upon the original caufe of the difpute, but would in their usual manner, and from their natural difpofition, carry it on with keennefs, and if gratified now and then with a brilliant ftroke of fuccefs, take no further notice concerning future burthens and confequences. By this method the public opinion would be fecured; they had already fhewn a decided fuperiority in parliament, and the efforts of the minority struggling with the general opinion, and directed against the apparent national interest, would only tend to render them every day more feeble, and deprive them of that poPularity that is the foul of oppofition. This was good enough reafoning for a cabinet exercife, but the practice of it was not fo very eafy. The Americans were now upon their guard, and provided for the worst they could do, and there were now many things to dim the brilliance of the ftrokes of fuccefs they had in view. As the public opinion depended upon thefe brilliant ftrokes, it was impoffible to gain it before they were made, and as all they had yet done was of a different character, the public could not give them credit for any thing that was yet to come,

There was one thing which greatly fhewed the fickleness and the inconftancy of the people. The late checks which the Americans had given our troops affected the national and military pride. Many of thofe who had not approved of our late conduct with refpect to the colonies, thought it now too late to look back, or to enquire into paft caufes; they now thought that government was to be fupported at all events, and that they were not to hefitate at any expence or danger to preferve our dominions, and whoever was right in the beginning, the American infolence deferved chaftifement at that prefent time. This was a method

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of reasoning immoral in its nature, and deftroyed eve ry principle of truth and virtue ;-for if the Americans were right in the beginning, and we were in the wrong, it would certainly have been a laudable and jut proceeding to have confeffed our error, and to have forfaken it. But because our brethren would not depart from juftice, rather than confefs our faults and reform our conduct, we would purfue them to death for their infolence of being virtuous. This fets forth a number of men in a moft pitiful and difadvantageous point of view, who throw juftice and equity out of the question, and for the fake of a felfifh policy purfue the most iniquitious and immoral practices.We fhall fee when we come to the arguments upon the principal merits of this controverfy, what has been faid upon this point.

The lofs arifing from the want of the American commerce was for fome time not felt. The prodigious remittances in corn during our fcarcity, which, we must do the commercians the juftice to fay, they with honefly made in difcharge of their deb's, with the much larger than their ufual fum which they were enabled to pay, from the advanced prices of oil and tobacco, and other commodities, all together occafioned a prodigious influx of money. The failing of the flota from Spain, the armament against Algiers, and the peace between the Turks and the Ruffians, occafioned an unusual demand for goods and inanufactures of various forts, from Spain, the north of Europe, and Turkey, which keeping up a brisk circulation in trade, bufinefs and money, all contributed to the fame effect. The fupplying of an army and navy with provifions and neceffaries of every fort, at fo prodigious a distance, gave employment and emolument to an infi

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nite number of people engaged in the tranfport fervice, which would have been otherwife idle, and* caufed fuch a bustle of bufinefs and circulation of cath, as checked all obfervation of other deficiencies, and ftifled all attention to future confequences. A golden' harvest was not only opened to the view of contractors, but they had already enjoyed fuch a fhare of the fruits, as was fufficient to excite the moft eager rage for its continuance and renewal. It would be fuperfluous to mention the numberlefs dealers and gamblers in the lottery ftocks, and other money tranfactions, who generally profit by all wars. Thefe contributed for a feason to keep up the fpirit of the people, and to animate them to this civil contention. This temporary flow of the fpirits of fome individuals of the nation could not animate the whole body, nor long continue to flow in the fame manner in the fame perfons. It was no more than a fort of temporary impulfe, arifing froin an accidental caufe, which was foon likely to ceafe, when a confumption equal to the irregularity of the former motion of fpirits in the body politic would readily happen. The American, West Indian, and African merchants, with the planters in the West Indies, had long foreseen, and alréady too deeply experienced the fatal effects of the prefent unhappy conteft. They, with feveral merchants in the capital and Britol, ftill wifhed and ftruggled to have matters reftored to their antient ftare, and reprobated all the meafures that tended to the prefent crifis.

A great number of the people in other places, tho lefs loud in their demand for peace, ftill were diffatisfied with the prefent measures. In Ireland almost

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