Complete Works of Edmund Burke

by Edmund Burke

  Though no great snows fall in the Southern parts of Louisiana, yet to the Northward a great deal falls, and not only the Missisippi, but the number of other great rivers which it receives overflow annually, and they can be in no want of timber convenient enough to navigation. And though the passage to the French islands be for such a great way to the windward, as to bring them these commodities in a more tedious manner, and at a dearer rate, is it not much better that they should have them cheap from us than dear from themselves? Nor perhaps would even this difficulty, which is indeed much less than it is represented, bring down the French to the par of our sugar colonies, loaded as they are with taxes, groaning under the pressure of many grievances, and deformed by an infinite multitude of abuses and enormities; nor can they with reason or justice hope for a cure of the evils which they suffer, partly from errors of their own, and partly from mistakes in England, at the expence of the trade of their sister colonies on the continent of America, who are entirely guiltless of their sufferings; nor is it by restraints on their trade, but by an effectual and judicious encouragement of their own, that they can hope to remedy these evils, and rival the French establishments.

  The French, in permitting us to supply them, it is true, give us a proof that they have advantages from this trade; but this is no proof at all that we derive none from it; for on that supposition no trade could be mutually beneficial. Nor is it at all certain, as it has been suggested, that if we left their refuse of sugars upon their hands, that they could turn them to no profit. If the council of commerce could be made to see distinctly that this trade could not prejudice the sale of their brandy, and would only make the trade of rum change hands, as the case probably would be; and if they could shew, as they might, what a loss it must be to them entirely to throw away a considerable part of the produce of their lands, and which was formerly so valuable to them, there is no doubt but the court would give sufficient encouragement to their own plantations to distil rum, and to vend it in such a manner as might the least prejudice the brandies of France; and then, instead of sending us molasses, as they could distil the spirit far cheaper than our islands, they would send us the spirit itself; and we may know by experience, especially in that part of the world, how insufficient all regulations are to prevent a counterband, which would be so gainful to particulars.

  After all, are we certain, that the French would trust for the supply of their islands to Louisiana, or to the precarious supplies from Canada? would they not redouble their application, now made necessary, to Cape Breton? what experiments would they not make in Cayenne for the timber trade? they would certainly try every method, and probably would succeed in some of their trials. Restraints upon trade are nice things; and ought to be well considered. Great care ought to be taken in all such, how we sacrifice the interests of one part of our territories to those of another; and it would be a mistake of the most fatal consequence, if we came to think that the shipping, seamen, commodities, or wealth of the British colonies were not effectually the shipping, seamen, and wealth of Great Britain herself. Sentiments of another kind have frequently done us mischief.

  The general plan of our management with regard to the trade of our colonies, methinks, ought to be, to encourage in every one of them some separate and distinct articles, such as not interfering, might enable them to trade with each other, and all to trade to advantage with their mother country. And then, where we have rivals in any branch of the trade carried on by our colonies, to enable them to send their goods to the foreign market directly; using at the same time the wise precaution which the French put in practice, to make the ships so employed take the English ports in their way home; for our great danger is, that they should in that case make their returns in foreign manufactures, against which we cannot guard too carefully. This, and that they should not go largely into manufactures interfering with ours, ought to be the only points at which our restrictions should aim. These purposes ought not to be compassed by absolute prohibitions and penalties, which would be unpolitical and unjust, but by the way of diversion, by encouraging them to fall into such things as find a demand with ourselves at home. By this means Great Britain and all it’s dependencies will have a common interest, they will mutually play into each other’s hands, and the trade so dispersed, will be of infinitely more advantage to us, than if all it’s several articles were produced and manufactured within ourselves.

