gents of the western continent against Great Britain, hath materially weakened her own internal refources. It hath also communicated to the nobility and people, a relifh for that liberty which their army fought for in America, and with which their foldiers were delighted. Her parliaments have felt the flame, which, like an electric shock, feems to have affected the whole nation in an inftant; and the rights of the people are openly opposed, in contradiction to the ufurpations of the crown. Thefe events were truly propitious to the fituation of Great Britain, on declaring the Thirteen United States of America free and independent. The war encouraged by France between the Turks and Ruffians, was equally fubfervient to her advantage. The diffentions in France have prevented her from interfering with men or money: and the emperor, taking an active part with the emprefs, is another event favourable to the British interefts in Europe. The English, contented and fettled; perfectly fatisfied with the adminiftration of affairs at home, and nothing to apprehend from abroad; have naturally viewed, with horror and difcontent, the wretched fituation of the negro flaves, and have made their emancipation a question for parliamentary difcuffion. The neceffity for continuing this trade hath been strongly argued on principles of policy, and hath alfo been moft ably oppofed on the grounds, not only of its being impolitic, but contrary to the unerring law of nature, the principles of morality, and the duties of religion. The legiflature will probably give this question mature deliberation; every part of the country have petitioned in favour of afflicted humanity, and the few mercantile parties who have oppofed a restoration of the indubitable and unalienable rights of nature, appear of no better defcription than the traders and fhip captains concerned in the infamous traffic. The evidence already given on the question, though it does not fully amount to all the horrid facts contained in the charges against this trade, yet exhibits miferies truly pitiable, cruelties grofs and refined; and every man of feeling muft with, even though the confequence fhould be the lofs of rum, of fugar and of indigo, that a trade which annually involves thoufands in flavery, and fubjugates them to the exercife of every torture that can afflict the body or mind, may be totally abolished. It is not folely in the cruelties practifed-but in the power of practising them that flavery confifts. - The measures of the East India Company are of the utmost importance to the political history of this country. Their wealth hath given them an influence, felt ma terially even in the fenate; and their patronage was by far too extenfive for any body of fubjects: parliament hath therefore wifely taken upon themselves the power of directing the one, and of controuling the other. It does not come within our retrofpect to review the bills brought in by Mr. Fox and Mr. Pitt; the former was rejected, the latter accepted, by the nation; and under its authority the Board of Controul took upon them to order additional troops to India, whereby the veteran officers in the fervice of the company would have been fuperceded, This measure gave an alarm to the directors and proprietors, who in a full affembly, after a long debate, declared by a majority, that the meafure was not only impolitic, but not within the powers of the board. This vote of the proprietors and directors, brought the queftion be fore parliament, where it was fully argued, the oppofition fupporting the vote of the company. The minifter, to terminate the difpute, brought brought in a bill to explain his former bill; and it having paffed both houfes, the troops were fent off, and the East India Company further retrenched of their privileges. to perfevere in the war. The im provement of these people in every branch of tactics is very confi derable, and in the art of navigation they have alfo made great progrefs. Thefe acquifitions are no doubt owing to the policy of the French, who permit their officers to ferve in the Turkish armies and fleets. Baron De Tot gave them confiderable inftruction in gunnery; and it may be prefumed, that in time they will prove themfelves adepts in the military fcience. Every campaign must prove conducive to this end. The Turks reap benefit from each action they engage in ; defeats increafe their experience; and the Emprefs of Ruffia, as well as her ally the Emperor of Germany, may yet be convinced, that in at tempting to contract the power and empire of the followers of Mahomet, they have taught them the means of increafing the one and protecting the other. It alfo is certain, that philofophy begins to dawn upon the Ottomites; and where her light once beams, it foon pervades with refulgent luftre. Liberty is her natural attendant; and liberty never fails to infpire wholefome laws wherever fhe establishes her standard. However gloomy, therefore, the profpect of Turkey may be to the eye of a fuperficial obferver, it requires no great strength of mental penetration to pierce the gloom, and difcover, in the back ground, the diftant approaches of civilization, arts, fciences, and manufactures. Confidering the increase of power which the Prince of Orange hath undoubtedly acquired by his fuccefs, his publishing a general act of amnetty for all offences, is a proof of humanity and mildnefs of difpofition which does infinite honour to his character. To be fuperior to refentments, is the ftrongest feature of a dignified character; and it is only to be regretted, in the prefent inftance, that an act of oblivion had not paffed at an earlier period, by which the lives and properties of many citizens would have been preferved, and thofe who had been duped by the French faction, would, probably, have been foon convinced of error, and brought back to their duty. The revolution in the Netherlands has been attended with ferious confequences to the country; the violent and brutal officers who commanded on the part of the prince, committed the most horrid outrages, and exercifed fuch oppreffion and depredation on his opponents, that upwards of feventy thoufand citizens have emigrated from their country, carrying with them their wealth; and, what is ftill more eftimable to thofe among whom they have fettled, their arts, trades, and industry fo that Holland is likely to experience what France felt by the revocation of the edict of Nantz, which drove her people from their native homes into Eng-Here we conclude our prelimiland, Ireland, and other countries, where they were encouraged, and established manufactures, to the infinite prejudice of the French trade. The union of the Ruffians and Germans, by no means appears to have intimidated the Porte. On the contrary, the Ruffians redoubled their affiduity, and feem determined nary sketch: in our future Numbers, however, we shall be more minute, and more argumentative. We fhall attempt to lay before the public, an hiftoric feries of events worthy their attention; and, without partiality, delineate every character worthy of notice in the national history. SELECT SELECT BIOGRAPHY. MEMOIRS OF HIS MAJESTY GEORGE THE G EORGE the Second died on the twenty-fifth day of October 1760 at a time when Great Britain, by the wifdom of her councils, and brilliancy of her conquests, had impreffed terror upon her enemies, and acquired the highest degree of glory to her character. This prince had entered into a war with France, which at its commencement was fo unpropitious, that the people, whofe pride and impetuofity would not stoop to the cool investigation of caufes and events, imputed the whole of the national difgrace to the weaknefs, and as they boldly added, the wickedness of administration. Their clamours on this account were not only loud and continued, but threatened infurrection; and the king found himself forced by neceffity to accept, as minifter, Mr. William Pitt, the man of their choice. From the inftant this great man entered into office, the national clamour fubfided, and fatisfaction became univerfal. The fpirit of the minifter pervaded the people; inspiration fucceeded to defpondency, and the war was purfued every where with vigour and fuccefs. Nor was confidence lefs evident in parliament than among the people at large. The former practices of corruption were expofed, and confidered no longer neceffary to the obtaining of majorities. A militia of freemen was formed and trained to difcipline for the internal fecurity of the country; and every fubfidy demanded, was granted with cheerfulDefs, though confiderable fums were penly appropriated to the fupport of foreign alliances, and the national In this reign philofophy contri- Many ingenious treatises, in metaphyfics and morality, also appeared in this reign. Improvements in agriculture were every where extended; mechanics obtained perfection; and indeed, art, fcience, and every branch of literature, flourished, and were encouraged by many of the nobility, and the people at large, though not by the prince. In this enviable fituation of glory, honour and refpect, was Great Bri tain, when GEORGE THE THIRD afcended to the throne; and who, being a BRITON born, was immediately furnamed by the people, the D PATRIOT |