fedition against the Conftitution-If any body of men are justified. "in thinking that the Irifh conftitution is incompatible with the

British empire, perifh the empire! Live the conftitution!" It was on this, and other occafions when fimilar fentiments, were expreffed by Mr. Grattan, that the loudest bursts of applaufe were heard in the gallery of the Irish Houfe of Commons.

The prefent fpirit of Ireland thon, we may fately conclude, is not to be managed by the cold calculations of commercial regulation and the diftant profpect of the rewards of protected industry: nor is it likely to fubfide through length of time, without fome eruption that may difcharge that inflammable matter with which it is preg nant. For ambition inflamed by refentment is not, to be fatisfied and foothed by any conceffions that a great and independent nation ought to make and a thousand occafions of quarrel will easily be found between parties fo much connected as Great-Britain and Ireland, when there is a difpofition to discover them. The abdication of the propofed commercial treaty has left the agitation of Ireland, for a time, without an object. An object of animofity and disturb ance, however, will not long be wanting, Paflion, which in indi viduals, finds fewel for itself, will alfo find matter of gratification when it is heightened by the fympathy of thousands, and fwelled into the enthufiafm of a whole nation. The genius of Ireland,, folicitous, at the prefent moment, to find out a proper fubject of contention with England, adopts the motto prefixed to fome of the writings of Lord Bacon, inveniam viam aut faciam.

Such are the political confequences of internal divifions, relaxa tion of government, and fullied reputation. The dismemberment of America from the Britifh empire, was, of neceffity, to be followed by revolt in other parts of it, and the trumpet of fedition, as might have been expected, was first heard in Ireland. The people of that ifland, with arms in their hands demanded and obtained new privileges and rights of commerce, as well as an independent Parlia ment. They defired to have a reformation in the conflitution of Parliament; but received a check from that body which wifely rejected the tampering of rude and unfkilful empirics. The national ferment now wanted an object, and fixed, for a fecond time, on that of commerce; an object which was indeed pointed out, and preffed upon their notice by the bufy and reftlefs genius of Mr. Pitt. A fcheme was formed, under the veil of commercial regulation, for reftoring the virtual fubordination of Ireland to England. Ireland penetrates this plan and rejects it with difdain. But the ftill refts as it were upon her arms, and England watches the movements of ..., this hoftile neighbour, without making any preparations for encountering or counteracting them.

It is a pleasant, and not an unimportant fpeculation, to obferve, how readily felf-love paffes into felf-congratulation, and converts real misfortunes into ideal advantages. The writers who expatiate on the advantage to Great-Britain of the independency of her North American Colonies, would have formed no inconfiderable - military force for retaining them in a flate of subordination. Thefe writers compare nations to encamped armies, who ought to prefent

as

as few points of attack as poffible; and compact, though very limited nations, to well constructed fortreffes whofe garrifon is enabled to repel a more numerous army of affailants; whereas empires confifte ing of extended and fcattered dominions, they compare to fortifications on too large a fcale, whofe extenfive works cannot be defended with effect against all the affaults of a powerful and enterprifing enemy. They calculate the commercial, the literary, the political, and the warlike advantages that arife from the fame number of people living together on a narrow, rather than in a wide country;-a greater excitement of thought, a quicker intercourfe takes place, in fuch a ftate of fociety; and the refult of the whole fituation, is, an higher degree of industry, and confequently of NATIONAL WEALTH. For increase of WEALTH is the great object, in the prefent times, with the more refined nations of Europe, as avarice is the paffion of old age. And this characteristic of old age, with thefe alfo of exceffive caution and timidity diftinguifh the prefent ftate of the British government. The exhaufted ftate of our finances, our unfuccessful war in America, the difficulty of contending with domeftic faction, deter men of contracted capacities from venturing on any bold and arduous undertaking; and they fhelter the narrownefs, and indeed the littlenefs of their conduct under the fashionable doctrines concerning compactnefs of territory, the expence of war, the encourage ment of industry, and the neceffity of economy. On thefe principles they yield, without any apparent reluctance, to the abfolute independence of the Irish proteftants, English colonies, nurfed up by the parent state, upon eftates wrefted by violence from the Roman catholics their ancient poffeffors.

IMPOLICY OF THE PRESENT RAGE FOR COMMERCE.

