ly just that their goods, their naval stores for
example, should be subjected to the same duties to which we
subject those of Russia, Sweden, and Denmark, and that we
should treat them as they mean to treat us and all other
nations.

What degree of commercial connection we should allow between
the remaining colonies, whether in North America or the West
Indies, and the United States may to some people appear a
more difficult question. My own opinion is that it should be
allowed to go on as before, and whatever inconveniences
result from this freedom may be remedied as they occur. The
lumber and provisions of the United States are more
necessary to our West India Islands than the rum and sugar
of the latter are to the former. Any interruption or
restraint of commerce would hurt our loyal much more than
our revolted subjects. Canada and Nova Scotia cannot justly
be refused at least the same freedom of commerce which we
grant to the United States.

I suspect the Americans do not mean what they say. I have
seen a Revenue Act of South Carolina by which two shillings
are laid upon every hundredweight of brown sugar imported
from the British plantations, and only eighteenpence upon
that imported from any foreign colony. Upon every pound of
refined sugar from the former one penny, from the latter one
halfpenny. Upon every gallon of French wine twopence; of
Spanish wine threepence; of Portuguese wine fourpence.

I have little anxiety about what becomes of the American
commerce. By an equality of treatment of all nations we must
soon open a commerce with the neighbouring nations of Europe
infinitely more advantageous than that of so distant a
country as America. This is an immense subject upon which
when I wrote to you last I intended to have sent you a
letter of many sheets, but as I expect to see you in a few
weeks I shall not trouble you with so tedious a
dissertation. I shall only say at present that every
extraordinary, either encouragement or discouragement that
is given to the trade of any country more than to that of
another may, I think, be demonstrated to be in every case a
complete piece of dupery, by which the interest of the state
and the nation is constantly sacrificed to that of some
particular class of traders.