dition of France, at the fad epoch of her revolu tion, in 1789. Such was the fituation of Britain, at the commencement of the war of 1756. Great Britain was then foiled in every effort, and dif graced in every quarter, though fhe had refources enow. She only wanted a minifter: a minifter, who would listen to none of the excufes of ineffi ciency; who, in doing his duty, would fear no faction; who, regarding only the king's fervice, and his country's benefit, would direct the powers of the people to both thofe ends. But, I enter not into the difcuffion of perfonal characters of any country, at any time, as it is befide the purpose of an enquiry, with regard to the permanent strength of nations. When you have fettled, by fuppofing, that the moft potent powers in Europe are on the verge of bankruptcy, you predict in the fame ftrain of logic, that Great Britain is also on the brink of ruin. This argument is of that deceitful kind which the learned call repetitio principii, and which your great-great grandfather, Doctor Wilfon, of worthy memory, happily denominates the cuckowes Jonge. The good doctor explains his definition, by remarking, that the reasoner fings the cuckowes Jonge, when he attempts, " by thinges doubtfull, to prove thinges, that are as doubtfull †.” *P. 6.-10. But, See the Arte of Logique fet forth by Thomas Wilson, and imprinted at London by Richard Grafton, the kinge's printer, But, in this prediction, you do not fing the cuckowes fonge, though in many pages of your letter you do out-fing the cuckowe. You quote Hume, who is ever at your ear, as having predicted, "that "a debt of a hundred millions would bring on a "national bankruptcy *.” Yet, you have your Sceptical doubts, whether Hume were the Thomas the Rhymer, who first uttered that terrible prediction. It is doubtless of importance to discover the genuine author of fome falutary practice, though to trace falfehood, or folly, to its fountain, is of very little ufe. It may be meantime allowed, that the ftatefmen, who figured at the epoch of our public debt, when it amounted to eight or ten millions, were much embarraffed with the burden. They were frightened, as all half-informed men always are, by inexperience; by regarding England as a man, when it was only a child: Now, "The best knowledge is for men to know themselves." It is above fifty years fince HUME-published his Effays, Commercial and Political. It was in thefe effays that, in fpeaking of nations, who engage in wars amidst taxes and debts, he drew the caricature of the cudgel-players in a china-fhop, which you retouch with a prophetic pencil,-" Spite of the printer, 1552. I have alfo the edition, which was printed by Kingston, in 1567, and, either of them are at your fervice. I do affure you, with the fincerity of a true friend, that you might derive great benefit from the perufal of Doctor Wilfon's Logique. "stars, and all astrology." When Hume wrote thofe effays, our fhipping and traffic were, In Annual Amount At his deceafe they were Ships cleared outwards. Tons Eng. Tons Foreign. Total. Cargues Exported. 476,941 26,627 - 503,568 £. 9,993,232 Hume, in confidering his fubject, regarded England, as a youth of fifteen, who was never to grow up to be a man of fifty, with all the knowledge and experience, the strength and activity, of fifty, who can eafily move under burdens, which would crush a ftripling. Hume faw every body bufy about him, yet did not perceive, that they moved. As a philofopher, Hume was blind, in refpect to the ufual movements of bufinefs, though as an historian, he did open one of his eyes on the continual progrefs of mankind. It was the fault, I was going to fay the folly, of Hume, and of other writers, who, during the fame period, wrote on political œconomy, that they did not collect documents, and afcertain facts; that they were more diligent in forming a theory, than in looking on the practice of life. You too, who have lived to fee many docu. ments published, and facts fettled, which were hid from the un-enquiring eyes of Hume, re-echo his prediction, with regard to the bankruptcy of Great Britain, and re-carol his cuckowes fonge, in fulfilment of his prophecy. You too live in a busy towna town, without perceiving, that thousands move Year. British Shipping. Foreign Shipping. Total. In constructing the above table, the inward and outward order The foregoing ftatements are all facts, which fhew an inconfiderable origin, a vigorous progrefs, and a vast confummation. But, whence did Liverpool acquire this great traffic, and immenfe fhipping? Your anfwer is, from the genius of a chymist in Flint-ftreet, the adroitness of a potter in Jordanstreet, and the skill of a mill-wright *, in Brookftreet. The true answer is, from the active enterprize, and prudent economy, of the whole people of Liverpool. And, when did the obtain this prodigious commerce, and extraordinary wealth? The anfwer is, fince the commencement of the prefent century, amidst wars, taxes, and debts. In running this race of gain, many no doubt fell before they reached the goal. The Gazette is the record of their fall. Yet, thousands won the golden prize, by their fuperior knowledge and activity, by their uncommon forefight and attention. You were ftudying in your clofet, during this race upon the wharffs. You were too busy with the writings of the economists to allow you leisure to look into the hiftory of the population, the traffic, and the Thipping of Liverpool. And, contrary to fact, and experience, you were perfuaded by the economists, who only fe order to ascertain the amount of the shipping employed in the over-fea trade of Liverpool, in thofe feveral years. |