project, or, confidering our relation to the other ftates of Europe, a dangerous one; (alas! that the fpirit of Christianity is fo little understood in Chriftendom as to make it seem fo.) Yet there is nothing visionary, nothing dangerous, we prefume, in hoping, that our Rulers, in fettling the affairs of India, will pay more attention to the fpiritual condition of it's inhabitants than has been hitherto done, will zealously use every lenient and Evangelical mean to effect their converfion to Chriftianity. Thus may the Indians, by changing their Masters, better their condition; and God, who bringeth Good out of Evil, may make the Avarice of one part of his creatures, become the occafion of eternal Salvation to another.

Ir is true, the value of our landed property is now much lefs than it was fome years ago But this has a dependence on the state of our commerce; and our commerce, though it has fuffered a temporary obftruction, will foon expand itself into all it's former channels; and it will do this, because we can fupply foreign markets with better goods, at a cheaper rate, and with a longer credit, than our neighbours can do:

and

and these being more juft, will therefore be more fure and permanent fources of profit to us, than an arbitrary and precarious monopoly of the trade of half the globe.—The debt of the nation is confeffedly great: But the property of the nation, confifting of the accumulated property of the individuals compofing the nation, is, we conjecture, at leaft fix times greater than the national debt. The wealth of individuals has been leffened: It is to be hoped, that the diffoluteness of all ranks has thereby received a check. We are ftill a great and powerful people, though fallen from that fummit of greatness which is feldom productive of virtue; though defpoiled of that power of doing wrong with impunity, which no individual, no nation ought ever to enjoy. I do not here inquire, whether on the Ocean we exercised that power towards the other states of Europe; but it is clear they thought we poffeffed it, and under the influence of that opinion it was natural for them, in the day of our distress, to combine together that we should poffefs it no more. — Though fome things in our Civil, and fome in our Ecclefiaftical Conftitution, may not be fo perfect as to admit of no improvement; L

yet,

yet, in both respects, we are an happy people, when compared with most of the other nations around us.

Bur great and happy as we are, there is much room left for those whom it may concern, to make the attempt of rendering us greater and happier; and we fincerely pray to God that all parties may be disposed to do this, not by facrificing public confi dence to private animofity; the stability of government to selfish or ambitious struggles for power; not by indulging a proud propenfity to embrace the firft favourable op portunity of regaining our glory, as it is called, by the renewal of war; not by profecuting unjust views of commercial monopoly, or territorial conqueft, in distant countries; but by taking the most prudent measures at home, to heal our divifions, to encrease our numbers and to amend our morals; for the Strength, foreign and domeftic, of every nation upon Earth, must ultimately, under God, depend on the Union, and on the Number of it's inhabitants, and it's Happiness on their VIRTUE.

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