56() II IK X ATI! HE AND CAUSES OF

ent orders of people, is foreseen, however, without any suchgeneral emotion. The blood of which the circulation isstopt in some of the smaller vessels, easily disgorges itselfinto the greater, without occasioning any dangerous disorder;but, when it is stopt in any of the greater vessels, convul-sions, apoplexy, or death, are the immediate and unavoidableconsequences. If but one of those overgrown manufactures,which by means either of bounties or of the monopoly of thehome and colony markets, have been artificially raised up toan unnatural height, finds some small stop or interruption inits employment, it frequently occasions a mutiny and disorderalarming to government, and embarrassing even to the deli-berations of the legislature. IIow great, therefore, wouldbe the disorder and confusion, it was thought, which mustnecessarily be occasioned by a sudden and entire stop in theemployment of so great a proportion of our principal manu-facturers !

Some moderate and gradual relaxation of the laws whichgive to Great Britain the exclusive trade to the colonies, tillit is rendered in a great measure free, seems to be the onlyexpedient which can, in all future times, deliver her from thisdanger; which can enable her, or even force her to with-draw some part of her capital from this overgrown employ-ment, and to turn it, though with less profit, towards otheremployments; and which, by gradually diminishing onebranch of her industry and gradually increasing all the rest,can by degrees restore all the different branches of it to thatnatural, healthful, and proper proportion which perfect li-berty necessarily establishes, and which perfect liberty canalone preserve. To open the colony trade all at once to allnations, might not only occasion some transitory inconve-niency, but a great permanent loss to the greater part of thosewhose industry or capital is at present engaged in it. Thesudden loss of the employment even of the ships which im-port the eighty-two thousand hogsheads of tobacco, whichare over and above the consumption of Great Britain, mightalone be felt very sensibly. Such are the unfortunate effectsof all the regulations of the mercantile system ! They notonly introduce very dangerous disorders into the state of thebody politic, but disorders which it is often difficult to re-medy, without occasioning, for a time at least, still greaterdisorders. In what manner, therefore, the colony trade oughtgradually to be opened; what are the restraints which ought