Future ages may, perhaps, laugh at the prefent rage for commerce, and the propenfity in the councils of nations to calculate in all their measures and movements mercantile lofs and gain, as much as we laugh at the extravagance of chivalry, and religious zeal, and reprobate the attempts that were made for the establishment of univer fal dominion. For, firft, with regard to the compactness of dominion ;-the strength of kingdoms does not fo much resemble that of forts and garrifons, as the vigour of trees which do not derive more nourishment from ftriking their roots in the adjacent foil, than from extending their branches, and multiplying and throwing out their leaves to receive the influence of the heavens. The vital principle of nations which carries them progreffively through the different flages of infancy, youth, manhood, and old age, bears undoubtedly, a greater analogy to the growth of vegetables, than to the stationary nature of camps and fortifications. And, to adhere therefore, to the metaphor of the tree,-as the trunk is ftarved by the lopping off of the branches, fuch a kingdom fuffers diminution and decay through the lofs of her colonies. For this lofs impairs her strength by reducing the number of its fubjects in which principally her ftrength confifts; by throwing open the trade of the loft colonies to the world; and above all by the lofs of reputation, the great bull wark against foreign invation, and the great cement of internal concor cand tranquillity. So that, although it may argued at least

on plaufible grounds, that it is better for nations never to colonizë while means of fubfiftence can be found at home, yet the revolt and feparation of colonies once established, is, in all cafes to be confid red as a fevere misfortune: farther, the lofs of provinces, if it fhould not be confidered as any difadvantage in itfelf, may yet be juitly regarded as a ymptom of difeafe; as a proof that the elasticity' which retched out the empire is relaxed, and that the virtue on which its extent and grandeur was founded has decayed: farther ftill; as the affairs of nations are of neceflity in continual motion; if they do not advance, they must go backwards. One lois is therefore the forerunner of another; dominion is eafily retained by the fame virtues by which it was acquired. In proportion as that fails, power declines, and, by a kind of gravitation, acquires velocity as it falls.

It was not, as Livy in his celebrated preface to his Roman Hif tory afferts, the immenfe magnitude and extent of the Roman Empire that proved its ruin, but a miferable decay of private and public virtue. Even if the empire had never been extended beyond the Pe ninfula of Italy, the ocean and the Alps would not have protected an effeminate people from the incurfions of the Barbarians.

Secondly, If under the lofs of our provinces our trade fhould flourish as much as ever it did in its molt profperous period; if the national debt fhould be gradually reduced; and the public revenue fhould be increased; yet, if the pride of the nation fhould be broken, if the spring of government fhould be enfeebled, if the military fpirit fhould die away, and the whole nation fhould become manufacturers and merchants, mercenary arms would not long defend Danes and Saxons would again start up to lay us under contribution and reduce us again under flavery or, the mildeft fate we could expect, would be to fink a fecond time, under a French invafion.

us.

Thirdly, If the fole fpirit of our government be a regard to the protection of trade, and the advancement of wealth; if minifters are to give up the national honour, and to adopt the doctrine of paffive obedience to mutinous fubjects, where are they to draw the line of circumvallation, and when are they to maintain the unity of the Empire? Docs an adminiftration that preffes the burthen of debt on an oppreffed people with one hand, while it lavishes away the dependencies of the kingdom with the other; which afflicts the loyalists, and grants every thing to rebellion; which feeks to establish itfelf by peace on any terms with America and Ireland; and the whole of whofe conduct is marked by timidity and artifice: does fuch an administration expect to fupport the authority of government, not by force, but by favour, and to reign in the hearts of a willing people? If a confederacy fhould be formed against government, in the East or in the West Indies; in Canada and Nova Scotia, in Wales, or in Scotland; on what principle could fuch a confederacy be attacked by men who are fo ready to recognize and confirm the inde pendency of Ireland? on no other principle, plainly, than that of robbers, who plunder the weak, and avoid all contefts with the powerful.-Clofe union among themfelves, and a correfpondence with the enemies of England, might on the principles that feem to

actuate

actuate our prefent councils, fet the authority of the laws at

defiance.

Let us fuppofe, more particularly, that the Scots fhould reafon in this manner. "When we consented to an union with England, and 66 to bear our fare of the burthen of the national debt we confent"ed in the belief, and on the condition that we were to participate in the gainful trade with the English colonies. Thefe colonies

66

are now independent, and their commerce is open to the whole world, while taxes impofed on their account, crush the infant "manufactures, and check the rifing trade of Scotland. Inftances are not wanting of infringements on the treaty of union. The "circumstances of the times are altered. A treaty violated by one of the contracting parties, is not obligatory on the other. Let us therefore shake off at once the fhackles impofed upon us by our "connection with England; let us renew our antient league with "France, and in all the vigour of youth, fpring forth into rank and "confideration among the nations; and unencumbered by taxes and

other restraints, open our views to unlimited commerce; regain a "national character, and run the career of glory. Neither Dutch 66 nor English jealoufy fhall curb our well laid enterprizes. The "Ifthmus of Panama, under the Aufpices of the houfe of Bourbon, will gladly receive a colony from Scotland, difunited from "England. Ireland, allied to us by blood and fimilarity of fituation, will co-operate with us in afferting an independence that will fecure her own. The towns on our Eaftern fhores that have "mourned THE UNION in duft and afhes fhall again lift up their "heads and flourish. And the Forth, like the Thames, fhall be crowded with the merchandize of the world."

