paffive, is a fort of diffent. But the religion moft prevalent in our northern colonies is a refinement on the principle of refiftance; it is the diffidence of diffent; and the proteftantism of the proteftant religion. This religion, under a variety of denominations, agreeing in nothing but in the communion of the spirit of liberty, is predominant in most of the northern provinces; where the church of England, notwithstanding its legal rights, is in reality no more than a fort of private fect, not composing most probably the tenth of the people. The colonists left England when this fpirit was high; and in the emigrants was the highest of all: and even that stream of foreigners, which has been conftantly flowing into these colonies, has, for the greatest part, been compofed of diffenters from the establishments of their feveral countries, and have brought with them a temper and character far from alien to that of the people with whom they mixed.

Sir, I can perceive by their manner, that some gentlemen object to the latitude of this defcription; because in the fouthern colonies the church of England forms a large body, and has a regular eftablishment. It is certainly true. There is however a circumftance attending these colonies, which, in my opinion, fully counterbalances this difference, and makes the fpirit of liberty ftill more high and haughty than in those to the northward. It is that in Virginia and the Carolinas, they have E 3 a vaft

á vaft multitude of flaves. Where this is the cafe

in any part of the world, those who are free, are by far the moft proud and jealous of their freedom. Freedom is to them not only an enjoyment, but a kind of rank and privilege. Not seeing there, that freedom, as in countries where it is a common bleffing, and as broad and general as the air, may be united with much abject toil, with great mifery, with all the exterior of fervitude, liberty looks, amongst them, like fomething that is more noble and liberal. I do not mean, Sir, ta commend the fuperiour morality of this sentiment, which has at least as much pride as virtue in it; but I cannot alter the nature of man. The fact is fo; and these people of the fouthern colonies are much more strongly, and with an higher and more ftubborn spirit, attached to liberty than those to the northward. Such were all the ancient commonwealths; fuch were our Gothick ancestors; fuch in our days were the Poles; and fuch will be all mafters of flaves, who are not flaves themselves. In fuch a people the haughtiness of domination combines with the spirit of freedom, fortifies it, and renders it invincible.

Permit me, Sir, to add another circumftance in our colonies, which contributes no mean part towards the growth and effect of this untractable fpirit. I mean their education. In no country perhaps in the world is the law fo general a study.

The

The profeffion itself is numerous and powerful; and in moft provinces it takes the lead. The greater number of the deputies fent to the congress were lawyers. But all who read, and most do read, endeavour to obtain some smattering in that science. I have been told by an eminent bookseller, that in no branch of his business, after tracts of popular devotion, were so many books as those on the law exported to the plantations. The colonists have now fallen into the way of printing them for their own ufe. I hear that they have fold nearly as many of Blackstone's Commentaries in America as in England. General Gage marks out this disposition very particularly in a letter on your table. He ftates, that all the people in his government are lawyers, or fmatterers in law; and that in Bofton they have been enabled, by fuccessful chicane, wholly to evade many parts of one of your capital penal constitutions. The fmartnefs of debate will fay, that this knowledge ought to teach them more clearly the rights of legislature, their obligations to obedience, and the penalties of rebellion. All this is mighty well. But my * honourable and learned friend on the floor, who condefcends to mark what I fay for animadverfion, will difdain that ground. He has heard, as well as I, that when great honours and great emoluments do not win over this knowledge to the

fervice of the state, it is a formidable adversary to government. If the spirit be not tamed and broken by these happy methods, it is stubborn and litigious. Abeunt ftudia in mores. This study renders men acute, inquifitive, dexterous, prompt in attack, ready in defence, full of refources. In other countries, the people, more fimple, and of a less mercurial caft, judge of an ill principle in government only by an actual grievance; here they anticipate the evil, and judge of the preffure of the grievance by the badness of the principle. They augur mifgovernment at a distance; and snuff the approach of tyranny in every tainted breeze.

The laft cause of this disobedient spirit in the colonies is hardly lefs powerful than the rest, as it is not merely moral, but laid deep in the natural constitution of things. Three thousand miles of ocean lie between you and them. No contrivance can prevent the effect of this diftance, in weakening government. Seas roll, and months pafs, between the order and the execution: and the want of a speedy explanation of a single point, is enough to defeat a whole fyftem. You have, indeed, winged minifters of vengeance, who carry your bolts in their pounces to the remoteft verge of the fea. But there a power steps in, that limits the arrogance of raging paffions and furious elements, and fays, "So far fhalt thou go, and no farther." Who are you, that should fret and rage, and bite

the

the chains of nature?-Nothing worfe happens to you, than does to all nations, who have extenfive empire; and it happens in all the forms into which empire can be thrown. In large bodies, the circulation of power must be lefs vigorous at the extremities. Nature has faid it. The Turk cannot govern Ægypt, and Arabia, and Curdistan, as he governs Thrace; nor has he the fame dominion in Crimea and Algiers, which he has at Brufa and Smyrna. Defpotifm itself is obliged to truck and huckster. The Sultan gets fuch obedience as he can. He governs with a loose rein, that he may govern at all; and the whole of the force and vigour of his authority in his centre, is derived from a prudent relaxation in all his borders. Spain, in her provinces, is, perhaps, not fo well obeyed, as you are in yours. She complies too; fhe fubmits; the watches times. This is the immutable condition, the eternal law, of extenfive and detached empire.

Then, Sir, from these fix capital fources; of defcent; of form of government; of religion in the northern provinces; of manners in the fouthern; of education; of the remoteness of fituation from the first mover of government; from all these causes a fierce spirit of liberty has grown up. It has grown with the growth of the people in your colonies, and increased with the increase of their wealth; a fpirit, that unhappily

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