Suppose 1000 Tradesmen with their Families, Watch-Makers for Instance, settled on one Spot somewhere in the Neighbourhood of London, [I only mention Watch-Makers, because it is computed, that about 1000 Families, or one-third of the City of Geneva are supposed to be of that Profession.] Now the first Thing which would attract our Notice respecting Navigation, is to lay in a Provision of Sea-Coals; and a yearly Supply of this Commodity for 1000 Families would employ a good deal of Shipping: Fish would be the next Article, Sea-Fish especially, whether fresh or Salt, in respect to which a good many Sailors one Time or other must be, or must have been employed: After this, the like Observation will extend to Cyder, and to other Articles brought Coast-wise; also to Wines, Brandies, Rum, Sugars, Fruits, Oils, &c. &c. imported from Abroad: likewise to Timber of various Kinds for building or repairing, also for making a Variety of Houshold Goods; to Iron, Hemp, Linen Cloth, and other Commodities, especially those of the bulky Kind: Now here I ask, Is it possible to conceive, that, were this Group of Manufacturers to take Flight, like a Swarm of Bees, and settle in some of the Towns or Provinces of North-America, they either would, or could employ as many English Seamen in their new Situations, as they do at present in their old ones? And can any Man be so absurd as to maintain such a Paradox? [Remember I limit the Matter to English Seamen only; for as to Americans, let their Number be what it may, Great-Britain never was advantaged by them. Not to mention, that several of the American Provinces have disputed, or rather denied, long before the present Disturbances began, the Right of pressing Sailors for the Navy; though it is well known, that this is the only Method whereby a Navy can be manned; and though that eminent Whig, that upright, learned, and truly-patriotic Lawyer [Judge Foster] hath demonstratively proved in his Law-Tracts this Right to be as legally and constitutionally vested in the Crown, as any Right whatever.]
I will therefore take this Point relating to Sailors for granted; [at least ’till the contrary shall be proved,] and then it will follow, that British or Irish Emigrations are to be considered as being very unfavourable to the Increase of English Sailors, as well as of English Manufacturers; and that the Loss and Detriment to the Mother-Country are very great in both Respects.
But here a Difficulty of another Kind, and from a different Quarter, will probably arise. It is this:—Granting that Emigrations are bad Things in all Respects;—granting that they tend to diminish the Number of your Sailors, as well as of your Manufacturers; yet how can you prevent this Evil? And what Remedy do you propose for curing the People of that Madness which has seized them for Emigrations?—I answer:—Even the Remedy which hath been so often, and all along proposed, A Total Separation from North-America. For most certain it is, that as soon as such a Separation shall take Place, a Residence in the Colonies will be no longer a desirable Situation. Nay, it is much more probable, that many of those who are already settled there, will wish to fly away, than that others should covet to go to them. And indeed we begin to find this Observation not a little verified at present, a considerable Re-emigration (if I may use the Term) having already taken Place. In short, when the English Government, which was the only Center of Union, and the only Bond of Peace, shall be removed, Faction will rise up against Faction, Congress against Congress, and Colony against Colony; and then the Southern Provinces will find to their Cost, that they have been egregiously duped and bubbled by the Northern; then they will perceive, that they have no other Alternative, but either to submit to the tyrannical Usurpations of those canting, hypocritical Republicans, whom they used both to hate and despise; or else to implore that Help, Defence, and Protection of the Parent-State, which they now so wantonly and ungratefully reject and oppose:—In either of these Situations, and under such Circumstances, there is no Reason to fear, that many of our People will flock to North-America.
REMARK IV.
Prejudices and Prepossessions are stubborn Things in all Cases; but in none more peculiarly obstinate, than in relinquishing detached Parts of an unwieldy, extended Empire; there not being, I believe, a single Instance in all History, of any Nation surrendering a distant Province voluntarily, and of free Choice, notwithstanding it was greatly their Interest to have done it. The English in particular have given remarkable Proofs of their Unwillingness. For tho’ it was undeniably their Interest to have abandoned all the Provinces which they held in France, yet they never gave up one of them, ’till they were compelled to it by Force of Arms. Now indeed, and at this Distance of Time, we see clearly, that our Fore-Fathers were wretched Politicians in endeavouring to retain any one of the French Provinces, which, if it was a little one, would be a continual Drain, and perhaps an encreasing Expence; and if it was a great one, might grow up to be a Rival, and become the Seat of Empire. I say, we can see these Things clearly enough at present: Yet alas! what Advantages do we derive from this Discovery? And what Application do we make of such historical Mementos to the Business of the present Day? The remotest of our Provinces in France were hardly 300 Miles distant from our own Coasts; the nearest of those in America are about 3000. The Provinces in France were already fully peopled, and peopled for the most Part by Inhabitants extremely well affected at that Time to the English Government: Whereas the Deserts of America require first to be peopled by Draughts either from ourselves, or from our European Customers; and then when these Emigrants have been settled for a Generation or two, they become native Americans, who naturally forget the Supremacy of that Country, with whose Government they have so little Connections, from whose Seat of Empire they are so far distant, whose ruling Power they so seldom feel (and therefore do not regard) and consequently whose Claims they consider as so many audacious Attempts to rob them of their beloved Independence.
But this is not all: And the Absurdity of our present Conduct in not abandoning the rebellious Provinces of North-America, becomes still more glaring, when we consider farther, (what we now find by Experience to be true) that we can live and flourish, even in our commercial Capacity, without the Assistance of these refractory Colonies. For tho’ it doth by no Means follow, that we should be destitute of their Trade, if each American Province was erected into a separate and independent State; nay, tho’ the contrary hath been made to appear by such a Chain of Evidences, as no Man hitherto hath attempted to break or weaken, yet, granting the worst, granting even that these North-Americans traded with us as little after a Separation as they do at present, still it is possible that we may then live, because it is certain we do now live without them; and do not only live, but also enjoy as many of the Comforts and Elegancies, not to mention the Profusions and Luxuries of Life, as any Nation ever did, and more than we ourselves did heretofore.