The known bias of the human mind from motives of
interest should lessen the confidence of each party in the justice of
their reasoning: but it is difficult to say, which of them should
make the sacrifice, both of reason and interest. Our conferences were
intended as preparatory to some arrangement. It is uncertain how far
we should have been able to accommodate our opinions. But the absolute
aversion of the government to enter into any arrangement prevented the
object from being pursued. Each country is left to do justice to itself
and to the other, according to its own ideas as to what is past; and to
scramble for the future as well as they can: to regulate their commerce
by duties and prohibitions, and perhaps by cannons and mortars; in which
event, we must abandon the ocean, where we are weak, leaving to neutral
nations the carriage of our commodities; and measure with them on land,
where they alone can lose. Farewell, then, all our useful improvements
of canals and roads, reformations of laws, and other rational
employments. I really doubt, whether there is temper enough, on either
side, to prevent this issue of our present hatred.
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