  I venture on these hints concerning restraints on trade, because in fact that of New England rather wants to be supported than to be checked by such restraints. It’s trade in many of it’s branches is clearly on the decline; and this circumstance ought to interest us deeply; for very valuable is this colony, if it never sent us any thing, nor took any thing from us, as it is the grand barrier of all the rest; and as it is the principal magazine which supplies our West-Indies, from whence we draw such vast advantages. That this valuable colony is far from advancing, will appear clearly from the state of one of the principal branches of it’s trade, that of ship-building, for four years. In the year 1738 they built at •oston forty-one topsail vessels, burthen in all 6324 tons; in 1743 only thirty; in 46 but twenty; in 49 they were reduced to fifteen, making in the whole but 2450 tons of shipping; in such a time an astonishing declension! How it has been since I have not sufficient information; but allowing that the decline has ceased here, yet this is surely sufficient to set us upon the nicest enquiry into the cause of that decay, and the most effectual measures to retrieve the affairs of so valuable a province; particularly, if by any ill-judged or ill-intended schemes, or by any misgovernment this mischief has happened them.

  CHAP. VIII. New York, New Jersey, and Pensylvania.

  IT is not certainly known at what time the Swedes and Dutch made their first establishment in North America; but it was certainly posterior to our settlement of Virginia, and prior to that of New England. The Swedes, who were no considerable naval power, had hardly fixt the rudiments of a colony there than they deserted it. The inhabitants, without protection or assistance, were glad to enter into a coalition with the Dutch that had settled there upon a better plan, and to submit to the government of the States. The wh••• tract possessed or claimed by the two nations, whose two colonies were now grown into one, extended from the 38th to the 41st degree of latitude, all along the sea coast. They called it Nova Belgia, or New Netherlands. It continued in their hands until the reign of Charles the second. The Dutch war then breaking out, in the year 1664 Sir Robert Car with three thousand men was sent to reduce it, which he did with so little resistance, as not to gain him any great honour by the conquest. A little after, the Dutch by way of reprisal fell upon our colony of Surinam in South America, and conquered it after much the same opposition that we met in the New Netherlands. By the treaty of peace which was signed at Breda, in 1667, it was agreed that things should remain in the state they were at that time; Surinam to the Dutch, the New Netherlands to the English. At that time, this was looked upon by many as a bad exchange; but it now appears, that we have made an excellent bargain; for to say nothing of the great disadvantage of having our colonies, as it were, cut-in two by the intervention of a foreign territory; this is now one of the best peopled and richest parts of our plantations, extremely useful to the others, and making very valuable returns to the mother coun•••…, whereas Surinam is comparatively a place of very small consequence, very unhealthy, and by no art to be made otherwise.

  The New Netherlands were not long in our possession, before they were divided into distinct provinces, and laid aside their former appellation. The North-East part which joined New England, was called New York, in compliment to the duke of York, who had at first the grant of the whole territory. This province runs up to the Northward on both sides of the river Hudson, for about two hundred miles into the country of the Five nations or Iroquois; but it is not in any part above forty or fifty miles wide. It comprehends within it’s limits Long Island, which lies to the South of Connecticut, and is an island inferior to n
o part of America in excellent ground for the pasturage of horses, oxen, and sheep, or the plentiful produce of every sort of grain.

  The part of Nova Belgia, which lay along the ocean, between that and the river Delawar, from the Southern part of New York quite down to Maryland, was granted to Sir George Carteret and others, and called New Jersey from him, because he had, as the family still has, estates in the island of that name. This province is bounded upon the West by the river Delawar, which divides it from Pensylvania. It is in length about one hundred and fifty miles, or thereabouts, and about fifty in breadth.

  Pensylvania, which lies between New York, New Jersey, and Maryland, and only communicates with the sea by the mouth of the river Delawar, is in length about two hundred and fifty miles; and in breadth two hundred. This territory was granted to the famous Mr. William Pen, the son of Sir William Pen the admiral, in the year 1680.

