The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

PART I.] PRIVATE LETTERS. 355
TO LORD BOTETOURT, GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA.
Mount Vernon, 15 April, 1770.
MY LORD,
Being fully persuaded of your Excellency's inclination to render every just and reasonable service to the
people you govern, or to any body or society of them,
that shall ask it, and being encouraged in a more particuwhen set in competition with our liberty, ought to be rejected, not with
reluctance, but with pleasure. Yet it is plain, that in the tobacco colonies
we cannot 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 if not steadily executed, it had better
have remained unattempted. We may retrench all manner of superfluities,
finery of all descriptions, and confine ourselves to linens, woollens, &c.
not exceeding a certain price. It is amazing how much this practice, if
adopted in all the colonies, would lessen the American imports, and distress the various traders and manufacturers in Great Britain.
"This would awaken their attention. They would see, they would feel,
the oppressions we groan under, and exert themselves to procure us redress. This once obtained, we should no longer discontinue our importations, confining ourselves still not to import any article, that should hereafter be taxed by act of Parliament for raising a revenue in America; for,
however singular I may be in my opinion, I am thoroughly convinced, that,
justice and harmony happily restored, it is not the interest of these colonies
to refuse British manufactures. Our supplying our mother country with
gross materials, and taking her manufactures in return, is the true chain
of connexion between us. These are the bands, which, if not broken by
oppression, 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 association. It may not be amiss to let the ministry understand, that, until we obtain a redress of grievances, we will withhold from them our commodities, and particularly refrain from making
tobacco, by which the revenue would lose fifty times more than all their
oppressions could raise here.
"Had the hint, which I have given with regard to taxation of goods imported into America, been thought of by our merchants before the repeal
of the Stamp Act, the late American revenue acts would probably never
have been attempted."
The Assembly in May was the first that met after the arrival of Lord
Botetourt as Governor. The Burgesses had been together but a few days,
when they passed a series of very strong resolves respecting the rights