Our all is at stake, & the little conveniencys &comforts of life, when set in competition with our liberty, ought to be rejected not with reluctance but with pleasure: Yet it is plain that in the tobacci colonies we can't at present confine our importations within such narrow bounds as the northern colonies, a plan of this kind, to be practicable, must be adapted to our circumstances; for not steadily executed, it had better have remained unattempted.
We may retrench all manner of superfluitys, finery of all denominations, &confine ourselves to linnens woolens &c, not exceeding a certain price: it is amazing how much this (if adopted in all the colonies) would lessen the American imports, and distress the various traders & manufacturers in Great Britain—This would quickly awaken their attention—they would see, they would feel the ppressions we groan under, & exert themselves to procure us redress: this once obtained, we should no longer discontinue our importations, confining ourselves still never to import any article that should hereafter be taxed by act of Parliament for raising a revennue in America;
1 for however singular I may be in my opinion, I am thoroughly convinced that jJustice & harmony happily restored) it is not the interest of these colonies to refuse British manufactures: our supplying our Mother-Country with gross materials, & taking her manufactures in return is the true chain of connection between us; these are the bands, which, if not broken by oppressions, must long hold us together, by maintaining a constant reciprocation of interest: proper caution should therefore be used in drawing up the proposed plan of sssociation. It may not be amiss to let the ministry understand that untill we obtain a redress of grievances, we will with hold from them our commoditys, particularly refrain from making tobacco, by which the revennue would lose fifty times more than all their oppressions could raise here.