Enlarged and liberal principles of commerce are those which promife to a ftate, in proportion as they are obferved in its intercourfe

with

which have been produced on the happiness and character of the inhabitants of Africa by the intercourfe which we have hitherto carried on with them. There is equal reason to conclude from feveral publications, especially from a recent work by Mr. Long, entitled, "Voyages and Travels "of an Indian Interpreter and Trader," that our traffic with the natives of North America has both thinned their numbers and grievously depraved their morals, by inftructing them in European vices, and particularly by inspiring them with an immoderate passion for rum. With this pernicious liquor our traders, I believe, firft rendered them acquainted; and on every occafion they now take advantage of the passion of the Indians for it, furnishing them with it in abundance, either as an article of barter for their peltry, or more frequently as a bribe to gain their custom; regardless not only of the diftant confequences, but of the immediate phrenfy and bloodshed which it produces. Of the latter effects I fhall briefly ftate fome inftances from Mr. Long, taking them in the order in which they occur in this work. "The Indians "generally do mischief when they are intoxicated—On "this occafion, with the rum we gave them they conti«nued in a state of inebriety three days and nights; during which frolic they killed four of their own party." p. 49. "A fkirmish happened among the Indians, in which « three men were killed and two wounded, after a dreadful "feene of riot and confusion occafioned by the baneful " effects

with others, the greatest national advantages; and hold out a profpect no lefs flattering, of accelerating the improvement and augmenting the

દર

"effects of rum." p. 50.-" The rum being taken from sr my house was carried to their wigwaum, and they began "to drink. The frolic lafted four days and nights; and "notwithstanding all our precaution (in fecuring their << guns, knives, and tomahawks) two boys were killed and "fix men wounded by three Indian women; one of their chiefs alfo was murdered. On the fifth day they were all fober, "and expreffed great sorrow for their conduct, lamenting "bitterly the loss of their friends.” p. 56.—“ I found the "favages both men and women completely drunk;" (with rum given to them by Mr. Shaw, a trader;) "the whole "formed the most dreadful scene of confusion I had ever "beheld; there was also an old Indian and his mother lying "dead upon the fnow." p. 64.-" Another band brought "dried meats, &c. &c. which I purchased, giving them "rum, as ufual, with which they got intoxicated. In this "frolic one woman was killed, and a boy terribly burnt.” p. 85. "I traded for their fkins and furs, and gave them "fome rum, with which they had a frolic, which lasted "for three days and nights; on this occafion five men were "killed, and one woman dreadfully burnt." p. 104.-" I gave "them two kegs of rum, &c. for their peltry. They then began to frolic, which continued three days and nights; "the only accident which happened was to a little child whofe "back was broken by its mother." p. 111.

Mr. Long repeatedly notices the fuccefs which attended the efforts of the French, while in poffeffion of Canada, to

convert

the happiness of the whole earth. It is not however my province to difcufs them. They properly fall under the investigation of writers

convert feveral tribes of Indians to Chriftianity. I fhould have rejoiced to find him beftowing fimilar commendations on the English. But he fays, p. 31. "With regard "to thofe Indians who have been accuftomed to the fo"ciety of English traders, and even preachers, forry am I "to obferve it, their fentiments, manners, and practices, " are very different. The alteration is manifeftly for the "worfe; they have become more degenerate; and have " added to the turbulence of paffions unsubdued by reason "the vices of lying and fwearing, which unfortunately 66 they have learned from us." The conclufion of the fame chapter contains a speech of an Indian chief to a British governor in the reign of Queen Anne, highly difgraceful, if founded on facts, to the preachers of that time; but I trust that the charge was even then overftrained. I add with pleasure, that the reports of the London Society for propagating the Gospel give just ground to believe that the labours of their miffionaries have in many instances been successful among the Indians, especially among the Mohawks.

I cannot close this long note without expreffing my hope that Great Britain will speedily difcern it to be her indifpenfable duty to make her commercial intercourse with Indoftan, and her immenfe territorial poffeffions in that country, the means of attempting, on a much larger fcale than has hitherto been tried, to introduce the Christian religion among the Hindoos.

on

on fubjects of political economy. And they have been investigated by Dr. Adam Smith, in his celebrated work On the Causes of the Wealth of Nations, with a force and acuteness of reasoning, and stated with a perfpicuity of arrangement, which have enfured to most of his conclufions (for fome of them feem at any rate to require confiderable limitations) the approbation of perfons the moft converfant with the topics of which he treats. To that work we may equally refer the member of the legiflature on the one hand, and on the other the banker, the merchant, the agent, and the manufacturer: the former, that he may learn of what nature are the laws refpecting foreign and domestic commerce which it behoves him to promote; the latter, that they may know of what defcription alone thofe privileges are which they can be justified in foliciting from Parliament, as not being injurious either to their fellow-fubjects or to the general interefts of mankind; that they may be aware of those vulgar prejudices and falfe points of honour, which are implicitly received by numbers as vital principles of commerce; and may be fatisfied that they may proceed with a quiet

confcience

confcience on oppofite maxims, however dif creditable in the eyes of many of their

brethren.

From the obfervations which have been already made refpecting the duty of individuals on the subject of commerce, the following general rules may be deduced. Firft; that no man ftands authorised in the fight of his. Maker to enter into, or to continue in, any fpecies of traffic or business, which is either in itself unjust and immoral, or which in any way tends on the whole to impair the happiness of the human race. And fecondly; that every trader is bound, in following his occupation, to extend his views beyond his own emolument and advantage; and not only to pursue it according to the ftrict rules of integrity, but also to conduct it on fuch principles, and to direct it, as far as may be poffible, to fuch objects, as to advance the comforts, the profperity, the intellectual, moral, and religious improvement, of his dependents, of his neighbours, of his countrymen, and, if his line of life enables him, of foreign nations, even in the remoteft corners of the globe.