THE FISHERIES. 115 



the view to forming a nursery of seamen, for the 

 national defence, as well as for the mercantile ma- 

 rine. 



We do not intend here formally to enter upon the 

 subject of war : war, for aggressive purposes, in 

 the present commercial relations of Europe, does 

 not seem very probable ; indeed, one unmixed fea- 

 ture of good, presented by the free-trade system, is, 

 the tendency it has, to bring all nations into friendly 

 unity and harmony ; still war is at all times possi- 

 ble ; very recently, warhke rumours floated gently 

 from the distant shores of the Atlantic, all about 

 some mackerel in the Bay of Fundy. On that oc- 

 casion peaceful doctrines and sound commercial con- 

 siderations aided the diplomatists, and we hope will 

 always aid them, in preserving amicable relations. 

 Laertes says : ^^ Beware of entrance to a quarrel" 

 — but it was our own Sterne, most probably, who 

 supplied a precedent for the recent protocols : at 

 all events, certain it is, we fraternised at once, both 

 exclaiming with our own old uncle Toby — " Bro- 

 ther, brother, we were both of us in the wrong." 



Still war is always possible ; but our historians, 

 and naval and military commanders assure us, that 

 the best way to preserve peace, is to be prepared for 

 war. Let us then above all things, maintain in effi- 

 ciency, the right arm of our strength — our navies — 

 and provide men to man them. War, when it does 

 come, will be a dire misfortune, and will bring in its 

 train, dangers and calamities unknown to former 



