we experience. The same cause will always operate against us,
and produce an uniform severity of treatment.

The evils which may flow from the execution of our mea-
sures, if we consider them with resect to their extent and du-
ration, are comparatively nothing. In all human probability
they will scarcely be felt. Reason and experience teach us, that
the consequences would be too fatal to Great Britian to admit of
delay. There is an immense trade between her and the colo-
nies. The revenues arising from thence are prodigious. The
consumption of her manufactures in these colonies supplies the
means of subsistence to a vast number of her most useful inhabi-
tants. The experiment we have made heretofore, shews us of
how much importance our commercial connexion is to her; and
gives us the highest assurance of obtaining immediate redress by
suspending it.

From these considerations it is evident, she must do something
decisive. She must either listen to our complaints, and restore
us to a peaceful enjoyment of our violated rights; or she must
exert herself to enforce her despotic claims by fire and sword.
To imagine she would prefer the latter, implies a charge of the
grossest infatuation of madness itself. Our numbers are very con-
siderable; the courage of Americans has been tried and proved.
Contests for liberty have ever been found the most bloody, im-
placable and obstinate. The disciplined troops Great Britian
could send against us, would be but few, Our superiority in
number would over balance our inferiority in discipline. It
would be a hard, if not an impractiable task to subjugate us
by force.

Besides, while Great Britain was engaged in carrying on an
unnatural war against us, her commerce would be in a state of
decay. Her revenues would be decreasing. An armament,
sufficent to enslave America, would put her to an insupportable
expence.

She would be laid open to the attacks of foreign enemies.
Ruin, like a deluge, would pour in from every quarter. After
lavishing her blood and treasure to reduce us to a state of vassa-
lage, she would herself become a prey to some triumphant
neighbour.

These are not imaginary mischiefs. The colonies contain
above three millions of people. Commerce flourishes with the