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Show 372 Dr. Franklin': Ari/'10" [ A: tages of that additional firength, to be derived} from a friendfhip with us; Yet I know too well her abounding pride and deficient wifdom, to believe {he will ever take fuch falutary meafures. Her fondnefs for conquef'c as a warlike nation ;. her lull of dominion as an ambitious one; and her thirtt for a gainful monopoly as a commercial one (none of them legitimate caufes of war ;) will join to hide from her eyes every view of her true interefl ; and continually goad her on in. thefe ruinous d-iflant expeditions, f0 deftruétive both of lives and of treafure, that they mufl: prove as pernicious to her in the end, as the Croifades formerly were to molt of the nations of Europe. I have not the vanity, my Lord, to think of D.T. J- t‘0 L 017d HOWE. 373 take place.--I had the misfortune to expectations difappointed, and to- be frgjt the caufe of the mifchief I was labouring to dgei: re- vcnt. My confolation under that groundlefspand malevolent treatment was, that I retained the frienctlfhlp of;1 many wife and good men in that regal-( coun 1);". r ; an Lordamon H056,the reit, fome {hare 1n ' the The well founded ef'c'eem, and ermit fay affection, which I {hall alwaysphave foszori: Lordfhip; make it painful to me to fee you gaged in conducting a war, the great groun en- d of which, (as defcribed in your letter ;) is " the " ceility of preventing the American trade ne- from " pafling Into foreign channels." To me it feems intimidating, by thus predicting the effects of this v that neither the obtaining or retaining any trade war; for I know it will in England have the fate how yaluable foever, is an objeét for which meri may Jufily fpill each others blood; that the true and fure means of extending and fecuring co m- merce, are the goodnefs and cheapnefs of com- of all my former predictions ; not be believed till the event {hall verify it. Long did I endeavour x with unfeigned and unwearied zeal, to preferve from breaking that fine and noble china vafe-the Briti-fl) empire; for I knew that being once broken, the feparate parts could not retain even their flmre of the {trength and value that exifled in the whole; and that a perfeét re-zmim of thofe parts could fcarce ever be hoped for. Your Lordfhip may poflibly rec member the tears ofjoy that wet my cheek, when, at your good fifier's in London, you once gave me expeétations that a reconciliation might loon: 1 [See the note at the clofe of this letter. E.] take modities; and that the profits of no trad e can ever be equal to the expence of compellin it and holding it, by fleetsand armies. I confide:f this war againft us, therefore, as both unju ft and unwife; andl am perfuaded, that cool and difpaflionate pofterity will condemn. to infamy thofe‘ who advifed it,- and that even fucce fs will not fave from fome degree of difhonou r, thofe who have voluntarily engaged to cond uct it.. I kLnow your great motive in cominrr hither was me hope of being inftrume ntal in aieconcij liationg. andI believe, when you find that to he impofli hie), |