by the Restoration of King Charles II. and above all or generous and frank Concurrence with them in the late happy Revolution and Advancement of King William III. We did verily think that all these things deserv'd a better Treatment And to evince that they did we shall beg leave to insist a little upon the first and last The English have no cause to think that we were ignorant of the Reason why their Politick Henry VII chose rather to Match his Eldâ—st Daughter with the King of Scots than with the King of France because he foresaw that if the King of Scots should by that means come to the Crown of England he would remove the Seat of his Government thither which would add to the Grandure and Riches of England Whereas if the King of France did by that means fall Heir to the English Crown he would certainly draw the Court of England to Paris This the Scots were so far from being ignorant of that many of the Nobility and Gentry did express their dislike of the Union of the Crowns as well knowing that it would reduce our Kingdom into a Subjection and Dependance upon England and drain us of what Substance we had and therefore some of them express'd themselves on that occasion That Scotland was never Conquer'd till then Yet such was our Zeal for the Common Welfare of the Island the Interest of the Protestant Religion and of Europe in general which were then almost in as much danger by Spain as they have been since by France that we quietly and freely parted with our King and suffer'd him to accept the English Crown rather than that Nation should be involv'd in War and Confusion and the Protestant Religion endanger'd by another Successor as it must necessarily have been had the Infanta of Spain whose Title was then promoted by the Popish Interest succeeded And all the Reward we had for this Condescension and Kindness was a Contemptuous and Disdainful Refusal on the part of England of an Union of the Nations when proposed tho' the same would visibly have tended to the Benefit of the whole Island the general Advantage of Europe and the Security and Increase of the Protestant Interest And our King was so little thankful on his part that tho' he promis'd solemnly in the Great Church of Edinburgh before his Departure that he would visit his Ancient Kingdom once in three Years he never saw it after but once and that not till Fourteen Years after And by the influence of that same Faction in England who are still our Enemies he made Innovations both in Church and State These were the first Advantages we had by the Union of the Crowns His Son King Charles I. had scarce ascended the Throne when we had new Proofs of the Disadvantages we labour'd under by that Union for he by the Advice of some Enemies to our Nation did in an Imperious and Arbitrary manner send for our Crown tho' the only Monument almost left us of our Independency and Freedom but was generously answer'd by him that had it in keeping That if he would come and be Crown'd in Scotland he should have all the Honour done him that ever was to his Ancestors but if he did not think it worth his while they might perhaps be inclin'd to make choice of another Soveraign or to that effect as recorded in the Continuation of Sir Richard Baker's History Another Disadvantage we had by that Union of the Crown was this That that Unfortunate Prince being inspir'd with an Aversion to the Constitution of our Country by his Education made War upon us to bring us to a Conformity with England in Church-Matters We shall not here offer to debate which of the Churches was best Constituted or most agreeable to the Scripture-Pattern It suffices for our Argument That we were Injur'd in having a Foreign Model offer'd to be obtruded upon us which was the Consequence of the Union of the Crowns and of having our King Educated in another Nation but that was not all another mischievous Effect of the Union was this That whatever King Charles had deserv'd at our Hands yet out of Natural Affection Conscience and Honour we were oblig'd to do what we could to prevent his Illegal Trial and Death and to defend his Son's Title which threw us into Convulsions at Home occasion'd us the loss of several Armies and expos'd our Nation afterwards to Ruine and Devastation by our implacable Enemy the Usurper which together with the Ungrateful Retributions made us by the Government after the Restoration were enough to have wearied any Nation under Heav'n but our selves of the Union of the Crowns ANSWER Our Caledonian as I believe being somewhat mistrustful of the strength of the Scotâ— Title as well as of his Arguments to perswade the English that it is for their Interest to maintain the Scots in their New Settlement thinks it best to take other Measures now and to try whether he can hector them into a Compliance with the Scots he sets the best Countenance upon the Matter and labours very hard to give the World to understand that the English are highly indebted to the Scots for suffering as he terms it their Crown to be United with that of England I will not enter into a Dispute with him about the design of Henry VII in Marrying his Daughter to the King of Scots I will allow him to have acted in this Point as much for the Interest of England as our Author would have him but what is all this to their suffering the two Crowns to be United under one Head I hope he will grant me that both the English and Scots Crowns were Hereditary and being such how was it in the Power of the