5g. on armaments. = 1oz 
a nation may become niore truly and alatmin gly for~ 
midable, than fhe could by conquering the mighty 
émpire of all the Rufsias. But though I never heard’ 
that our present, or any minister, in order to pre- 
serve the balance of power, thought himself autho- 
rised to stop, or prevent the improvements of our 
neighbours *; yet we seera to have as much right, 
and as much interest to say to a nation, ‘ you fhall 
not clear a foot of waste ground,’ as we have to say 
yi you fhall not conguer a foot of ground.’ The 
cases indeed are the same, with this single difference, 
that a nation is* generally forced, by the real or pre- 
tended injuries of her enemies, to engage in a war ; 
and if fhe is in the right, it is but reasonable that fhe 
should conquer ;—but improvements are always made 
ex proprio motu, and our right to prevent their vo- 
duntary operations would seem to be strongest and 
best founded. 
* Unlefs we include the present war against Tippoo Saib in this num-7 
ber; for it is alleged, I believe with great justice, that this ambitious 
prince has been, for many years past, so active in improving his countrys 
encouraging agriculture, and introducing the manufactures of silk and 
cotton into his dominions, and by protecting the poor against the rich, has, 
by these wicked arts, fascinated his subjects, stolen the hearts of his people, 
and is thus in danger of establifhing a power in India, much more formir 
dabls than any thing else that has ever appeared in that part of the world; 
#p as to give just reason to fear, that unlefs he fhall be now crufhed, he 
willbe able, by these wicked and unlawful arts, to overturn the whole sys- 
tem of Eyropean government in India; a government that is founded 
upon principles much the reverse of what he has thus been practising. It 
would surely have stopped the mouths of many of those roaring fellows, 
_ -who constantly oppose our good minister, ifhe had frankly avowed all this, 
instead of pretending that the war was undertaken merely because he laid 
siaim to a small insignificant fort, which any man with half an eye can 
“perceive was a mere pretext, P 
