land, or people. It is indeed a dictate of humanity to con-
tribute to the support and happiness of our fellow creatures
and more especially those who are allied to us by the ties of
blood, interest, and mutual protection; but humanity does not
require us to sacrifice our own security and welfare to the
convenience, or advantage of others. Self preservation is the
first principle of our nature. When our lives and properties
are at stake, it would be foolish and unnatural to refain from
such measures as might preserve them, because they would be
detrimental to others.

But we are justified upon another principle besides this. --
Though the manufacturers of Great Britain and Ireland, and
the Inhabitants of the West Indies are not chargeable with
any actual crime towards America, they may, in a political
view, be esteemed criminal. In a civil society, it is the du-
ty of each particular branch to promote, not only the good
of the whole community, but the good of every other parti-
cular branch: If one part endeavours to violate the rights of
another, the rest ought to assist in preventing the injury: --
When they do not, but remain nutral, in some measure, as ac-
complices.

The reason of this is obvious, from the design of civil so-
ciety, which is, that the united strength of the several mem-
bers might give stability and security to the whole body, and
each respective member; so that one part cannot encroach up-
on another, without becoming a common enemy, and event-
ually endangering the safety and happiness of all the other
parts.

Since then the persons who will be distressed by the me-
thods we are using for our protection, have by their neu-
trality first committed a breach of an obligation, similar to
that which bound us to consult their emolument, it is plain,
the obligation upon us is annulled, and we are blamless in
what we are about to do.

With respect to the manufacturers of Great Britian, they
are criminal in a more particular sense. Our oppression arises
from that member of the great body politic, of which they
compose a considerable part. So far as their influence has been
wanting to counteract the iniquity of their rulers, so far they