Scots to alter the Succession upon that Score I will further allow him that whenever two Kingdoms or States are United under one Head the less Potent will in some measure be independent on the other But I would also have him grant me this Position That if at that Juncture the Infanta of Spain had succeeded in England the Protestant Interest both in England and Scotland must have been brought into no small Jeopardy and our Author would have had no great occasion at this time to brag of the Soveraignty and Independency of the Scots He makes a large Rehearsal of the Miscarriages in the Reign of King James I. and King Charles I. especially of their Innovations in Church Matters in Scotland but our Author might have remembred if they introduced Episcopacy among them they were not behind hand in furnishing England with Presbytery What he alledges concerning their Sufferings in the Civil Wars for the Defence of K. Charles I. and his Sons Title ought not to be put upon the English Score I wonder how he can be so forgetful as not to remember That the Scots Covenanters were of that Gang that begun the Dance and all the reason in the World they should help to pay the Fidler And
Enemy and bore the burden of most fierce Wars in the Kingdom This they will find in a Book call'd Archaionomia translated from the Saxon by William Lambard and Printed at London by John Day in 1568. It must be granted that the Reasons of such a grateful Retribution are redoubled now Intermarriages betwixt the two Nations are more frequent than ever the Union of the Kingdoms under one Crown for almost 100 years the generous Concurrence of the Scots in the last Revolution their loss of so many gallant Officers and brave Soldiers in the common Cause during the late War and the preservation of Ireland which hath been twice owing to our Country-men might reasonably entitle us to the same Privileges now that our Ancestors were formerly allow'd by K. Edward and William the Conqueror We need not insist on another sort of Obligation that we have put upon England twice within this 60 years viz. The delivering them from their Oppressions in the time of K. Charles I. the Anarchy of the Rump and several Models of Armies and Junto's by encouraging General Monk's Undertaking for it cannot be denied that we had the Balance of Europe in our hands at the time of the last Revolution and that we turn'd the Scale to the advantage of England in particular and of Europe in general which must be allow'd to be as great a Service as that which was so thankfully rewarded by Edward and William the Conqueror whence it is evident that those Englishmen who at present oppose our Settlement in America don't inherit the gratitude of their Ancestors when they not only will not allow us to Trade in Conjunction with them but withstand our doing any thing that may advance a Trade by our selves If they object That what we did in all those Cases was no more than our Duty and what we ow'd to our own Preservation as well as to theirs it is easie to reply That admitting it to be so yet by the Laws of God and Men People are incourag'd to perform their Duties by Rewards and their Ancestors were so sensible of this that tho' they knew we were equally concern'd to defend the Island against foreign Invaders as well as they yet they thought themselves oblig'd in Policy as well as Gratitude to Reward us which they not only did by that Honorary Praemium of allowing us to be Denizons of England as above-mention'd but sometimes gave to us and at other times confirm'd to us the three Northern Counties of Northumberland Westmorland and Cumberland to be held in Fee of the Crown of England It is likewise very well known with how much Honour the Parliament of England treated us when they courted our Assistance against King Charles I. and what large Promises that Prince made us if we would have but stood Neuter which tho' we had reason to think many of those that opposed him had no great kindness neither for our Civil nor Ecclesiastical Constitution yet the sense that we had of the common Danger that our Religion and Liberties were in at that time made us proof against all those Tentations so that after all Endeavours for a Reconciliation betwixt the King and the Parliament of England prov'd unsuccessful we sent in an Army which cast the Balance on the side of the latter who before that time were reduc'd low enough by the King's Army as is very well known to such as are acquainted with the History of those times and is own'd by my Lord Hollis in his Memoirs lately publish'd ANSWER Our Caledonian most extreamly misses his aim in relating those Matters as Obligations done to England for which they have but little reason to be thankful to them Their behaviour under the Reign of K. Charles I. was such that the English ought to keep it in eternal Remembrance and in lieu of Acknowledgment rather ought to take care of them so that they may not be able for the future to be the Incendiaries of a Civil War as they were at that time For after they had put all England into Confusion by their Encouraging and afterwards declaring for the Presbyterian Faction after I say they had been instrumental in bringing this unfortunate Prince to his fatal End they took the opportunity of siding with his Son not out of any love to his Person or to maintain his rightful Title as may appear by those Conditions they imposed upon him but to Revenge themselves upon those who had wrested the Power