there a power steps in, that limits the arrogance of raging passions and furious elements, and says, “So far shalt thou go, and no farther." Who are you, that you should fret and rage, and bite the chains of nature? 5 Nothing worse happens to you than does to all nations who have extensive empire; and it happens in all the forms into which empire can be thrown. In large bodies, the circulation of power must be less vigorous at the extremities. Nature has said it. The Turk can10 not govern Egypt, and Arabia, and Kurdistan, as he governs Thrace; nor has he the same dominion in Crimea and Algiers, which he has at Brusa and Smyrna. Despotism itself is obliged to truck and huckster. The Sultan gets such obedience as he can. He governs with 15 a loose rein, that he may govern at all; and the whole of the force and vigor of his authority in his center is derived from a prudent relaxation in all his borders. Spain in her provinces is, perhaps, not so well obeyed as you are in yours. She complies too, she submits, 20 she watches times. This is the immutable condition, the eternal law, of extensive and detached empire.

Then, sir, from these six capital sources: of descent; of form of government; of religion in the Northern Provinces; of manners in the Southern; of education; 25 of the remoteness of situation from the first mover of government from all these causes a fierce spirit of liberty has grown up. It has grown with the growth of the people in your Colonies, and increased with the increase of their wealth; a spirit, that unhappily meeting with an exercise of power in England, which, however

lawful, is not reconcilable to any ideas of liberty, much less with theirs, has kindled this flame that is ready to

consume us.

I do not mean to commend either the spirit in this excess, or the moral causes which produce it. Perhaps 5 a more smooth and accommodating spirit of freedom in them would be more acceptable to us. Perhaps ideas of liberty might be desired, more reconcilable with an arbitrary and boundless authority. Perhaps we might wish the Colonists to be persuaded that their liberty is 10 more secure when held in trust for them by us, as their guardians during a perpetual minority, than with any part of it in their own hands. The question is, not whether their spirit deserves praise or blame, butwhat, in the name of God, shall we do with it? You 15 have before you the object, such as it is, with all its glories, with all its imperfections, on its head. You see the magnitude, the importance, the temper, the habits, the disorders. By all these considerations we are strongly urged to determine something concerning it. We are 20 called upon to fix some rule and line for our future conduct, which may give a little stability to our politics, and prevent the return of such unhappy deliberations as the present. Every such return will bring the matter before us in a still more untractable form. For, what 25 astonishing and incredible things have we not seen already! What monsters have not been generated from this unnatural contention! Whilst every principle of authority and resistance has been pushed, upon both

there a power steps in, that limits the arrogance raging passions and furious elements, and says, "So f shalt thou go, and no farther." Who are you, that y should fret and rage, and bite the chains of natu 5 Nothing worse happens to you than does to all natio who have extensive empire; and it happens in all forms into which empire can be thrown. In la bodies, the circulation of power must be less vigorous the extremities. Nature has said it. The Turk 10 not govern Egypt, and Arabia, and Kurdistan, as governs Thrace; nor has he the same dominion Crimea and Algiers, which he has at Brusa and Smy Despotism itself is obliged to truck and huckster. Sultan gets such obedience as he can. He governs 15 a loose rein, that he may govern at all; and the w of the force and vigor of his authority in his cent derived from a prudent relaxation in all his bor Spain in her provinces is, perhaps, not so well ol as you are in yours. She complies too, she sub 20 she watches times. This is the immutable cond the eternal law, of extensive and detached empire. Then, sir, from these six capital sou of form of government; of religio Provinces; of manners in the Sout 25 of the remoteness of situation f of government- from all these c liberty has grown up. It has gro the people in your Colonies crease of their wealth; a s with an exercise of pow

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sides, as far as it would go, there is nothing so solid and certain, either in reasoning or in practice, that has not been shaken. Until very lately, all authority in America seemed to be nothing but an emanation from yours. Even 5 the popular part of the Colony Constitution derived all its activity, and its first vital movement, from the pleasure of the Crown. We thought, Sir, that the utmost which the discontented Colonists could do, was to disturb authority; we never dreamt they could of them10 selves supply it, knowing in general what an operose

business it is to establish a government absolutely new. But having, for our purposes, in this contention, resolved that none but an obedient assembly should sit, the humors of the people there, finding all passage 15 through the legal channel stopped, with great violence broke out another way. Some provinces have tried their experiment, as we have tried ours; and theirs has succeeded. They have formed a government sufficient for its purposes, without the bustle of a revolution, or the 20 troublesome formality of an election. Evident necessity and tacit consent have done the business in an instant. So well they have done it, that Lord Dunmore (the account is among the fragments on your table) tells you that the new institution is infinitely better obeyed than 25 the ancient government ever was in its most fortunate periods. Obedience is what makes government, and not the names by which it is called; not the name of governor, as formerly, or committee, as at present. This new government has originated directly from the people, and was not transmitted through any of the ordi