Observations on the nature of civil liberty, the principles of government, and the justice and policy of the war with America, to which is added, an appendix, containing a state of the national debt, an estimate of the money drawn from the public by the taxes, and an account of the national income and expenditure since the last war.

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(30) fliocking mi'flake F-Ir" our objeét is power, we fliould have S E C T. known better how to ufe it; and our rulers {houlti have con-- Ill. Of tbe Policy cf #36 War (with America. fidered, that freemen will always revolt at thelight of anaked N writing the prefent fcélion, I have entered upon a fubjeé'l; fword; and that the complicated affairs of a great kingdom, holding in fubordination to it a multitude of diltant communi- of the lafi importance, on which much has been faid by other writers with great force, and in the ablefi manner. 9* ties, all jealous of their rights, and warmed with fpirits as But I am not willing to omit any topic which I think of great importance, meerly hecaufe it has already been dift‘ullEd: And, with iefpeet to this in particular, it will, I believe, be found that fame of the obfervations on which I {ball infill, have not been fufliciently attended to. The objei't of this war has been often enough declared to be " mainta ning the fupremacy ofthis country overtheColonies." high as our own, require not only the molt fkilful, but the moit cautious and tender management. The cont'equences of a different management we are now feeling. We tee ourfelves driven among rocks, and in danger of being loll. There are the following reafons which feem to make it too probable, that the prefent contell: with A'men'ca is a contelt for power only,* abltraéted from all the advantages con- I have alie.tdy enquired how far reafon and juf'tice, the principles of Liberty, and the rights of humanity, entitle us to this nected with it. ‘ . . 1/}. There is a love of power for its own fake inherent in fupremacy. human nature; and it cannot be uncharitable to fuppofe that Setting afide, therefore, now, all confiderations of this kind, I would obferve, that this fupremacy is to be maintained, either merely for its ownfaée, or for the fake of fume public interell connected with it and dependent upon it. --lffar it: own/ate, the only object of the war is the extenlion ofdominion; and its only motive is the lull of power.- All government, even will/in a Rate, becomes tyrannical, as far as it is a needlefs and wanton exercife of power; or is carried farther than is abfolutely neceiiary to preferve the peace and to fecure the fafety ofthe flare. This is what an excellent Writer calls GOVERNING TOO MUCH; and its effects muf't always be, weakening government by rendering it contemptible and odious.-Nothing can be of more importance, in' governing diflant provinces and adjuf'ting the clafhinginterefls of different focieties, than attention to this remark. 1n thefe circumttances, it is particularly necefl‘ary to make a {paring ufe of power.-Happy would it have been for Great-Britain, had this been remembered by thofe who have lately conduéled its afl‘airs. But our policy has been of another kind. At a period when our policy fliould have been molt concealed, it has been brought moi't in view ; and, bya progrellion of vio~ lent meafures, every one of which has increafed difirefs, we have given the world reafonto conclude, thatwe are acquainted with no other method of governing than byfarce. Whata ‘ ‘ {hocking _"' See. particularly, A Speech intended to have been fpoken on the Bill for altering the Charter of the Colony of Mati'achuletts-Bay;- the C'inhtletations on the meafures carrying on with rel'peci to the Brililh Colonies; and the two Appeals_to theJufticeand Intei'elts of the'Peuple. the nation in general, and the cabinet in particular, are too likely to be influenced by it. What can be more flattering than to look acrofs the A't/rmtir, and to fee in the boundlels Continent of [interim incrcafing MlLLIONS, whom u e have a right to order as we pleafe, who hold their property at our dif- pofal, and who have no other law than cur will. With what complacency have we been ufed to talk of them as OUR fub- ieé'ts P-ls it not the interruption they now giveto this plea.fure? is it not the oppofition they make to our pride; and not an injury they have done us, that IS the fecret fpi-ingpf our prefent animofity againf't them :--1 wrlh all 111. this kingdom would examine themfelves carefully on this point. Perhaps, they might find, that they have not known what fpirit they Noni-Perhaps, they would become tenhble, that it was a fpirit of domination, more than a regard tothe'true interefi of this country, that lately led f0 many ol them, with inch lavage folly, to addrefs the throne for theflaughter of their biethrert in America, ifthev will not fubmit to them; and to make offers of their lives and fortunes for that pnrpofe.--lndeed I am perfuadad, that, were pride and the lull of dominion ex-‘ terminated from every heart among us, and the humility oi Chriftians infufed in their room, this quarrel would be then ended. 21/1}. * I have heard it faid by a psrfon in one of the Erll departments of the (late, that tl‘e prefent comet? is for ltOMlh'lON or; the title of the Colonies. as well as on ours: And in it is, indeed, li"t: writ tinsellential difference-We are lirtizgling for dominion over (2': tit-ks. firm] are ltruggling tor sen-dominion! The no‘dell of all birth-gs,