Hoftilities began in America, and that the French and English quarrelled about the Boundaries of their Settlements, about Grounds and Rivers to which, I am afraid, neither can fhew any other Right than that of Power, and which neither can occupy but by Ufurpation, and the Difpoffeffion of the natural Lords and original Inhabitants. Such is the Contest that no honest Man can heartily with Success to either Party.

It may indeed be alleged, that the Indians have granted large Tracts of Land both to one and to the other ; but these Grants can add little to the Validity of our Titles, till it be experienced how they were obtained: For if they were extorted by Violence, or induced by Fraud; by Threats, which the Miseries of other Nations had fhewn not to be vain, or by Promises of which no Performance was ever intended, what are they but new Modes of Ufurpation, but new Inftances of Cruelty and Treachery?

And indeed what but falfe Hope, or refiftlefs Terror can prevail upon a weaker Nation to invite a Stronger into their Country, to give their Lands to Strangers whom no Affinity of Manners, or Similitude of Opinion, can be faid to recommend, to permit them to build Towns from which the Natives are excluded, to raife Fortreffes by which they are intimidated, to fettle themselves with fuch Strength, that they cannot afterwards be expelled, but are for ever to remain the Mafters of the original Inhabitants, the Dictators of their Conduct, and the Arbiters of their Fate?

When we see Men acting thus against the Precepts of Reason, and the Inftincts of Nature, we cannot hesitate to determine, that by fome Means or other they were debarred from Choice; that they were lured or frighted into Compliance; that they either granted only what they found impoffible to

keep,

keep, or expected Advantages upon the Faith of their new Inmates, which there was no Purpose to confer upon them. It cannot be faid, that the Indians originally invited us to their Coasts; we went uncalled and unexpected to Nations who had no Imagination that the Earth contained any Inhabitants fo distant and so different from themselves. Weaftonished them with our Ships, with our Arms, and with our general Superiority. They yielded to us as to Beings of another and higher Race, fent among them from fome unknown Regions, with Power which naked Indians could not refift, and which they were therefore, by every Act of Humility, to propitiate, that they, who could fo easily destroy, might be induced to spare.

To this Influence, and to this only, are to be attributed all the Ceffions and Submiflions of the Indian Princes, if indeed any fuch Ceffions were ever made, of which we have no Witnefs but those who claim from them, and there is no great Malignity in fufpecting, that those who have robbed have alfo lied.

Some Colonies indeed have been established more peaceably than others. The utmoft Extremity of Wrong has not always been practifed; but thofe that have settled in the New World on the faireft Terms, have no other Merit than that of a Scrivener who ruins in Silence, over a Plunderer that feizes by Force; all have taken what had other Owners, and all have had recourse to Arms, rather than quit the Prey on which they had faftened.

The American Dispute between the French and us is therefore only the Quarrel of two Robbers for the Spoils of a Paffenger; but as Robbers have Terms of Confederacy, which they are obliged to obferve as Members of the Gang, fo the English and French may have relative Rights, and do Injuftice to each other, while both are injuring the Indians., And

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fuch,

fuch, indeed, is the prefent Contest: They have parted the Northern Continent of America between them, and are now disputing about their Boundaries, and each is endeavouring the Destruction of the other by the Help of the Indians, whose Interest it is that both should be deftroyed.

Both Nations clamour with great Vehemence about Infraction of Limits, Violation of Treaties, open Ufurpation, infidious Artifices, and Breach of Faith. The English rail at the perfidious French, and the French at the encroaching English; they quote Treaties on each Side, charge each other with afpiring to univerfal Monarchy, and complain on either Part of the Infecurity of Poffeffion near such turbulent Neighbours..

Through this Mift of Controverfy it can raise no Wonder that the Truth is not eafily discovered. When a Quarrel has been long carried on between Individuals, it is often very hard to tell by whom it was begun. Every Fact is darkened by Distance, by Intereft, and by Multitudes. Information is not eafily procured from far; thofe whom the Truth will not favour, will not ftep voluntarily forth to tell it; and where there are many Agents, it is easy for every fingle Action to be concealed.

All these Caufes concur to the Obfcurity of the Question, "by whom were Hoftilities in America commenced?" Perhaps there never can be remembered a Time in which Hoftilities had ceafed. Two powerful Colonies inflamed with immemorial Rivalry, and placed out of the Superintendence of the Mother Nations, were not likely to be long at reft. Some Oppofition was always going forward, fome Mifchief was every Day done or meditated, and the Borderers were always better pleased with what they could fnatch from their Neighbours, than what they had of their own.

In this Difpofition to reciprocal Invafion a Caufe of Difpute never could be wanting. The Forests and Defarts of America are without Land-marks, and therefore cannot be particularly fpecified in Stipulations: The Appellations of those wide-extended Regions have in every Mouth a different Meaning, and are understood on either Side as Inclination happens to contract or extend them. Who has yet pretended to define how much of America is included in Brazil, Mexico, or Peru? It is almost as eafy to divide the Atlantic Ocean by a Line, as clearly to ascertain the Limits of thofe uncultivated, uninhabitable, unmeasured Regions.

It is likewise to be confidered, that Contracts concerning Boundaries are often left vague and indefinite without Neceffity, by the Defire of each Party, to interpret the Ambiguity to its own Advantage when a fit Opportunity fhall be found. In forming Stipulations, the Commiffaries are often Ignorant, and often Negligent; they are fometimes. weary with Debate, and contract a tedious Difcuffion into general Terms, or refer it to a former Treaty, which was never understood. The weaker Part is always afraid of requiring Explanations, and the ftronger always has an Intereft in leaving the Queftion undecided: Thus it will happen, without great Caution on either Side, that after long Treaties folemnly ratified, the Rights that had been difputed are ftill equally open to Controversy.

In America, it may easily be fupposed, that there are Tracts of Land not yet claimed by either Party, and therefore mentioned in no Treaties, which yet one or the other may be afterwards inclined to occupy; but to these vacant and unfettled Countries each Nation may pretend, as each conceives itself intitled to all that is not exprefly granted to the other. Here then is a perpetual Ground of Contest: Every Enlargement of the Poffeffions of either will be confidered

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fidered as something taken from the other, and each will endeavour to regain what had never been claimed, but that the other occupied it.

Thus obfcure in its Original is the American Contest. It is difficult to find the first Invader, or to tell where Invasion properly begins; but I fuppofe it is not to be doubted, that after the laft War, when the French had made Peace with fuch apparent Superiority, they naturally began to treat us with lefs Refpect in diftant Parts of the World, and to confider us as a People from whom they had nothing to fear, and who could no longer prefume to contravene their Designs, or to check their Progrefs.

The Power of doing wrong with Impunity feldom waits long for the Will; and it is reasonable to believe, that in America the French would avow their Purpose of aggrandifing themselves with at least as little Reserve as in Europe. We may therefore readily believe, that they were unquiet Neighbours, and had no great Regard to Right, which they believed us no longer able to enforce.

That in forming a Line of Forts behind our Colonies, if in no other Part of their Attempt, they had acted against the general Intention, if not against the literal Terms of Treaties, can fcarcely be denied; for it never can be fuppofed, that we intended to be inclosed between the Sea and the French Garrifons, or preclude ourselves from extending our Plantations backwards to any Length that our Convenience fhould require.

With Dominion is conferred every Thing that can fecure Dominion. He that has the Coaft, has likewife the Sea to a certain Distance; he that poffeffes a Fortrefs, has the Right of prohibiting another Fortress to be built within the Command of its Cannon. When therefore we planted the Coaft of North-America, we fuppofed the Poffeffion of the inland Region granted to an indefinite Extent, and