out of their Hands and afterwards made them bear their share in those Miseries they had brought upon England Certainly our Author must think the English to be very ill versed in their own History when he alledges the Scots to have had any share in General Monk's Undertaking who can be so ignorant as not to know that all what this General desired from and was granted by the Convention of the Scots was to furnish him with so much Money as might maintain his Army in their march to London and there is no question but they understood their Interest so well as that they would have parted with a far greater Sum to rid their hands of a conquering Army in their Bowels and to set the English together by the Ears among themselves by which means they might hope to recover their lost Liberty For the rest it is sufficiently evident That if General Monk had at that time any Thoughts of recalling the King which I much question he had more Prudence than to Communicate it to the Scots or any body else For if the Rump had had the least suspicion of his design they would scarce have made him General of all the Forces in the three Nations This is the true state of the Case as to the first of these Obligations our Calidonian brags of What he says of Scotland's turning the Balance in the time of the late Revolution when it was in their hands shews so much Vanity and want of Judgment in point of Policy that it deserves no Answer and I am apt to believe the wiser sort among the Scots will owe him but little thanks for representing them as a People who could fall under a possibility of mistaking their own Interest and Preservation so far as to let slip so extraordinary an opportunity as was offered them by Providence to secure their Religion and Liberty and in lieu of that to Embrace a foreign Protection or to speak truer to submit their Necks under a Foreign Yoke rather than to Unite themselves with the English under one Head who perhaps notwithstanding their foreign Alliances might have taken this opportunity to bring them once for all to Reason as Cromwel did who 's Title to Scotland as their Conqueror was own'd by all Europe He goes on thus DEFENCE But to return to the last Revolution Tho' we must own that we owe our Deliverance to His Majesty and were oblig'd in Conscience and Honour to concur with him yet who could have blam'd us to have stood
surprising thing to see the Author Charge one of the greatest Kings in Europe who thinks himself touch'd in the most sensible part of his Sovereignty with Insolence and Ingratitude against His Britannick Majesty when he who owns himself a private Person and his Subject uses so many reflecting Expressions throughout the whole Treatise upon the English Government That Spain owes in a great measure its preservation to His Majesty of Great Britain is scarce disputed by any but he must be but indifferently vers'd in the Politicks of Europe who does not know That the Councils of Princes are sway'd more by the Considerations of their present Interest than by the Remembrance of pass'd Obligations Amongst all those Titles which he Assigns for the Spaniards to prove their Claim by the Three last seem to be the most likely to do their Business and supposing they should be able by either one of them or perhaps all Three together to prove their Claim What will then become of our Author 's bold Challenge But let us hear what he further says upon this Head DEFENCE It is Evident says he That the Spaniards cannot pretend a Title to that Country by Inheritance Marriage or the Donation of Prince and People and as to Conquest it would be ridiculous to alledge it since the Dariens are in actual possession of their Liberty and were never subdued nor receiv'd any Spanish Governour or Garrison amongst them Nay they wâ—re so far from it that Wafer Dampier and others that have wrote of that Country do all agree that they mortally hate the Spaniards were in War with them and that the Spaniards had no Commerce with those Indians nor Command over them in all the North-side of the Isthmus a little beyond Porto-Bello Captain Sharp in the Journal of his Expedition published in Captain Hacke's Collection of Voyages gives an Account That in 1680 he landed at Golden Island with 330 Men and being join'd by one of the Darien Princes whom they call'd Emperor and another to whom they gave the Title of King Golden Cap with some hundreds of their Men took Sancta Maria attempted Panama and made Prize of several Spanish Ships which is the more remarkable because Captain Sharp was afterwards tried in England for Robbery and Piracy on this very Account but acquitted because of his Commission from those Darien Princes which is a plain Demonstration that the Government of England did then look upon Darien to be no way subject to Spain whatever some who are Enemies to the Scots do now say against the Legality of their Settlement in that Country This same Expedition against the Spaniards by the assistance of the Darien Indians is confirm'd by Mr. Dampier in his Introduction to his New Voyage round the World And the Bishop of Chiapa a Prelate of their own in his Relation of the Spanish Voyages and Cruelties in the West-Indies Pag. 217. owns That the Spaniards had no Title to the Americans as their Subjects by right of Inheritance Purchase or Conquest We have likewise a large Account and a full Confirmation of the War and perpetual Enmity betwixt the Dariens and Spaniards in the History of the Buccaneers