"more ftrongly, and with an higher and more "ftubborn Spirit, attached to Liberty than thofe "of the Northward. Such were all the antient "Common-wealths; fuch were our Gothic An"ceftors; fuch in our Days were the Poles; and "fuch will be all Mafters of Slaves, who are "not Slaves themselves. In fuch a People the. "Haughtiness of Domination combines with the "Spirit of Freedom, fortifies it, and renders it "invincible.". P. 18, and 19.

HERE, Sir, you trace out many important Matters for our due Regard and Attention. And first of all, you fuggeft, that the Southern Colonies, who have fuch Multitudes of Slaves, and who, in Confequence thereof, are by far the weakest, standing in Need of our daily Protection, are nevertheless the most obftinately bent against contributing any Thing towards their own Defence. Why? Because they are by far the most proud and jealous of their Liberty; for in them the Haughtinefs of Domination combines with the Spirit of Freedom: And therefore as they will not condefcend to contribute any Thing towards their own Defence, we, who are not so proud and jealous, must fubmit to be their Guards and Centinels, And then perhaps, they may make us fome Acknowledgments, or they may not ;-according as it fhall please their High Might ineffes! Grand and noble on their Part, it must be owned! Humiliating

Humiliating and mean on ours! Surely, Sir, one would have thought, that a very different Inference might have been drawn from fuch Premises: One might have fuppofed, that it would not have been altogether unreasonable, or unjust to say, that if Men of such Principles will not contribute their fair Quota towards their own Prefervation; let them take the Con-" fequence; and let us give ourfeives no further Concern about them.

But it seems, the antient Republics, and our Gothic Ancestors, the modern Poles, and all Mafters of Slaves, who are not Slaves themfelves, were, and are, in every Part of the World, poffeffed with the Haughtiness of Domination respecting others, and with an invincible Spirit of Freedom regarding themfelves, Probable enough: The fierce Spirit of the Goths and Vandals was a 'Spirit of Freedom for themfelves to do whatever they lifted, at the Expence of the Lives, Liberties, and Properties of the reft of Mankind: The modern Poles profecuted juft the fame Plan over their Dependents; 'till a Tyrant arofe of more extensive Power, and of greater Capacity, who has lately ferved fome of them in the fame Manner, in which they serve all their Vaffals. As to the Inftitution of Slavery in any of our Colonies; let those be Advocates for it, who approve of it. For my Part, I am thoroughly convinced, that the Laws of Com

merce,

1

merce, when rightly understood, do perfectly co-incide with the Laws of Morality; both originating from the fame good Being, whose Mercies are over all his Works. Nay, I think it is demonftrable, that domeftic or predial Slavery would be found, on a fair Calculation, to be the most onerous and expenfive Mode of cultivating Land, and of raising Produce, that could be devised. And I defy you, with all your Learning and Acuteness, to produce a fingle Inftance from History either antient or modern, of a Country being well cultivated, and at the fame Time abounding in Manufactures, where this Species of Slavery (I mean the domeftic or predial) is preferred to the Method of hiring free Perfons, and paying them wages. In the mean Time, I do most readily fubfcribe to the Doctrine implied in your Description, viz. That the Mafters of fuch Slaves, are, for the most Part, haughty, infolent, and imperious in private Life; and alfo, that they are turbulent and factious in refpect to the Public, inceffantly endeavouring to pull down and lay low, even with the Duft, every Order and Degree of Men above themselves. Jura negant fibi nata.

WITH refpect to the ancient Republics (and you might have added the modern likewise) the fame Remark holds good. The Haughtinefs of Domination, generally speaking, renders

thefe

thefe republican Governments the most infolent -and tyrannical upon Earth. And it is obfervsable, that their Subjects retain lefs of Liberty, >both in Form and Subftance, than most of the Subjects even of monarchical Governments. Now, that this is the Fact, I appeal to all Men of Reading, to all who have travelled, and to all who can make a juft Obfervation on Men and Things. Nay, to go no farther than our own Country, the Specimen we had of the manifold Tyrannies, and grievous Oppreffions (without even the Colour of Law) of those UPSTARTS, who called themfelves, The Common-Wealth of England, after the Murder of King CHARLES I. Ifay, this Specimen is fuch, that no Man, either wife, or good, would wish to have the like Tragedies acted over again ;---notwithstanding the high Encomiums, which some celebrated republican Writers of late have paffed on those Times.

+

IN fhort, Sir, very unfortunate have you been hitherto in heaping together fuch a Number of Arguments, and fuch Examples as thefe: All of which militate fo very strongly against your own Conclufion. And yet what is to follow, will be found to do fo much more strongly.

V. For 5th. You fay (Page 19) " Permit me,' Sir, to add another Circumftance in our Colonies, which contributes no mean Part to

wards

wards the Growth and Effect of this UN"TRACTABLE SPIRIT: I mean their Education. "In no Country perhaps in the World is the "Law fo general a Study. The Profeffion itself "is numerous and powerful; and in most Pro"vinces it takes the Lead. The 'greater Num"ber of the Deputies fent to the Congress were "Lawyers. But all who read, and most do "read, endeavour to obtain fome Smattering "in that Science. General GAGE marks out' "this Difpofition very particularly in a Letter "on your Table. He ftates, that all the Peo"ple in his Government are Lawyers, or Smat"terers in Law: And that in Boston they have "been enabled by fuccefsful Chicane wholly to "evade many Parts of your capital penal Con"ftitutions. The Smartnefs of Debate will fay, "that this Knowledge ought to teach them "more clearly the Rights of the Legislature, "their Obligations to Obedience, and the Pe"nalties of Rebellion. All this is mighty well: "But my honourable and learned Friend on "the Floor [the Attorney General] who con"defcends to mark what I fay for Animadver"fion, will difdain that Ground. He has heard, "as well as I, that when great Honours, and 26 great Emoluments do not win over this Know

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ledge to the Service of the State, it is a formida"ble Adversary to Government. If the Spirit be "not tamed and broken by these happy Me