(continued)

Of the Present ABILITY of AMERICA, with some Miscellaneous REFLECTIONS

I have never met with a man, either in England or America, who hath not confessed his opinion that a separation between the countries, would take place one time or other:  And there is no instance, in which we have shewn less judgement, than in endeavouring to describe, what we call the ripeness or fitness of the Continent for independence.

As all men allow the measure, and vary only in their opinion of the time, let us, in order to remove mistakes, take a general survey of things, and endeavour, if possible, to find out the very time.  But we need not go far, the inquiry ceases at once, for, the time hath found us.  The general concurrence, the glorious union of all things prove the fact.

It is not in numbers, but in unity, that our great strength lies; yet our present numbers are sufficient to repel the force of all the world.  The Continent hath, at this time, the largest body of armed and disciplined men of any power under Heaven; and is just arrived at that pitch of strength, in which no single colony is able to support itself, and the whole, when united, can accomplish the matter, and either more, or, less than this, might be fatal in its effects.  Our land force is already sufficient, and as to naval affairs, we cannot be insensible, that Britain would never suffer an American man of war to be built, while the continent remained in her hands.  Wherefore, we should be no forwarder an hundred years hence in that branch, than we are now; but the truth is, we should be less so, because the timber of the country is every day diminishing, and that, which will remain at last, will be far off and difficult to procure.

Were the continent crowded with inhabitants, her sufferings under the present circumstances would be intolerable.  The more seaport towns we had, the more should we have both to defend and to lose.  Our present numbers are so happily proportioned to our wants, that no man need be idle.  The diminution of trade affords an army, and the necessities of an army create a new trade.

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