of America Vol. 2. Part 4. wrote by Basil Ringrose who was one of their Company There he informs us That the Indians of Darien and the Spaniards are commonly at War with one another and that the Buccaneers were invited into that Country and join'd by the Darien Princes Captain Andreas Captain Antonio and the King of Darien who assisted them in the taking of Sancta Maria and their attempt upon Panama and the King whose Daughter the Spaniards had stole away promised to joyn the Buccaneers with 50000 Men. This is the more remarkable because those very Princes or their Successors are now in League with the Scots and have joyfully receiv'd them into their Country So that it is the strangest position that can be put upon any Nation and one of the most audacious Affronts that ever was put upon so Great a Prince as K. William for the Spaniards to pretend a Right to Darien and accuse him of a Breach of the Peace because a Colony of his Subjects have settled themselves there when it is so well known to the World that the Crown of Spain has no manner of Title to that Province Then as to any Claim by virtue of Possession the Spaniards have not the least ground of Plea All they can alledge on this Head is That they were once admitted by the Consent of Captain Diego another of the Darien Princes to work on some Golden Mines within 15 Leagues or there abouts of the Scots Settlement But it is plain that this makes nothing for their purpose That Prince admitted them only as Labourers but not as Proprietors And when they broke the Conditions on which they were admitted viz. To allow the Dariens such â—â—d such Sharâ—â— of the Product they were expell'd again by force and ever since that time the Dariens refuse to have any further Dealings with the Spaniards who made themselves odious to them by their Treachery and Insolence So that Mr. Wafter tells us Pag. 133. They allow a distinguishing Mark of Honour to him who has kill'd a Spaniard And Pag. 179. That Cascata one of the chief of the Darien Princes did in his Converse with him express his Sense and Resentment of the Havock made by the Spaniards in the West of America at their first coming thither ANSWER Our Philo-Calydon as he calls himself pretends to prove here That the Spaniards can lay no Claim to Darien as a Conquest His Reasons are Because they were never subdued but I would fain ask this Gentleman how he came to know this 'T is possible some of his Countrymen have been told so by some of the Dariens but this will be but a slender Argument against the Spaniards It is most unquestionable that there is much more probability on the Spaniards side than on the other For how can it be supposed that the Spaniards who have conquer'd such a vast Tract of America and several Plantations there should not have been able to force a few petty Indian-Lords who are enclosed within their Dominions to a Submission His Arguments by which he would prove them a free People is much more ridiculous than the pretended Conquest of the Spaniards it being evident that a few Cottages inhabited by a barbarous and unarmed People headed by many Leaders resembling the Heads of Clans in Scotland did require neither a Spanish Governour nor Garrison What he alledges concerning the Hatred they bear to the Spaniards and their joyning with the Buccaneers against them does not in the least invalidate the Title of Spain to Darien And all what Wafer Dampier and the History of the Buccaneers says upon this Subject proves no more than that those Petty Indian Lords who formerly either voluntarily or by force submitted to the Spaniards took this opportunity to shake off the Spanish Yoke and to
Revenge themselves upon their Conquerors For if they had been in a Condition to make War against them without a foreign Assistance What need had there been for them to call in the Buccaneers and to allow them so large a share in the Booty Our Calidonian Gentleman further tells us That the Spaniards have no other Plea for Possession but what was granted them by one of the Darien Princes to Work as Labourers in some Golden Mines I must confess this is somewhat difficult to be contradicted at so vast a distance and I would have pass'd by this Point in silence if Pag. 78. he had not himself furnish'd me with an Argument against his Assertion where he says That they had been informed by a Frenchman who married one of the Natives there That the Spaniards have Gold and Silver Mines on the Isthmus which they might make themselves Masters of with a 100 Mâ—n This I say and the Hostilities committed already by the Spaniards against the Scots in their New Settlement does I think carry with it a great probability that to this day they are not excluded from the Province of Darien but remain in actual Possession of so much of that Province as they think consistent with their own Interest What he alledges of Captain Sharp's being acquitted in England by reason of his Commission from one of the Darien Princes can in no wise affect the Spanish Title for supposing the Court of England was at that time not sufficiently inform'd concerning their Pretensions What detriment could that be to their real Pretensions If our Author could have given us an instance of a Person who had been acquitted upon the same Account in Spain his Argument would have been of unquestionable Validity which bears not the least weight now at least not in reference to Spain But let us hear the rest of his Arguments against the