But this is not all: And the Absurdity of our present Conduct in not abandoning the _rebellious_ Provinces of _North-America_, becomes still more glaring, when we consider farther, (what we now find by Experience to be true) that we can live and flourish, even in our commercial Capacity, without the Assistance of these refractory Colonies. For tho' it doth by no Means follow, that we should be destitute of their Trade, if each _American_ Province was erected into a separate and independent State; nay, tho' the contrary hath been made to appear by such a Chain of Evidences, as no Man hitherto hath attempted to break or weaken, yet, granting the worst, granting even that these _North-Americans_ traded with us as little after a Separation as they do at present, still it is possible that we may then live, because it is certain we do now live without them; and do not only live, but also enjoy as many of the Comforts and Elegancies, not to mention the Profusions and Luxuries of Life, as any Nation ever did, and more than we ourselves did heretofore. Therefore (to be more particular on this Head, for surely it is a most important one) we were gravely told, that as soon as ever the _Americans_ should shut their Ports against us, Famine to our Manufacturers, Bankruptcy to our Merchants, Destruction and Desolation to our Seaport Towns must inevitably ensue. Well, the _Americans_ have now shut their Ports for a considerable Time against the Admission of _English_ Manufactures. And what has ensued? Nothing, that I know of, so very dismal, or so very tragical; and none of those _black_ and _bitter_ Days, with which we were threatened, have yet appeared. Nay, according to the Accounts received from the principal manufacturing Places and Districts throughout the Kingdom, it uniformly appears that Trade was never brisker in most Articles; and that it is not remarkably dead in any:--Moreover it is likewise certain, from the same Accounts, that a much greater Stagnation hath been frequently felt, even at Times when every Port in _America_ was open to us, than is felt at present. However, if these Partizans of _America_ should cavil at these Accounts, and dispute their Authority, we have others yet to produce, which surely must carry Conviction (almost in Spite of Prejudice) as soon as they are perused; [unless indeed it can be imagined, that the present wicked Ministry have entered into a Plot to charge themselves Debtors to the Public for almost TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS STERLING _more than they received_, merely to plague and confound the poor Patriots.] The Account I am now going to lay before the Reader, is the gross Produce for the Year 1775, ending at the 5th of _July_ last, compared with the like gross Produce of the preceding Year 1774, ending at the like Period. £. _s. d._