows more defperate; laft year only twelve

GG 3

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CHAP. twelve colonies petitioned the throne; this year, by the acceffion of Georgia, we have feen a federal union of thirteen free and powerful provinces afferting their independency as high and mighty ftates, and fetting our power at defiance. This was done immediately after the fafe landing of your whole force, with circumftances of fpirit and courage, to which posterity will do juftice. The line of conduct recommended by the amendment, was confidered as not fufficiently extenfive to fave the empire. To preferve, even for a fhort period, Canada, or the West India Islands, or to recover any part of the immenfe territory lately loft, the fleets and armies must be recalled, all the acts paffed fince 1763 be repealed, and the charters restored. We might then, if they could forgive and trust us, treat with the Americans on fair and equal terms, without the idea of compulfion, and a foundation might be laid for reftoring peace, internal tranquillity, and unity to this convulfed and difmembered empire. If conqueft or abandonment were the only alternatives left, America fhould be abandoned. The benefits hitherto refulting from the poffeffion of America had been, extent of trade, increafe of commercial advantages, and a numerous people growing up in the fame principles and fentiments with ourfelves. All thefe must be loft if America was conquered; poffeffion must be fecured by a large ftanding army; which army must be cut off from the intercourfe of focial liberty in Great Britain, and accufiomed, in every infiance, to bow down and break the fpirits, trample on the rights, and live on fpoils cruelly wrung from the fweat and labour of their fellow fubjects; fuch an army, fo employed and fo paid for fupporting fuch principles, would be a proper inftru

ment

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ment to effect purposes of a greater, or, at leaft, CHAP. more favourite importance; points more immediately hoftile to the liberties of the

country.

THE interpofition of the Bourbon family was pronounced inevitable, no lefs fpeedy than certain; colonel Barré peremptorily afferted, that a war of the moft ferious kind was impending, a war from the united powers of France and Spain. Wilkes ridiculed the reliance on the pacific declarations of our natural enemies. Has fate ordained, he faid, that we thall neither poffefs capacity to profit by the example of others, nor even by our own experience? In the very first year of the prefent reign, in September 1761, the Gazette told us, "the catholic king had, at no time, been more intent on cultivating a good correfpondence with England, than in the prefent conjuncture;" a declaration received ferioufly here, held out as part of the court ereed, and laughed at by all the rest of Europe. In the beginning of the following January, without the occurrence of new facts of any moment, war was declared by England against Spain. Will the plaufible, fmooth-tongued French, likewife be able to lull us into a fatal fecurity against the evidence of all hiftory Fox denied the principle, that it was repugnant to the interefts of France and Spain to permit the independence of America: fuch an affertion was contrary to common fenfe. Is not the divifion of the enemy's power advantageous? Is not a free country, engaged in trade, lefs formidable than the ambition of an old corrupted government, their only for midable rival in Europe?

IN the courfe of the debate, feveral animadvertions were made on a large creation of peers during

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CHAP. during the recefs, and on the iffuing of prefswarrants to man the navy, which had occafioned fome difcuffions between the admiralty and the city. The king's, or, as it was for form's fake termed, the minifter's fpeech, was reprobated as an intire compound of hypocrify, an infamous, groundless libel, fabricated by a tyrannical faction, against fome of the most valuable members of the British community. An infidious, hypocritical fpeech, that held out law and liberty at the point of the fword, and, like a deceptious mirror, reflected a falfe image of truth.

GOVERNMENT was defended by lord North and lord George Germaine, but they did not traverse the extenfive field, to which they were challenged by the declamations of oppofition. The minifter denied the charge of withholding information; he had always communicated as much as he could confiftently with fafety. Lord George Germaine faid, that even the American ftatements of the propofitions made by general Howe, proved that he was eager for the means of peace and conciliation; but Washington was adverfe. The forcible and fatisfactory affurances of the court of France, afforded no reason to doubt their pacific intentions; fhould it nevertheless prove otherwife (and the minifter, not pretending to be a prophet, would not anfwer for the events of the next fix months) Great Britain was prepared to cope with any enemy. The notion, that the houfe of Bourbon thould engage in war to affift America, was treated with great difdain: "Would thofe countries," lord George Germaine asked, "blind to their own interefis,

with the fpirit of independence to cross the "Atlantic? Could they be exempt from fear "that

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