Spanish Title DEFENCE It remains then that the Spaniards can lay no other Claim to Darien but what they plead from the Pope's general Grant of America its being bounded by their Dominions and the Treaties with England which shall be consider'd in their Order To urge the Pope's Grant amongst Protestants is ridiculous and amongst Papists themselves but precarious But admitting it were sufficient to justifie their Title it is easie to prove that the Spaniards have forfeited all the Right they can Claim by virtue of that Grant The Church of Rome will not publickly own her Power to grant a Right of Conquest but in order to propagate the Faith and not that neither except the Infidel Prince or People be guilty of a Breach of Treaty So that the Pope's Grant with those Restrictions is so far from establishing the Title of the Spaniards that it plainly overthrows it That the Indians were committed to the Spaniards by Pope Alexander VI. on condition that they should teach them the Christian Religion is prov'd by Don Bartholomew de las Casas Bishop of Chiapa in his Account of the first Voyages and Discoveries made by the Spaniards in America and the Relation of their unparallell'd Cruelties Pag. 195. and there he likewise owns That by their acquitting themselves so ill of that Commission they ought to make Restitution of all they have taken from them under this pretext And Pag. 200. he charges them with breach of the Terms prescrib'd by the Apostolical Brief tho' Queen Isabella to whom it was granted earnestly intreated them in her last Will to keep exactly to it Pag. 218. he says That the Title of the King of Spain to the Indians is founded only on the Obligation he had taken upon himself to instruct them in the true Faith as appears by the Apostolick Brief Which they were so far from performing that instead of converting their Souls they destroyed their Bodies having in those early days viz. in the time of the Emperor Charles V. murâ—her'd above 40 Millions of them and took so little care to instruct them in the Christian Religion that they perfectly obstructed their Conversion and sold those very Idols that some of the poor People had thâ—own away with Abhorrence to others of the Indians Ib. P. 194. which together with their other horrid Impieties created an Aversion in those poor Infidels for Heaven it self according to the known Story of Hathwey an Indian Prince Ibid. Pag. 21. Who being fasten'd to a Stake by the Spaniards in order to be burnt for no other Crime but indeavouring to defend himself and his Subjects against their Cruelties ask'd a Friar that was discoursing to him of Heaven promising him eternal Happiness there if he would believe and threatning him with Hell if he did not whether Heaven was open to the Spaniards and being answer'd that it was to such of them as were good replied immediately that he would not go thither for fear of meeting such cruel and wicked Company as they were but would much rather chuse to go to Hell where he might he deliver'd from the troublesome sight of such kind of People So that their forfeiture of all Right or Title to Darien by the Pope's Grant if it were of any validity is plainly demonstrated ANSWER Our Author takes a great deal of Pains to demonstrate that supposing the Pope's Grant of America to be valid in its self they have forfeited the same I believe there will scarce be any body so void of Humanity who is acquainted with the most barbarous Cruelties committed by the Spaniards against the poor Natives of that Country as to take upon himself the Defence of them in this Point But how far this affects their Title is the matter in Question at present Not to enter upon the Topick here How far the Miscarriages of Governours and other Officers who transgress the Bounds of their Commission affects the Titles of their Sovereigns I will only insist upon this Head which I believe will scarce admit of a Contradiction by any body who has a true insight into the matter That supposing some of those Cruelties to have been committed by publick Authority there is no body who can be acknowledg'd a competent Judge of the Forfeiture of the Spanish Title but the Pope himself who admitted he has a Power to Grant it must of necessity be the only Person who can Recal it and till any such thing be done their Title will stand unshaken upon that bottom at least on the Spaniards side whatever our Author may alledge against it out of the Bishop of Chiapa whose Authority is in sufficient to maintain his Assertion in this Point as being only a Bishop under the Jurisdiction of Spain and as being a Church-man he might as well make use of a Dragoon for a Pilot as make those of his Profession competent Judges of the Titles of Princes But let us see further DEFENCE Their next Plea is That Darien is bounded or inclosed by their Dominions viz. By Porto-Bello and Carthagena with their Territories on the North and Panama and Sancta Maria on the
