OCR Text |
Show 196 POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL is to end in a War at lafi. Therefore we are now come to confider the THIRD SCHEME. THE Expediency of having Recourfe to Arms, in order to compel the Colonies to lubmit to the Authority and Jurifdiftion of the fupreme Council of the Britt/n Empire, the Parli- ament of Great Brimin. IN regard to which important Point the Gen- tleman realons after the following Manner :--" After fuch an Ofiier (of an Union, as above " delicribed) and the contemptuous Refufal of " it by the Colonies, we may well fuppofe, that " they (the Inhabitants of Grant-Britain) will " act as one Man, to fupport the jult and law- " ful, and neceflary Authority of the fupreme " Legiflature of the Britiflz Nation over all the " Dominions of the Crown. The Jullice of " their Caufe will give Vigour to their Meafures; " and the Colonies that {hall have the Folly and " Prcl'umption to relifi: them, will be quickly " reduced to Obedience." IT is pollible, nay indeed it is very probable, that if a War was to be fpeedily undertaken, before Great-Britain and Ireland had been too much exhaufied of their Inhabitants, emigrating to North-flnverim,~the Forces of the MotherCountr} might prevail, and A'mericn, however unwilling, be forced to fubmit. But alas? Viétory alone is but a poor Compenfation for all S U B J E C T S. 197 the Blood and Treafure which mutt be fpilt on fuch an Occafion. Not to mention, that aftera Conquel't of their Country, the Americans would certainly be lefs difpofed, even than they are at prefent, to become our good Cul‘tomers, and to take our Manufactures in return for thofe Injuries and Oppreflions which they had fufi‘ered from us:-~-l fay, Injuries and Upprcjflom, becaufe the Colonies would molt undoubtedly give no fofter an Appellation to this Conquel‘t, tho' perhaps it would be no other in itl'elf, than ajul't Chaf'tifement for the manifold Offences they had committed. Moreover as the'flmericans are endeavouring even at prefent to let up all Sorts of mechanic Trades in order to rival us, or at leafi to fupetfede the Ufe of our Manu- faétures in their Country,--can any Man {up- pofe, that their Ardor for fetting up Manufactures would be abated, by their being forced to deal at the only one European Shop, which they molt detefted. BUT what is fiill worfe, if pollible,-though the Briti/Iz l‘r00ps might over-run thegreat Continent of Norm-America at firll, it dOth by no Means follow, that they could be able to main- tain a Superiority in it afterwards for any Length Of Time: And my Reafon is, becaufe the goVerning ofa Country after a Peace, is a much more arduous Talk, in certain Circuml'tances, than the conquering it during a War. Thus N 3 for |