  The climate and soil in the three provinces of New York, New Jersey, and Pensylvania, admits of no very remarkable difference. In all these, and indeed in all our North American colonies, the land near the sea is in general low, flat, and marshy; at a considerable distance from the sea it swells into little hills, and then into great even ridges of mountains, which hold their course for the most part, North-East, and South-West. The soil throughout these three provinces is in general extremely fruitful; abounding not only in it’s native grain the Indian corn, but in all such as have been naturalized there from Europe. Wheat in such abundance, and of so excellent a quality, that few parts of the world, for the tract which is cultivated, exceed it in the one or the other of these particulars, nor in barley, oats, rye, buck-wheat, and every sort of grain which we have here. They have a great number of horned cattle, horses, sheep, and hogs. All our European poultry abound there; game of all kinds is wonderfully plenty; deer of several species; hares of a kind peculiar to America, but inferior in relish to ours; wild turkies of a vast size, and equal goodness; a beautiful species of pheasants only found in this country. Every species of herbs or roots which we force in our gardens, grow here with great ease; and every species of fruit; but some, as those of peaches and melons, in far greater perfection.

  Their forests abound in excellent timber, the oak, the ash, the beech, the chesnut, the cedar, the walnut, the cypress, the hic kory, the sassafras, and the pine. In all parts of our plantations, comprehending New York to the Northward, quite to the Southern extremity, the woods are full of wild vines of three or four species, all different from those we have in Europe. But whether from some fault in their nature, or in the climate, or the soil where they grow, or, what is much more probable, from a fault in the planters, they have yet produced no wine that deserves to be mentioned. It may be remarked in general of the timber of these provinces, that it is not so good for shipping as that of New England and Nova Scotia. The further Southward you go, the timber becomes less compact, and rives easily; which property, as it makes it more useful for staves, renders it less serviceable for ships.

  They raise in all these provinces, but much the most largely in Pensylvania, great quantities of flax; and hemp is a promising article. Nor are they deficient in minerals. In New York a good deal of iron is found. In New Jersey a very rich copper mine has been opened. There is no manner of doubt but in time, when the people come to multiply sufficiently, and experience and want have made them ingenious in opening resources for trade, these colonies will become as remarkable for useful metals as they now are for grain. These three provinces, as are all those we have in North America, are extremely well watered. They have however observed in New England, that as they clear the country, a vast number of little brooks are quite lost, and the mills upon them by this loss rendered useless. They even observe, that this cutting down the woods has affected the river Connecticut itself, the largest in New England, and that it has grown distinguishably shallower. I do not know whether the same remark has been made in Pensylvania and New York. But whatever they have lost in water, which, where there is such a plenty, is no great loss, has been amply compensated by the great salubrity of the air, which has arisen from the cultivation of the country. At present those I describe are for the greater part as healthv as can be wished.

  As the climate and soil of the provinces of New York, New Jersey, and Pensylvania, are with a very little difference the same, so there is no difference in the commodities in which they trade, which are wheat, flour, barley, oats, Indian corn, peas, beef, pork, cheese, butter, cyder, beer, flax, hemp and flax-seed, linseed oil, furs and deer-skins, staves, lumber, and iron. Their markets are the same with those which the people of New England use; and these colonies have a share in the logwood trade, and that which is carried on with the Spanish and French plantations.

  CHAP. IX.

  THE province of New York has two cities; the first is called by the name of the province itself. It was denominated New Amsterdam when the Dutch possessed it, but it has changed it’s name along with it’s masters. This city is most commodiously situated for trade, upon an excellent harbour, in an island called Manahatton, about fourteen miles long, and four or five broad. This island lies just in the mouth of the river Hudson, which discharges itself here after a long course. This is one of the noblest rivers in America. It is navigable upwards of two hundred miles. The tide flows one hundred and fifty.

