ade. She treated them as a judicious mother does her dutiful children.
They shared in every privilege belonging to her native sons, and but
slightly felt the inconveniences of subordination. Small was the
catalogue of grievances with which even democratic jealousy charged the
parent state, antecedent to the period before mentioned. Till the year
1764, the colonial regulations seemed to have no other object but the
common good of the whole empire. Exceptions to the contrary were few,
and had no appearance of system. When the approach of the colonies to
manhood made them more capable of resisting impositions, Great Britain
changed her ancient system, under which her colonies had long
flourished. When policy would rather have dictated a relaxation of
authority, she rose in her demands and multiplied her restraints."
(Ramsay's Colonial History, Vol. I., Chap. iii., page 323).]

[Footnote 259: "This trade, though it did not clash with the spirit of
the British navigation laws, was forbidden by their letter. On account
of the advantages which all parties, and particularly Great Britain,
reaped from this intercourse, it had long been winked at by persons in
power[260]; but at the period before mentioned (1764), some new
regulations were adopted by which it was almost destroyed.[261] This was
effected by cutters whose commanders were enjoined to take the usual
custom-house oaths, and to act in the capacity of revenue officers. So
sudden a stoppage of an accustomed and beneficial commerce, by an
unusually rigid execution of old laws, was a serious blow to the
northern colonies. It was their misfortune that, though they stood in
need of vast quantities of British manufactures, their country produced
very little that afforded a direct remittance to pay for them. They were
therefore under the necessity of seeking elsewhere a market for their
produce, and, by a circuitous route, acquiring the means of supporting
their credit with the mother country. This they had found by trading
with the Spanish and French colonies in their neighbourhood. From them
they acquired gold, silver, and valuable commodities, the ultimate
profits of which centred in Great Britain. This intercourse gave life to
business of every denomination, and established a reciprocal circulation
of money and merchandise, to the benefit of all parties concerned. Why a
trade essential to the colonies, and which, so far from being
detrimental, was indirectly advantageous to