1768] Essays 9
our own country, carrying off all our cash, and loading
 us with debt; they will not suffer us to restrain
the luxury of our inhabitants, as they do that of their
own, by laws; they can make laws to discourage or
prohibit the importation of French superfluities; but
though those of England are as ruinous to us as the
French ones are to them, if we make a law of that
kind, they immediately repeal it.
“Thus they get all our money from us by trade;
and every profit we can anywhere make by our fisheries,
 our produce, or our commerce, centres finally
with them; but this does not signify. It is time,
then, to take care of ourselves by the best means in
our power. Let us unite in solemn resolution and engagements
 with and to each other, that we will give
these new officers as little trouble as possible, by not
consuming the British manufactures on which they
are to levy the duties. Let us agree to consume no
more of their expensive gewgaws. Let us live frugally,
 and let us industriously manufacture what we
can for ourselves; thus we shall be able honorably
to discharge the debts we already owe them; and
after that, we may be able to keep some money in
our country, not only for the uses of our internal
commerce, but for the service of our gracious sovereign,
 whenever he shall have occasion for it, and
think proper to require it of us in the old constitutional
 manner. For, notwithstanding the reproaches
thrown out against us in their public papers and
pamphlets, notwithstanding we have been reviled in
their senate as rebels and traitors, we are truly a
loyal people. Scotland has had its rebellions, and

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