“America has but one enemy, and that is England.  Of the English it behoves us always to be jealous.  We ought to cultivate harmony and good understanding with every other power upon earth.  The necessity of this caution will be easily shewn.  For

1.  The united states of America were subject to the government of England.  True, they have acknowledged our independence.  But pride first struggled as much as she could, and sullenness held off as long as she dare.  They have withdrawn their claim upon our obedience, but do you think they have forgot it?  To this hour their very news-papers talk daily of dissentions between colony and colony, and the disaffection of this and of that to the continental interest.  They hold up one another in absurdity, and look with affirmative impatience, when we shall fall together by the ears, that they may run away with the prize we have so dearly won.  It is not in man to submit to a defalcation of empire without reluctance.  But in England, where every cobler, slave as he is, hath been taught to think himself a king, never.

2.  The resemblance, of language, customs, will give them the most ready access to us.  The king of England will have emissaries in every corner.  They will try to light up discord among us.  They will give intelligence of all our weaknesses.  Though we have struggled bravely, and conquered like men, we are not without imperfection.  Ambition and hope will be for ever burning in the breast of our former tyrant.  Dogmatical confidence is the worst enemy America can have.  We need not fear the Punic sword.  But let us be upon our guard against the arts of Carthage.

3.  England is the only European state that still possesses an important province upon our continent.  The Indian tribes are all that stand between us.  We know with what art they lately sought their detested alliance.  What they did then was the work of a day.  Hereafter if they act against us, the steps they will proceed with will be slower and surer.  Canada will be their place of arms.  From Canada they will pour down their Indians.  A dispute about the boundaries will always be an easy quarrel.  And if their cunning can inveigle us into a false security, twenty or thirty years hence we may have neither generals nor soldiers to stop them.”

ARTICLE X.

SPEECH OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EDMUND BURKE, ON A MOTION FOR AN ADDRESS
OF THANKS TO HIS MAJESTY (ON THE 28TH OF NOVEMBER, 1783) FOR HIS
GRACIOUS COMMUNICATION OF A TREATY OF COMMERCE CONCLUDED BETWEEN GEORGE
THE THIRD, KING, &C.  AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.