This explanation would have required apology for its insertion, were not the opinion pretty common in England, that _had not the French been removed from Canada, the revolt of America never would have taken place_. Why then were the French _not left_ in Canada, at the peace of 1763? Or, since they _were not_ left there, why was the American dispute begun? Yet in one sense, perhaps this opinion is true; for _had_ the French been left in Canada, ministers would not only have _sooner_ felt, but _sooner_ have seen, the strange fatality of their plans. B. V.
[49] And Pharoah said unto his people, behold the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. And the king spake to the Hebrew midwives, &c. Exodus, chap. 1.
[50] In fact, there have not gone from Britain [itself] to our colonies these twenty years past to settle there, so many as ten families a year; the new settlers are either the offspring of the old, or emigrants from Germany, or the north of Ireland.
[52] It is often said we have plenty of sugar-land still unemployed in Jamaica: but those who are well acquainted with that island know, that the remaining vacant land in it is generally situated among mountains, rocks, and gullies, that make carriage impracticable, so that no profitable use can be made of it; unless the price of sugars should so greatly increase, as to enable the planter to make very expensive roads, by blowing up rocks, erecting bridges, &c. every two or three hundred yards. [Our author was somewhat misinformed here. B. V.]
[54] Dr. Franklin has often been heard to say, that in writing this pamphlet he received considerable assistance from a learned friend, who was not willing to be named. B. V.
_Remarks and Facts relative to the American Paper-money._[55]
In the Report of the Board of Trade, dated Feb. 9, 1764, the following reasons are given for _restraining the emission_ of paper-bills of credit in America, as _a legal tender_.
1. "That it _carries the gold and silver out_ of the province, and so ruins the country; as _experience has shewn_, in every colony where it has been practised in any great degree.