People or Subjects of the other against the Articles of that Alliance or against common Right there shall not therefore be given Letters of Reprisal Marque or Countermarque by any of the Confederates until such time as Justice is follow'd in the ordinary Course of Law Yet the Spaniards without any such Procedure or offering in the least to prove their Title to Darien present a virulent and huffing Memorial at the very first charging the King with want of Friendship and a breach of Alliance and threatning to take such measures as theâ— shall think meet When their sickly Monarchy has not yet had time to breath since rescu'd from the common Danger wherein Europe was involv'd by the Arms of that very Prince whom they treat so ungratefully But this is not all for contrary to the express Words of that same Treaty they attack the Scots by Sea and Land who had done them no Injury but acquainted them that they came thither peaceably without any hostile design against them or any other People and were so generous as to reject the Motion of Captain Andreas one of the Darien Princes and their Ally when he offer'd to make them Masters of Panama if they would but joyn him with 500 of their Men. The Spaniards have also contrary to the 10th and 11th Articles of the Treaty concluded at M drid July 8 18 1670. concerning America detain'd the Scots and English Prisoners who were forced a shoar at Carthagena by Shipwrack tho all such Practices be expresly provided against by the said Articles And they have also violated the 14th Article of that Treaty which forbids Reprisals except in case of denying or unreasonably delaying Justice From all which it is evident that the King of Great Britain has just reason to demand Satisfaction of the Spaniards for Attacking his Subjects contrary to Treaty and that the Scots being thus injuriously treated may very lawfully not only make Reprisals upon the Spaniards for themselves but joyn with the King of Darien in taking Sancta Maria Panama or any other place belonging to the Spaniards in that Country of which the Dariens are Natural Lords and the Spaniards Tyrannical Usurpers as is pleaded by the King of Darien himself and therefore he invited the English Buccaneers to assist him to retake it And by this Capt. Sawkins justified his Proceedings in a Letter to the Governour of Panama asserting that the King of Darien was true Lord of Panama and all the Country thereabouts and that they came to assist him History of Buccaneers Vol. 2. Part 4. P. 32. And we have mentioned before that Capt. Sharp who was accused of Piracy for that same Expedition and succeeded Sawkins in his Command was acquitted in England because he had that Prince's Commission ANSWER If it had been made so evident as our Author imagines that the Spâ—â—iards hâ—ve no Title upon Darien I would sooâ—â—◠〈◊〉 with him in Opinion that they themselves had 〈◊〉 guilty of that Breach of these Treaties whic◠〈◊〉 charge upon the Scots but this being look'd upon by the now unbyass'd as a Case which at the besâ— is yet undetermin'd the Question is Whether as suâ—h they have controvened against several of the Articles of these two Treaties I will not pretend here to Patronize or defend every step the Spaniaâ—ds have made since the Scots Settlement this ought to be left to the Determination of His Majesty of Great Britain who as he is the true Judge of it so no Question but he will in due time demand Reparation for the Miscarriages committed against the said Treaties I will only put the Reader in mind of that most ancient and general Maxim founded upon the Law of Nations Vim vi repelere licet What Wonder is it if the Spaniards when they saw a Foreign Nation without their permission Land good store of Men and other Warlike Instruments in a place which they look'd upon as their own Propriety and which is of the utmost consequence to them What Wonder is it I say when they saw them erect Fortifications and enter into Alliance with those who were at that time their declared Enemies according to our Author 's own Confession they endeavoured to draw that Thorn out of their Feet without seeking first for Redress at so many Thousand Miles distance I would have our Author turn the Tables and let the Scots make the Case their own whether they would not force any Foreign Nation from their Shoar that should pretend to come in the same manner to settle themselves without leave in any place under their Pretension or Jurisdiction If it be considered What a considerable Traffick the English have in Spain it is evident That it had been in their Power to make themselves an ample amends by way of Reprisals but since they have not taken any such Measures their endeavours to dislodge the Scots from Darien at such a distance from England may admit of a much more favourable Construction than our zealous Calidonian would put upon it He goes on further DEFENCE Having fully prov'd that the Spaniards have no Title to Darien it remains to be prov'd that the Scots have as good and just a Title to their Settlement there as any People in the World can have which may easily be demonstrated thus They were authorized by an Act of Parliament and the King's Letters Patent to plant Colonies in Asia Africa or America upon Places not inhabited or any other Place by consent of the Natives not possest by any European Prince or State Being provided with this Authority than which there cannot be a greater or one more duly and honestly limitted they Equipp'd their Ships and landed on the North side of the Isthmus of Darien in November 1698. where the Spaniards as has been fully prov'd never had any Posseisâ—on and no other European Prince or State pretends any Claim to it Being arriv'd there they fairly obtain'd the Consent of the Princes and People of the Country and particularly of Captain Andreas who is the chief Man in that Tract and after a solemn Treaty and Alliance deliberately made and wrote in Spanish because the said Prince understands that Language they peaceably enter upon their new Colony without either Force or Fraud So that they have religiously kept to the Conditions of the Act and Patent which is a plain Demonstration that they have a just and legal Title to their Settlement and a Right to the Protection of the Government against the Attempts of the Spaniards or any other People whatsoever ANSWER The Scots Title to their Settlement at Darien pursuant to their Patent might pass for very good if they could make it evidently appear that the same had not been possess'd before by any European Prince or State according to the Tenure of the said Letters Patent but till that be done upon a more sure Foundation than our Calidonian has pleas'd to lay they ought not to be angry if the Government is not so forward