  The city of New York contains near twelve hundred houses, and between seven and eight thousand inhabitants, the descendants of Dutch and English. It is well and commodiously built, and has a very good aspect from the sea; but is by no means properly fortified. There is no house in New York worth less than one hundred pounds sterling, so that there is in no part the least appearance of poverty or meanness. There is one large church built for the church of England worship; and three others, a Dutch, a French, and a Lutheran. The town has a very flourishing trade, and in which great profits are made. The merchants are wealthy, and the people in general most comfortably provided for, and with a moderate labour. From the year 1749 to 1750 two hundred and thirty-two vessels have been entered in this port, and two hundred and eighty-six cleared outwards. In these vessels were shipped six thousand seven hundred and thirty one tons of provisions, chiefly flour, and a vast quantity of grain; of which I have no particular account. The inhabitants of this colony are about eighty thousand. They are an hospitable people, and fond of strangers. There is here a general toleration of all religious persuasions.

  Upon the same river Hudson, about one hundred and fifty miles from New York is Albany; a town of not so much note for it’s number of houses or inhabitants, as for the great trade which is carried on with the Indians, and indeed by connivance with the French for the use of the same people. This trade takes off a great quantity of coarse woollen goods, such as strouds and duffils; and with these, guns, hatchets, knives, hoes, kettles, powder and shot; besides shirts and cloaths ready made, and several other articles. Here it is that the treaties and other transactions between us and the Iroquois Indians are negotiated.

  This nation, or combination of Five nations, united by an ancient and inviolable league amongst themselves, were the oldest, the most steddy, and most effectual ally we have found amongst the Indians. This people, by their unanimity, firmness, military skill, and policy, have raised themselves to be the greatest and most formidable power in all America; they have reduced a vast number of nations, and brought under their power a territory twice as large as the kingdom of France; but they have not increased their subjects in proportion. As their manner of warring is implacable and barbarous, they reign the lords of a prodigious desart, inhabited only by a few scattered insignificant tribes, whom they have permitted to live out of a contempt of their power, and who are all in the lowest state of subjection. And yet this once mighty and victorious nation, though it has always used the policy of incorporating with itself a great many of the prisoners they make in war, is in a very declining condition. About sixty years ago it was computed, that they had ten thousand fighting men; at this day they cannot raise upw
ards of fifteen hundred. So much have wars, epidemical diseases, and the unnatural union of the vices of civilized nations with the manners of savages, reduced this numerous people. But they are not only much lessened at this day in their numbers, but in their disposition to employ what numbers they have left in our service. Amongst other neglects, which I have no pleasure in mentioning, and no hopes of seeing amended, this of inattention, or worse treatment of the Indians, is one, and a capital one. The Iroquois have lately had a sixth nation added to their confederacy, that of the Tuscaroras, who fled from our province of Carolina, being chaced from thence in a war with the English. These they have received into the league, and the whole confederacy seems more inclined to the French interest than ours.

  CHAP. X.

  NEW Jersey, by the perpetual disputes which subsisted between the people and the proprietaries, whilst it continued a proprietary government, was kept for a long time in a very feeble state; but within a few years it has begun to reap some of the advantages which it might have had earlier from the proper management of so fine a province and so advantageous a situation. They raise very great quantities of grain at present, and are increased to near sixty thousand souls; but they have yet no town of any consequence. Perth Amboy, which is their capital, has not upwards of two hundred houses; and though this town has a very fine harbour, capable of receiving and securing ships of great burthen, yet as the people of New Jersey have been used to send their produce to the markets of New York and Philadelphia, to which they are contiguous, they find it hard, as it always is in such cases, to draw the trade out of the old channel; for there the correspondences are fixed, the method of dealing established, credits given, and a ready market for needy dealers, who in all countries are sufficiently numerous; so that the trade of this town, which is the only town of any trade worth notice in New Jersey, is still inconsiderable; in the year 1751, only forty-one vessels have entered inwards, and only thirty-eight cleared out, in which were exported six thousand four hundred and twenty-four barrels of flour; one hundred and sixty-eight thousand weight of bread; three hundred and fourteen barrels of beef and pork; seventeen thousand nine hundred and forty-one bushels of grain, fourteen thousand weight of hemp, with some butter, hams, beer, flax-seed, bar-iron, and lumber.