xiv PREFACE. 



commerce) of fupporting them. The 

 commercial government gave up the 

 advantage of all contribution for the 

 greater profit of monopoly : it was evi- 

 dent that loth could not be had, till 

 thofe countries became too great and 

 powerful to be icrced into new and un- 

 juft habits. Nothing therefore can be 

 more idle than to fay that this fet of 

 men, or the other adminiftration, or 

 that gveat miniftcr, occaiioned the 

 American war. It was not the ftamp 

 act, nor the repeal of the ftamp act ; it 

 was neither Lord Rockingham nor Lord 

 North, but it was that baleful monopo- 

 lizing fpirit of commerce that wiilied 

 to govern great nations, on the maxims 

 of the counter. That did govern them 

 fo ; and in the cafe of Ireland and the 

 Indies does ft ill govern them fo. Had 

 not the trader's lyfteni been embraced, 

 A merica would, in confequence of tax- 

 ation, have been long ago united with 

 Britain ; but our traders knew very well 

 that a free commerce would follow a 

 union. 



Nor 



