2g6

A Sketch of the History

I et. S.

at least as chargeable in its proportion. Far frompaying our debts, contracted in war, they con-tinue much the famé, aster three-and-tvventy yearsoí peáce. The taxes that oppress our mercantileinterest the most are still in mortgage ; and thofethat oppress the landed interest the most, insteadof being laid on extraordinary occasions, are be-come the ordinary furids for the current service ofcvery year. This is grievous, and the more so toany man, vvho has the hon or of his country, aswell as her prosperity at heart, because we bavenot, in this case, the airy consolation we had inthe other. The rage of negociating began twentyyears ago. under pretence of consummating thetreary of Utrecht : and, from that time to this, ourministers hâve been in one perpétuai maze, Theyhâve made themselves and us, often, objects ofaversion to the powers on the continent: and weare become at last objects of contempt, even tothe Spaniards. What other eflect could our absurdconducthave? What other return hasitdeserved?We came exhausted out of long war s ; and, insteadof pursuing the measures neceiïary to give usmeans and opporfunity to repair our strength andto diministi our burdens, our ministers hâve acted,from that time to this, like men who sought pre-tences to keep the nation in the famé exhaustedcondition, and under the saine load of de b t. Thismay hâve been theirview perhaps ; and we couldnot be surprised if we heard the famé men déclarénational poverty necefsary to support the présentgovernment, vvho hâve so frequently déclaré d