Prejudices and Prepossessions are stubborn Things in all Cases; but in
none more peculiarly obstinate, than in relinquishing detached Parts of an
unwieldy, extended Empire; there not being, I believe, a single Instance
in all History, of any Nation surrendering a distant Province voluntarily,
and of free Choice, notwithstanding it was greatly their Interest to have
done it. The _English_ in particular have given remarkable Proofs of their
Unwillingness. For tho' it was undeniably their Interest to have abandoned
all the Provinces which they held in _France_, yet they never gave up one
of them, 'till they were compelled to it by Force of Arms. Now indeed, and
at this Distance of Time, we see clearly, that our Fore-Fathers were
wretched Politicians in endeavouring to retain any one of the _French_
Provinces, which, if it was a little one, would be a continual Drain, and
perhaps an encreasing Expence; and if it was a great one, might grow up to
be a Rival, and become the Seat of Empire. I say, we can see these Things
clearly enough at present: Yet alas! what Advantages do we derive from
this Discovery? And what Application do we make of such historical
_Mementos_ to the Business of the present Day? The remotest of our
Provinces in _France_ were hardly 300 Miles distant from our own Coasts;
the nearest of those in _America_ are about 3000. The Provinces in
_France_ were already fully peopled, and peopled for the most Part by
Inhabitants extremely well affected at that Time to the _English_
Government: Whereas the Deserts of _America_ require first to be peopled
by Draughts either from ourselves, or from our _European_ Customers; and
then when these Emigrants have been settled for a Generation or two, they
become native _Americans_, who naturally forget the Supremacy of that
Country, with whose Government they have so little Connections, from whose
Seat of Empire they are so far distant, whose ruling Power they so seldom
feel (and therefore do not regard) and consequently whose Claims they
consider as so many audacious Attempts to rob them of their beloved
Independence.
But this is not all: And the Absurdity of our present Conduct in not
abandoning the _rebellious_ Provinces of _North-America_, becomes still
more glaring, when we consider farther, (what we now find by Experience to
be true) that we can live and flourish, even in our commercial Capacity,
without the Assistance of these refractory Colonies. For tho' it doth by
no Means follow, that we should be destitute of their Trade, if each
_American_ Province was erected into a separate and independent State;
nay, tho' the contrary hath been made to appear by such a Chain of
Evidences, as no Man hitherto hath attempted to break or weaken, yet,
granting the worst, granting even that these _North-Americans_ traded with
us as little after a Separation as they do at present, still it is
possible that we may then live, because it is certain we do now live
without them; and do not only live, but also enjoy as many of the Comforts
and Elegancies, not to mention the Profusions and Luxuries of Life, as any
Nation ever did, and more than we ourselves did heretofore.
Therefore (to be more particular on this Head, for surely it is a most
important one) we were gravely told, that as soon as ever the _Americans_
should shut their Ports against us, Famine to our Manufacturers,
Bankruptcy to our Merchants, Destruction and Desolation to our Seaport
Towns must inevitably ensue. Well, the _Americans_ have now shut their
Ports for a considerable Time against the Admission of _English_
Manufactures. And what has ensued? Nothing, that I know of, so very
dismal, or so very tragical; and none of those _black_ and _bitter_ Days,
with which we were threatened, have yet appeared. Nay, according to the
Accounts received from the principal manufacturing Places and Districts
throughout the Kingdom, it uniformly appears that Trade was never brisker
in most Articles; and that it is not remarkably dead in any:--Moreover it
is likewise certain, from the same Accounts, that a much greater
Stagnation hath been frequently felt, even at Times when every Port in
_America_ was open to us, than is felt at present.
However, if these Partizans of _America_ should cavil at these Accounts,
and dispute their Authority, we have others yet to produce, which surely
must carry Conviction (almost in Spite of Prejudice) as soon as they are
perused; [unless indeed it can be imagined, that the present wicked
Ministry have entered into a Plot to charge themselves Debtors to the
Public for almost TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING
_more than they received_, merely to plague and confound the poor
Patriots.]
The Account I am now going to lay before the Reader, is the gross Produce
for the Year 1775, ending at the 5th of _July_ last, compared with the
like gross Produce of the preceding Year 1774, ending at the like Period.