1768] Essays 9 
our own country, carrying off all our cash, and load- 
ing 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 fish- 
eries, 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 en- 
gagements 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 fru- 
gally, 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 sover- 
eign, whenever he shall have occasion for it, and 
think proper to require it of us in the old constitu- 
tional 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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