A52 
more contracted than that of her all-com- 
manding influence. On afield of battle 
eqnally, remvute from the two mother- 
countries, Britaim possesses-far superior 
means, of transporting, rapidly ber afms 
and her defenders. 3 yf 
- ‘The ancient Romans drenched the 
fields and towns of Harope; Asia, and 
Afhiea, in blood. . Brandisbing a* torch 
with one band, and a sabre with the 
other, nothin® could stop them in their 
eatcer by land; but, when they had com. 
pleted their military arrangements, had 
achieved iheir feats of wide extended 
ruin and desolation,* when numberless 
devoted countries had experienced the’ 
tiumphsof their arms and intrigaes, how 
were their means of defence eficaciously 
adapted to the extent of their conquests? 
It required 800 years for the malignant 
genius of Rome to destroy the liberties 
of mankind;. at ‘length, their .armics, 
scattered over an immense frefitier, de- 
prived of the means of mutual commu- 
nication, unable to provide and facilitate 
resources, prompt for the purposes of 
transport aud concentration, suik in the 
conllict, after ap ‘tinavailing resistance to 
barbarians altogether ignorant in the art 
of war. The British empire has within 
itself a principle of resistance in a com- 
mercial force, in the peculiar nature, 
dispositions, and manners, local situation 
and Cireumstances, of the peoplé, which 
must ever be taken into consideration 
in estimating the value of forms of go- 
vernment comparatively. 
Sages of every age and country, how- 
ever they may think differently, stady 
the power of nations in their political 
system, as a paturalist would study. any 
remarkablte'phenomenon of the earth and 
aimosphere, or a geometrician mathe- 
matical truths, to know their principles 
and discover their consequences. 
As far as our knowledge of history cx- 
tends, its materials exist in a greater de- 
gree than usual ina nation where the 
greatest corporeal and mental vigour, 
the most extensive knowledge, the most 
liberal! sentiments, with intrepid courage 
and skill in war, are the most eminently, 
conjoined. Our own times have seen, 
in Great Britain, the compatibility of all 
these with a very great attention to com- 
merce. Britain has afforded a very 
striking instance of the power of com- 
meree, as a source of defence, extending 
lier protection also to other parts of the 
world against aggression, supported by 
unparalleled power and directed by ex- 
traordinary ingenuity. Philip of Ma- 
eedon found a much greater difficulty in 
Academy of Sciences of France. 
[Sept. 1, 
reducing one detached commercial city 
than in humiliating Gree@e and eénquer- 
ing Thrace (76k oe A MRE RN 
‘Travellers. ought: to Be guided by a 
philosophical: spirit, if “would give 
to their récitals the anthority of history. 
We must enregister history among the 
sciences of observation, if we would re- 
call it to its noble origin, and ‘render it 
what it was in the tiniesof Herodotus 
and Xenophon, Polybius, and Tacitus ; 
the knowledge of things’and places ex- 
panded and illustrated by the pregnant 
setise which uniformly pervades the mi- 
nute attention of personal inspection.* 
. A question here arises, by what means, 
by what labours, on’ what primitive 
bases, or by what adopted innovations, 
has this heteroclite species of the social 
fabric been.successively raised, so. as.to 
be placed at present: under the double 
protection of authority and reason? 
Would the like labours, would analo- 
gous means, where there'is a difference 
of endowments, ‘dispositions, © talents, 
knowledge, inclination, and” condition, 
throughout the different classes of their 
society, exalt other states to the same 
degree of power? “Plis ix 2 question of 
national policy whieli it imports all truly 
culightencd persons in other countries 
to kuow. yt OS Be 
{ will venture to assert that, as 
Trenclimen, it would be for the honour 
and interest of our country;—as friends of 
humanity, sentiments of justice and ge- 
nicrosity should make us take an interest 
in the dignity, peace, independence, and 
happiness,of all nations, in whatever part 
of the globe nature may have placed the — 
domicil of their natale solum. 
- Successes obtained in the government | 
of the arts are similar to what are ob- 
tained in the government of tzen, Ac- 
quisitions may be gained by suéprise, 
by fraud, by violence; but, to uphold and 
secure them, recourse must be had to 
opposite measures. Courage, _intelli- 
gence, and activity, are indispensably 
requisite, but this is not all; it is by 
wisdom, experience, regular economy, 
extended views of ‘improvement, and, 
above all, by probity, thata country will 
maintain its superiority in the produc- 
tions of its industry and commerce. As 
far ag my observgtion and experience 
* Advisenda loga, et mores. hominum 
cognoscendos, peragrare, historici est. A 
traveller, in the spirit ofan historian, should 
pursne analogies, Compare the respe tive 
laws and economy of, states, observe and 
note their-manners, habits, and local cir- 
cumstances,” Plutarch.” : 
can 
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“~ 
