a principle of commerce, of artificial commerce, must predominate.  This commerce must be secured by a multitude of restraints very alien from the spirit of liberty; and a powerful authority must reside in the principal state, in order to enforce them.  But the people who are to be the subjects of these restraints are descendants of Englishmen; and of a high and free spirit.  To hold over them a government made up of nothing but restraints and penalties, and taxes in the granting of which they can have no share, will neither be wise nor long practicable.  People must be governed in a manner agreeable to their temper and disposition; and men of free character and spirit must be ruled with, at least, some condescension to this spirit and this character.  The British, colonist must see something which will distinguish him from the colonists of other nations.

Those seasonings, which infer from the many restraints under which we have already laid America, to our right to lay it under still more, and indeed under all manner of restraints, are conclusive; conclusive as to right; but the very reverse as to policy and practice.  We ought rather to infer from our having laid the colonies under many restraints, that it is reasonable to compensate them by every indulgence that can by any means be reconciled to our interest.  We have a great empire to rule, composed of a vast mass of heterogeneous governments, all more or less free and popular in their forms, all to be kept in peace, and kept out of conspiracy, with one another, all to be held in subordination to this country; while the spirit of an extensive and intricate and trading interest pervades the whole, always qualifying, and often controlling, every general idea of constitution and government.  It is a great and difficult object; and I wish we may possess wisdom and temper enough to manage it as we ought.  Its importance is infinite.  I believe the reader will be struck, as I have been, with one singular fact.  In the year 1704, but sixty-five years ago, the whole trade with our plantations was but a few thousand pounds more in the export article, and a third less in the import, than that which we now carry on with the single island of Jamaica:—­

Exports.     Imports. 
Total English plantations in 1704  L488,265     L814,491
Jamaica, 1767                       467,681    1,243,742

From the same information I find that our dealing with most of the European nations is but little increased:  these nations have been pretty much at a stand since that time, and we have rivals in their trade.  This colony intercourse is a new world of commerce in a manner created; it stands upon principles of its own; principles hardly worth endangering for any little consideration of extorted revenue.