Chap. III. of the DUTCH in AMERICA, 
they will never inricli the prefent Generation, and a thoii- 
fand Accidents may fall out that will hinder their turning 
to the Advantage of Pofterity. 
Two Points thoroughly laboured, would fet us free 
from all Apprehenfions of the French^ and confequently 
of any other Nation in America. The firft is, giving 
Relief to the Sugar Planters, which either muft be done, 
or, by degrees, that Trade will be loft, at leaft as to us, 
and fall, entirely, int;o the Hands of the French and 
Dutch. People do not, go into the Weft Indies to work 
for others, but for themfelves j and if it once comes to 
pafs, that they find they cannot do this in our Colonies, 
they will go where they can ; we have certainly no 
Power, and I think it very doubtful whether we have 
any Right, to hinder them. To oblige People to work 
for little or nothing, at fo great a Diftance from their 
Country, and in fuch uncomfortable Climates, fuppofing 
it could be done, would be degrading them into white 
Negroes, which, except to fome modern Governors, 
would not, I prefume, appear a thing reafonable to any 
of the Inhabitants of the Britijh Ifles. W e are free by 
Birth, by the Law of Nature, and the Law of thefe 
Realms, and therefore Freedom is our Inheritance, in the 
moft diftant Part of the Britijh Dominions, as well as 
in the County of Middkfex ; 'and the Interefts of Britijh 
Subjects, wherever they are fettled abroad, ought to be 
the Care of the Government at home, becaufe they afe 
the Interefts of the People at home *, and therefore I 
take it for granted, that the Reports of laying new 
Duties upon Sugar are abfolutely falfe and groundlefs \ 
and that as foon as the War is over, proper Meafures 
will be taken for removing fome of thofe Duties that 
have been laid upon this Commodity already, which are 
juft as ferviceable to the French^ as prejudicial to our 
own Subjeds. 
The other Point neceftary to be confidered is, the raif- 
ing of Silk, which would open a new Branch of Trade, 
equal in Value, perhaps, to half of v/hat is now gained 
by our Trade to the Weft Indies. It is very probable that 
the introducing and eftablifhing this Commodity, may 
coft us a great deal of Trouble and Expence ; but if Silk 
can be raifed in our Colonies, upon any Terms, whatever, 
it is worth our while, to be at all this Trouble and Ex- 
pence •, fince if we once have it, we fliall, in Time, moft 
certainly have it cheap. It was with vaft Difficulty that 
Silk was introduced into France^ nor was it done without 
Trouble and Expence ; but it has paid that Nation abun- 
dantly for both, and there is no doubt, could we but 
get it, it would pay us as well. Befides, laying out our 
Money is nothing v/ith us, we lay it out every Day, not 
only for ourfelves, but other People, and in fome Cafes 
lay it out vifibly to our Prejudice ; the only Queftion 
therefore ought to be, when we are laying it out, what 
we lay it out for ? And if, as in this Cafe, it can be 
anfwered, that we lay it out to get more, all is well. 
The Sugar Trade preferved, and the Silk Trade acquir- 
ed, I, for my Part, fee no more that can be wiffied, 
except it be the improving and preferving them, in 
order to make us an aftive and wealthy, as well as keep 
us a free and happy. People. 
But if we ftiould negled thefe Advantages, I take it 
for granted that the French would grow upon us in the 
Weft Indies ; for if once they become Mafter of the Su- 
gar Trade, it v/ill be very difficult, if not impoffible, to 
get it from them : Becaufe it is much eafier to preferve 
a flouriffiing, than to raife a declining, Commerce. If 
they get the Sugar Trade, and the Eland of St. Domin- 
go., they will certainly rival us in the Tobacco •, and as 
their Plantations grow rich and populous, the very Over- 
flowings of them may, for any thing I know, make their 
Settlements, on the River MiffiJJippi., turn to a good Ac- 
count •, which, without fome fuch lucky and unforeleen 
Accident, they never will. Thus I make the efficient 
Caufe of the French Greatnefs, in thofe Parts, our Negli- 
gence, and not their own Power or Abilities, for thefe 
can do nothing, unlefs we give them room to work ; 
then, indeed, they may, ' and certainly will, prove dan- 
gerous j for v/here they have the Capacity, we know they 
never want Will to hurt us. 
