Travels Through North America 



of each other, fomented by considerations of interest, 

 power, and ascendancy. Religious zeal, too, like a 

 smothered fire, is secretly burning in the hearts of the 

 different sectaries that inhabit them, and were it not 

 restrained by laws and superior authority, would 

 soon burst out into a flame of universal persecution. 

 Even the peaceable Quakers struggle hard for pre- 

 eminence, and evince in a very striking manner that 

 the passions of mankind are much stronger than any 

 principles of religion. 



The colonies, therefore, separately considered, are 

 internally weak; but it may be supposed, that, by an 

 union or coalition, they would become strong and 

 formidable: but an union seems almost impossible: 

 one founded in dominion or power is morally so: for, 

 were not England to interfere, the colonies them- 

 selves so well understand the policy of preserving 

 a balance, that, I think, they would not be idle spec- 

 tators, were any one of them to endeavour to sub- 

 jugate its next neighbour. Indeed, it appears to me 

 a very doubtful point, even supposing all the colonies 

 of America to be united under one head, whether it 

 would be possible to keep in due order and govern- 

 ment so wide and extended an empire, the difficulties 

 of communication, of intercourse, of correspondence, 

 and all other circumstances considered. 



A voluntary association or coalition, at least a 

 permanent one, is almost as difficult to be supposed: 

 for fire and water are not more heterogeneous than 



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