much wealthier and happier. This I hope will be our wifdom. And, perhaps, to remove as much as poffible the occafions of making war, it might be better for us to abandon the ocean altogether, that being the element whereon we fliall be principally expofed to joftle with other nations : to leave to others to bring what we fhall want, and to carry what we can fpare. This would make us invulnerable to Europe, by offering none of our property to their prize, and would turn all our citizens to the cultivation of the earth ; and, I repeat it again, cultiva- tors of the earth are the mofl: virtuous and independent citizens. It might be time enough to feek employment for them at fea, when the land no longer offers it.
But the aftual habits of our countrymen attach them to commerce. They will exercife it for themfelves. Wars then muft fometimes be our lot; and all the wife can do, will be to avoid thathalf of them which would be produced by our own follies and our own afts of injuftice; and to make for [ 345 j the other half the bed preparations we can. Of what nature Ihould thefe be? A land army would be ufelefs for offence, and not the beft nor fafeft inftrument of defence. For either of thefe purpofes, the fea is the field on which we fhould meet an European enemy. On that element it is neceffary we fhould poffefs fome power. To aim at fuch a navy as the greater nations of Europe poffefs, would be a fool- ifh and wicked wafte of the energies of our countrymen. It would be to pull on our own heads that load of military expence which makes the European labourer go fupperlefs to bed, and moiftens his bread with the fweat of his brows. It will be enough if we enable ourfelves to prevent infults from thofe nations of Europe which are weak on the fea, becaufe circumftances exift, which render even the flronger ones weak as to us. Providence has placed their richeft and moft defencelefs poffeffions at our door; has obliged their moft precious commerce to pafs, as it were, in review before us. To protect this, or to affail, a fmall part only of their naval force will Yy QUERY XXIII. The hiftories of the ftate, the memo- rials publifhed in its name in the time of its being a colony, and the pamphlets re- lating to its interior or exterior affairs pre- fent or ancient?