appendix.] WEST INDIES. 251 
“ This leads me, Sir, to another consideration, which I 
wish to press upon the attention of the house,—and this 
consideration relates to America. Gentlemen should recol¬ 
lect, that the independence of America is already establish¬ 
ed. The separation of the West India islands from the mo¬ 
ther country is, therefore, at this time, a very different 
question from what it would have been, if the connexion 
between Great Britain and America had still subsisted;—be¬ 
fore gentlemen permit themselves to think such an event 
possible, before they resolve in a fit of generosity, or in a 
moment of anger, to declare the West India colonies inde¬ 
pendent, I wish they would at least consider, what security 
there is, that those islands would continue in that state of 
independence in which we might place them, if they were 
absolved from their allegiance, and dismissed from the pa¬ 
tronage of this country ? I would ask, whether there is no 
other power in the world to be found, who would stretch 
out a fatherly hand for their protection? If, by the egregi¬ 
ous folly and the madness of this country, such an event 
should occur, if any unjust and intemperate decision of this 
house should unfortunately produce the independence of 
the sugar colonies, it is but too probable, that, with ex¬ 
ultation over our folly, some other nation would read such 
a paper as I have this day produced, to demonstrate to the 
world the consequences of our insanity, by displaying the 
extent of our losses, and the magnitude of their gains 1 I 
feel myself impelled, by the importance of the subject, to 
press this again and again upon the minds of the house, 
and to inform them how greatly they are mistaken, if they 
think they are consulting the true interests of this country 
in giving the smallest encouragement to the most distant 
idea of West Indian independency!” 