their Interest to incourage the Spaniards in an unjust Opposition to our American Settlement or to support the Scots in maintaining their Right It is certain that the Spaniards are in no condition to break with England or if they should it 's in the Power of the English to reduce them speedily to reason Whereas if the Scots should miscarry in their Undertakings by the Discouragements from England before-mentioned which exposes our Ships to be taken and treated as Pirates by any Nation that pleases the infallible consequence of it will be that the Ruine and Impoverishment of Scotland which must necessarily follow such a Miscarriage will immediately affect England both in her Trade and Strength The City of London and the Northern Road will soon feel the effects of it when the Money spent by our Gentry and Merchants continually for Cloaths Provisions and Goods ceases to circulate there England may become an easier Prey to a Foreign Enemy since it will not be only the Loss of a Tribe but of an entire Sister-Nation Or supposing that Scotland should be able to bear up under the Weight of it it will lay the Foundation of an irreconcileable Feud and may perhaps issue in a War betwixt the two Nations which did never yet terminate at long-run to the Advantage of England and is as unlikely to do so now as ever For in such a Casâ— they would find us Unanimous as one Man against them And therefore those who are Enemies to the Peace of the Nations being aware of this labour to effect their Design by another Method and endeavour as much as they can to dash the Government and us against one another But they are mistaken in the People of Scotland We are sensible of our Obligations to King William and know so well what is due to our Deliverer that it surpasses all their Art to create in us the least ill Thought of him it is not in the Temper of our Nation The World knows that however frequent and successful we have been in reducing our bad Kings to Reason yet there was never any People under the Sun more Loyal and Affectionate to good Princes than we have been and if when we have been forc'd to oppose our Monarchs private Persons have sometimes carried their Resentments too high yet the publick Justice of the Nation was always govern'd with Temper We could multiply Instances to prove this but need go no higher than the three last Kings who tho all of them Enemies to our Constitution as appear'd by their Principles and Practices yet it s very well known what we both did and suffer'd for them and particularly for King Charles I. tho' the Malice of a Faction in our Neighbouring Nation fix'd a Scandalous Reproach upon us as if we had Sold him from which Reflection we are sufficiently vindicated by the Lord Hollis's Memoirs before-mention'd wherein that excellent Person makes it evident that tho' our War against that Prince was just yet we had all possible Respect for his Persons made the best Conditions we could for his Safety and Honour and to avoid greater Mischiefs and the playing of our Enemies Game to the Ruine of our selves and His Majesty we were necessitated to leave him in England Memoirs p. 68. Then since we carried it so to a Prince that had been no way kind to us it will be impossible to create a Breach betwixt us and a Prince to whom under God we owe all that we enjoy as Men and Christians But at the same time our Neighbours who think to drive that Nail as far as it will go would do well to consider that we never believ'd that Doctrine in Scotland That it is unlawful to resist a King or any that have a Commission under him upon any pretence whatsoever We left that Doctrine in Scythia from whence some Authors derive our Origin and think it only fit to be sent back to Turkey from whence it came We know very well how to distinguish betwixt a Lawful Power and the Abuse of it and our Ancestors rightly understood how to Obey the Lawful Commands of their Princes when Masters of themselves and how to Govern by their Authority and in their Name when they were not tho' they did not think themselves obliged to obey their Personal Commands when the Fortune of War or other Accidents had put them into the Hands of our Enemies Thus we refused Obedience to K. James I. when detain'd Prisoner in England contrary to the Law of Nations and carried over into France to Command his Subjects there not to bear Arms against the English Army where he was in Person We told him we knew how to distinguish betwixt the Commands of a King and those of a Captive ANSWER Here is a Flourish indeed upon the Behaviour of the Scots towards their good and bad Kings to comment upon which would require a whole Volume we will only take notice here of what he says concerning their