Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/465

 APPENDIX. 453

If Britain feels a decay of her former American trade, on account of attempting to introduce among her friendly colonies, illegal and dangerous innovations, it is high time to retract. She hath it yet in her power by a prudent and maternal conduct to enlarge her trade, to a far greater extent than it ever attained, by making it the intereft of the northern planters to faw timber, and work in iron, for the Britifh yards and merchants. She fhould invite the young, and unfettled families, to remove to the fertile landa of the Miflifippi, and raife thofe valuable ftaple commodities me needs moft. The Americans fay, that, though their hearts burn with a feraphic fire, for conflitutional blefiings ever facred and inviolable j yet their tender feelings for the unhappy fituation of their free-minded brethren in Great Britain and Ireland, are by fympathy, equal to their own for the fickened condition of their mourning provinces that the fraternal tye will al ways incline their hearts to promote their welfare, if inftead of endea* vouring to opprefs them, they make them fuch a return as brethren^ might juftly expect on the like interefting occafion. If Britifh le- giflators defign. to promote the true interefls of their country, they will pay a fteady regard to the real channel of her great wealth and power* adopt fuch meafures, as wifdom and honefty readily direct to, and endeavour to difpel thofe uneafinefles from the hearts of all the American colonifts, produced by the unjuft and invidious reprefentations of men, whole garb and ftation ought to have kept them,, even from the fufpicion of ever fomenting fo dangerous a controverfy.

Great Britain, on account of her extenfive American poiTefllons,. might foon and eafily repair her decayed trade, and increafe it beyon-d conception* on a fure and permanent foundation, by upright meafures. The oppofite means to whatfoever caufed its decay, would gradually recover it But When once the channel of trade is flopped by violent methods, it is exceedingly difficult to make it flow again in its former cheerful courfe. Force can never effect it, for that me utterly contemns. No miftrefs is more fagacious- and coy. She muft firft be courted, and afterward treated kindly : if folly ufesany violence, or makes any material breach of good faith to her, fhefoon flies, and never returns, unlefs fhe is ftrongly invited back, and can reafon^ ably hope for better ufage. A powerful maritime ftate may gain new co lonies by the fword, but can never fettle and continue fuch extenfive ones, as the Americanly force of arms,. except over people ofdaftardly fpints* 7 and,

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