6033. OCEAN, England's policy.—
If the
British ministry are changing their policy
towards us, it is because their nation, or
rather the city of London, which is the nation
to them, is shaking as usual, by the late
reverses in Spain. I have for some time
been persuaded that the government of England
was systematically decided to claim a
dominion of the sea, and to levy contributions
on all nations, by their licenses to navigate,
in order to maintain that dominion to
which their own resources are inadequate.
The mobs of their cities are unprincipled
enough to support this policy in prosperous
times, but change with the tide of fortune,
and the ministers to keep their places, change
with them.—
To President Madison. Washington ed. v, 442.
Ford ed., ix, 251.
(M.
April. 1809)
See England.
