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conquered; to the King of Portugal; who agreed to leave that part

which they had conquered to them; as a matter not worth disputing

about with such good allies。 But the Dutch government soon began

to oppress the Portuguese colonists; who; instead of amusing

themselves with complaints; took arms against their new masters;

and by their own valour and resolution; with the connivance;

indeed; but without any avowed assistance from the mother

country; drove them out of Brazil。 The Dutch; therefore; finding

it impossible to keep any part of the country to themselves; were

contented that it should be entirely restored to the crown of

Portugal。 In this colony there are said to be more than six

hundred thousand people; either Portuguese or descended from

Portuguese; creoles; mulattoes; and a mixed race between

Portuguese and Brazilians。 No one colony in America is supposed

to contain so great a number of people of European extraction。

     Towards the end of the fifteenth; and during the greater

part of the sixteenth century; Spain and Portugal were the two

great naval powers upon the ocean; for though the commerce of

Venice extended to every part of Europe; its fleets had scarce

ever sailed beyond the Mediterranean。 The Spaniards; in virtue of

the first discovery; claimed all America as their own; and though

they could not hinder so great a naval power as that of Portugal

from settling in Brazil; such was; at that time; the terror of

their name; that the greater part of the other nations of Europe

were afraid to establish themselves in any other part of that

great continent。 The French; who attempted to settle in Florida;

were all murdered by the Spaniards。 But the declension of the

naval power of this latter nation; in consequence of the defeat

or miscarriage of what they called their Invincible Armada; which

happened towards the end of the sixteenth century; put it out of

their power to obstruct any longer the settlements of the other

European nations。 In the course of the seventeenth century;

therefore; the English; French; Dutch; Danes; and Swedes; all the

great nations who had any ports upon the ocean; attempted to make

some settlements in the new world。

     The Swedes established themselves in New Jersey; and the

number of Swedish families still to be found there sufficiently

demonstrates that this colony was very likely to prosper had it

been protected by the mother country。 But being neglected by

Sweden; it was soon swallowed up by the Dutch colony of New York;

which again; in 1674; fell under the dominion of the English。

     The small islands of St。 Thomas and Santa Cruz are the only

countries in the new world that have ever been possessed By the

Danes。 These little settlements; too; were under the government

of an exclusive company; which had the sole right; both of

purchasing the surplus produce of the colonists; and of supplying

them with such goods of other countries as they wanted; and

which; therefore; both in its purchases and sales; had not only

the power of oppressing them; but the greatest temptation to do

so。 The government of an exclusive company of merchants is;

perhaps; the worst of all governments for any country whatever。

It was not; however; able to stop altogether the progress of

these colonies; though it rendered it more slow and languid。 The

late King of Denmark dissolved this company; and since that time

the prosperity of these colonies has been very great。

     The Dutch settlements in the West; as well as those in the

East Indies; were originally put under the government of an

exclusive company。 The progress of some of them; therefore;

though it has been considerable; in comparison with that of

almost any country that has been long peopled and established;

has been languid and slow in comparison with that of the greater

part of new colonies。 The colony of Surinam; though very

considerable; is still inferior to the greater part of the sugar

colonies of the other European nations。 The colony of Nova

Belgia; now divided into the two provinces of New York and New

Jersey; would probably have soon become considerable too; even

though it had remained under the government of the Dutch。 The

plenty and cheapness of good land are such powerful causes of

prosperity that the very worst government is scarce capable of

checking altogether the efficacy of their operation。 The great

distance; too; from the mother country would enable the colonists

to evade more or less; by smuggling; the monopoly which the

company enjoyed against them。 At present the company allows all

Dutch ships to trade to Surinam upon paying two and a half per

cent upon the value of their cargo for a licence; and only

reserves to itself exclusively the direct trade from Africa to

America; which consists almost entirely in the slave trade。 This

relaxation in the exclusive privileges of the company is probably

the principal cause of that degree of prosperity which that

colony at present enjoys。 Curacoa and Eustatia; the two principal

islands belonging to the Dutch; are free ports open to the ships

of all nations; and this freedom; in the midst of better colonies

whose ports are open to those of one nation only; has been the

great cause of the prosperity of those two barren islands。

     The French colony of Canada was; during the greater part of

the last century; and some part of the present; under the

government of an exclusive company。 Under so unfavourable an

administration its progress was necessarily very slow in

comparison with that of other new colonies; but it became much

more rapid when this company was dissolved after the fall of what

is called the Mississippi scheme。 When the English got possession

of this country; they found in it near double the number of

inhabitants which Father Charlevoix had assigned to it between

twenty and thirty years before。 That Jesuit had travelled over

the whole country; and had no inclination to represent it as less

considerable than it really was。

     The French colony of St。 Domingo was established by pirates

and freebooters; who; for a long time; neither required the

protection; nor acknowledged the authority of France; and when

that race of banditti became so far citizens as to acknowledge

this authority; it was for a long time necessary to exercise it

with very great gentleness。 During this period the population and

improvement of this colony increased very fast。 Even the

oppression of the exclusive company; to which it was for some

time subjected; with all the other colonies of France; though it

no doubt retarded; had not been able to stop its progress

altogether。 The course of its prosperity returned as soon as it

was relieved from that oppression。 It is now the most important

of the sugar colonies of the West Indies; and its produce is said

to be greater than that of all the English sugar colonies put

together。 The other sugar colonies of France are in general all

very thriving。

     But there are no colonies of which the progress has been

more rapid than that of the English in North America。

     Plenty of good land; and liberty to manage their own affairs

their own way; seem to be the two great causes of the prosperity

of all new colonies。

     In the plenty of good land the English colonies of North

America; though no doubt very abundantly provided; are however

inferior to those of the Spaniards and Portuguese; and not

superior to some of those possessed by the French before the late

war。 But the political institutions of the English colonies have

been more favourable to the improvement and cultivation of this

land than those of any of the other three nations。

     First; the engrossing of uncultivated land; though it has by

no means been prevented altogether; has been more restrained in

the English colonies than in any other。 The colony law which

imposes upon every proprietor the obligation of improving and

cultivating; within a limited time; a certain proportion of his

lands; and which in case of failure; declares those neglected

lands grantable to any other person; though it has not; perhaps;

been very strictly executed; has; however; had some effect。

     Secondly; in Pennsylvania there is no right of

primogeniture; and lands; like movables; are divided equally

among all the children of the family。 In three of the provinces

of New England the oldest has only a double share; as in the

Mosaical law。 Though in those provinces; therefore; too great a

quantity of land should sometimes be engrossed by a particular

individual; it is likely; in the course of a generation or two;

to be sufficiently divided again。 In the other English colonies;

indeed; the right of primogeniture takes place; as in the law of

England。 But in all the English colonies the tenure of the lands;

which are all held by free socage; facilitates alienation; and

the grantee of any extensive tract of land generally finds it for

his interest to alienate; as fast as he can; the greater part of

it; reserving only a small quit…rent。 In the Spanish and

Portugues

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