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W. Grainger foulp

GEO. WASHINGTON.

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PRINTED FOR THE COMPILER;

H. D. SYMONDS, NO. 20, PATERNOSTER ROW; AND

J. RIDGWAY, YORK STREET.

1799.

48-2023.4.2 KELL

1877, Struck 9. Diner Segeeeats. (ve.I.-IX.)

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PREFACE.

No event ever proved fo interefting, to mankind in general

and to the inhabitants of Europe in particular, as the discovery of the new world, and the paffage to India by the cape of Good Hope it at once gave rife to a revolution in the commerce and in the power of nations, as well as in the manners, industry and government of almost the whole world. At this period new connections were formed by the inhabitants of the most distant regions, for the supply of wants they had never before experienced. The productions of climates fituated under the equator were confumed in countries bordering on the pole ; the industry of the north vas transplanted to the south; and the inhabitants of the weft were clothed with the manufactures of the east; in short, a general intercourfe of opinions, laws and cuftoms, difeafes and remedies, virtues and vices, were established amongst men.

In Europe, in particular, every thing has been changed in confequence of its commerce and connection with the American continent; but the changes which took place prior to the late revolution, (which established the liberties of the United States, and transformed the dependent colonies of Britain into an independent commonwealth, or rather a fociety of commonwealths) only served to increase the mifery of mankind, adding to the power of defpotifm, and rivetting fafter the fhackles of oppreffion; the commerce of Spain, in particular, with the new world, has been fupported by a fyftem of rapine,

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murder and oppreffion; a fyftem that has spread defolation and diftrefs not only in America, but in Europe and Africa. She has, however, benefitted but little by it, for her strength, commerce and induftry, have evidently declined in proportion to the influx of the gold of the new continent. With GreatBritain, for a confiderable period, things appeared fomewhat different; till the epoch of the revolution her commerce with America increased her national strength, and added to her own industry and wealth, while it defolated and ravaged the coast of Africa.

From the period of the revolution, the influence of America on Europe has been of a different kind: the glorious struggle which the United States fuftained, and the inquiries to which that eventful period gave rife, did much to raise mankind from that state of abject slavery and degradation, to which despotism, aided by superstition, had sunk them : from that period the rights of man began to be understood, and the principles of civil and religious liberty have been canvaffed with a freedom before unknown, and their influence has extended itself from the palace to the cottage: in fhort, the revolution in the late British American colonies bids fair ultimately not only to occafion the emancipation of the other European colonies on that continent, but to accomplish a complete revolution in all the old governments of Europe.

We have already feen a patriot king, aided by a hero who fought for the caufe of freedoin under Washington, struggling to render his people free and happy; and we have witnessed a perjured defpot expiating his crimes on the fcaffold, at the command of a people roused to a sense of their injuries and rights, by men who had affifted in establishing the liberties of America. -In reflecting on those scenes as individuals, we can only lament the want of fuccefs which has attended the former, and regret the crimes of ambitious and unprincipled individuals, which have certainly tarnished, but not deftroyed, the glory

of

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