If Scotland fhould be fo frantic as to entertain fuch fentiments as thefe, and prepare to carry them into execution, a council would be called in England, in which, after many obfervations on the expenfiveness of war, the advantages of compact and undivided dominions, and the poffibility of carrying on manufactures and com merce without Scotland, as well as with it, it would be refolved to part with the Scots, if poffible on terms of friendship, and to form a treaty of commerce with them. In the mean time, the Duke of Richmond would infift upon the neceflity of rebuilding the wall of Severus,* as a barrier against the inroads of the Scots. Mr. Dundas would give broad hints, that by a prudent difpofition of the public money, the combinations of the Scots might be diffolved; or at least that by this means the Southern parts of Scotland, might, as

* Built by the Emperor for the protection of the Britons against Scots and Picts. It is commonly called the Picts wall. Its eaftern extremity is at Tinmouth, from whence it runs acrofs Northumberland and Cumberland to the Solway Firth, being about eighty miles in length. This wall which at firft confifted only of stakes and turf with a ditch, was afterwards ftrengthened by Severus with ftone forts, and turrets, at proper diftances; fo that each might have a fpeedy communication with the other, and it was attended all along by a deep ditch or vallum to the north, and a military. highway to the south.

here

heretofore be still preferved in connection with England; and that, in this cafe the barrier against the ancient Scots would be Agricola's Wall, or Graham's Dyke, which might be rebuilt at a much lefs expence than the wall of Severus, as the fpace between the Clyde and the Forth does not exceed twenty English miles. This would appear not wholly unfeasible to Mr. Pitt, but he would startle at the expence of it. The Chancellor would reprobate in the most unequivocal terms, fuch a damned mixture of cowardice and nonfenfe and explain that all these embarraffments were the natural effects of that fubmiffive spirit which so miferably crouched to Ireland. The Secretaries of State feeing Mr. Pitt cold, and Lord Thurlow refoLute to oppose these measures, would no longer hefitate to declare for the Prime Minifter: and would probably fhelter their oppofition to every thing that might wear the afpect of hoftility towards Scotland under fome fuch proverb, as, that "it is better to flatter fools than to fight them." Scotland, as well as Ireland being abandoned, Dean Tucker would congratulate his country on the happy arrondissement of the empire and tell his countrymen to take no care for to morrow, but to mind their proper bufinefs, and never to doubt that fuperior skill and capital would always command a market for our manufactures. A tribe of writers would catch this tone from the Dean, and a thousand advantages would be predicted from the emancipation of old England from all foreign connections.

That fuch a cafe as we have here fuppofed will ever be realized is not to be dreaded, when we reflect on the peaceable difpofition of the Scotch nation, and on their want of a leader among the nobi lity, if they had even real caufe of diffatisfaction, and were dif posed to fedition and infurrection. But, if it did exift, the English government, could not, confiftently with their prefent principles, adopt any other measures than thofe of acquiefcence in fate, and the humour of the times: for if ever there could be a point at which our conceffions ought to ftop, if ever a conjuncture in which boldnefs is political wifdom; that point, this conjuncture is presented to our view, in the prefent fituation of the fifter kingdom.

To be continued.

TO CORRESPONDENT S. T. B's article is too long. It is, however, under confideration; and fhall be inferted abridged; provided it is approved of. The performance itself ought to have been fent along with the

article.

Timothy Twifting, Efquire, fhould have told us in what number of our journal the ftrictures appear which give fo much offence; for we have not been able to find them. The English Review fet out upon the principle of impartiality. And to prove that we have not impofed upon the public with promifes alone, we are fatisfied to fubmit to a fair comparison betwixt our felves and brother journalists for the period of our duration-we affect not to be perfect. But we should depart from that juftice which every individual in fuch circumftances owes to himself if we did not confidently affert that the comparison would be found to be favour able to us. And Mr. Twiftings, article would have been attended so bad he pointed it properly out to us.