As for the Dutchi whatever they may be elfewfiere, if 
is certain they need not be here the Objedfs of our Ap-= 
prehenfions ; for they can neither extend their own Trade 
to a Degree of provoking our Jealoufy^ nor is there any 
juft Reafon to fear they will ever hurt ours^ unlefs by our 
ill Management we drive the moft Induftrious of our Su- 
gar Planters to take Shelter in Surinam^, which, with all 
its Inconveniences they would be apt to prefer to nearer 
and better Countries, under an arbitrary and popifii Go-^ 
vernment. To conclude the Whole, I cannot forbear 
faying, that I look upon the Spanijh Empire in Americay 
as a decaying Strudture which cannot fubfift long, unlefs 
its Neighbours will charitably contribute to its Support, 
in which perhaps they may confider their own Intereft, 
enough, to be fufficiently compenfated for their Labour. I 
look upon the Englijh Acquifitions there, as the Glory of 
our Crown, and if we manage them prudently, the in- 
exhauftible Treafures of the Nation. The French^ in my 
Apprehenfion, thrive ; but not in fuch a Degree as to be 
very formidable hitherto. And as for the Dutchy I 
reckon their Trade more beneficial, but lefs valuable, than 
that of the French^ as being more precarious, and de- 
pending entirely upon the good Pleafure of Spain., which 
it her Difputes were thoroughly adjufted with Great 
Britain^ might prove but a fandy Foundation. 
We might eafily ftrengthen thefe Remarks if it was 
neceftary, by many others of the fame Nature, and per- 
haps it may not be amifs, for the fake of Perfpicuity, 
to give the Reader a few ; the rather becaufe they will 
ferve to illuftrate this Subjeft in many other Refpebts., 
The Inhabitants of the Spanifto America have it certainly in 
their Power to make ftill great Difcoveries, and to ex- 
tend their Conquefts in that Country confiderably, if they 
had Men, or if they had not addidled themfelves fo much 
to their Miries, which has been equally the Ruin of their 
Indian Subjedls, and of themfelves. In the Iftand of 
Hifpaniola it is faid to have deftroyed Millions, and many 
more Millions in Mexico., which is the true Source of 
their own W eaknefs ; for had they performed what they 
pretended in their Applications to the Court of RomCy on 
the Subject of their Difcoveries in the Weft Indies, had 
they ftudkd the Converfion of the People to the Chriftian 
F aith, inftead of converting them into Slaves, and had they 
contented themfelves with Settlements upon the Coafts, 
their Power would have been fufficiently great j the In- , 
duftry of the Spanijh Nation had been encouraged, and 
their Navigation extended •, whereas, in the prefent State 
ot Things they are Lords indeed, but precarious Lords 
only of wide Territories, which are diminifliing daily %. 
and at the fame time have the Mortification of feeing 
mighty Acquifitions pracfticable, if they had but Force 
fufficient to keep them ; but inftead of grafpmg thefe, 
they are forced to withdraw their Colonies in the more 
diftant Parts of their Territories, to fuftain the main 
Body of their Dominions, which fhew their Governnient 
to be in a kind of paralitic State, likely to fubfift long, 
though paft all Hopes of Recovery. The Englijh, as 
they have Numbers of People in America, fo taking 
Things generally, they are not at all in Danger of want- 
ing Room for their Inhabitants. To the North they have 
JSova Scotia and the Country of Hew Britain ; to the 
South they have Carolina and Georgia, thinly peopled. 
A greatPart of the Iftand of Jamaica, is ftill uncultivated, 
and many of the Leeward IJlands that we claim are im- 
planted *, fo that as our Power is greater than that of the 
Spaniards, by being more conneded at prefent, fo it is 
very eafy for us to extend that Power by Degrees, with- 
out leftening this neceftary, this falutary Connedion. The 
French have indeed Room enough, and to fpare, in Ca- 
nada but the more People they fend there, the more they 
lofe to their Country ; for if that Colony was twice as 
numerous as it now is, it would be very little, if at all, 
more advantageous to France, unlefs flie" confiders its 
being troublefome to us in the Light of an Advantage, 
and of fuch an Advantage as may balance the vaft Ex- 
pence fhe muft be at in maintaining and fiippordng it. 
Her Hands are already as well peopled as flie can wifli, 
unlefs file knew better how to furnifh them with Pro- 
vifionS;^, 