selling King Charles I. to the English of which he clears his Countrymen but very indifferently the whole amounting to no more than that they made the best Terms for him and themselves too which does not take away the Stain of surrendering their Prince to his Enemies when they had a good Army to back their Pretensions The rest is taken up with his Arguments to convince the World that the Englesh ought at this Juncture to prefer the interest of Scotland before that of Spain upon which Head we have said so much already that I think it needless to make a fulsome Repetition of it here I will only add thus much That it may be hoped that those who have the Management of the Scots East-India Company will have more Prudence than to venture their All upon that Bottom and that consequently Scotland if they miscarry in this Undertaking will not be in so much danger of being utterly ruin'd as this Gentleman imagines His threatning Speculations about a War betwixt the two Nations and the Unanimity of the Scots against us sâ—aâ—ce deserves to be taken notice of since I see no reason why he should suppose the English so unconcerned at their own Interest as to act with less Vigour against them than they would against us which I am apt to believe would not turn to the Advantage of Scotland all this time when the English are more Potent than ever and the Scots have not the same Prospect of being back'd by a Foreign Power as they were in former Times when by reason of our Civil Dissensions they proved sometimes troublesome but never were dangerous Neighbours But let us see what he has further to say upon this Head DEFENCE To return to the Point of what may probably be the Consequences if the English should proceed to any further degree of opposition or if the Scots should miscarry in the Design It 's reasonable to believe that the English will be so wise as to forbear Hostilities tho' we are very well satisfied
with a dangerous Aspect upon all the English Plantations in America and may be more justly esteemed an Incroachment upon Spain as being in the Bay of Mexico than our Plantation in Darien which argues the Humour of that Nation to make such an Out-cry against the Scots who have invaded no Man's Property when they themselves are so notoriously guilty of it and therefore it would seem to be the Interest of England rather to strengthen themselves by our Friendship and to look after the French than to provoke us to look out for other Allies by their opposition and neglect ANSWER I am apt to believe our Caledonian begins to have but a very indifferent Opinion of the success of their New Settlement and so like a desperate Gamester who is reduced to the 〈◊〉 Stake throws at all and is for Sacrificing the â—â—rien Settlement nay their own Religion and 〈◊〉 as well as that of Europe rather than to 〈…〉 â—hare in it For what he says of security to be gâ—â—â—n by the French for the Enjoyment of the Protâ—â—â—â—nt Religion are nothing but Chimerical Notions as indeed are all the rest For supposing the French should be so fond of the Possession of Darien which they don't seem to be as has been demâ—â—strated before it is only a vain Speculation thâ—â—â—â—â—â—eby they would become so Potent as to become an over-match for England and its Allies who are so nearly concern'd in its Preservation and it is more than probable that the Scots in such a case would pay the Fidler since considering the Situation of Scotland its want of good Harbours and Barrenness in many Places it would be very difficult for the French to send them any considerable Supplies of Men or Provisions when the English and Dutch are Masters of the Channel which was the reason that the French never so much as attempted the Relieving of my Lord Dundee who gave them the fairest opportunity in the World of getting a footing in Scotland if they had either thought it practicable or worth their while But we must go on to see how he winds up the thread of his Arguments DEFENCE We shall conclude this matter with one or two more Arguments to prove That it is the Interest of England to joyn with us in this Affair by which also it will appear that there is nothing advanc'd in these Sheets out of any ill Design against the English Nation or to persuade to a disuniting of the Crowns but on the contrary that a stricter Union is absolutely necessary that both Nations may have but one Interest which will render us less liable to Convulsions and intestine Commotions at home and put us out of danger of being attacked by Enemies from abroad The first Argument is this That by incouraging our Settlement at Darien English Ships that have occasion to pass by those Coasts will there be certain of a place of Retreat in case of attack either by Enemy or Tempest without danger of being confiscated by the Spaniards and having their Men condemn'd to be perpetual Slaves in the Mines 2. If we be incouraged in our American Colony it will contribute much to heighten the Consumption of the English Product since what we have not of our own or wherein we are wanting either as to quality or quantity we shall supply our selves for the use of our Plantation in England which may be of great benefit to the Northern Counties especially whence we may conveniently furnish our selves with Beeves for Victualling our Ships our own Cattel being for the most part too small for that use besides many other things that we shall have occasion to export from England for the use of the Plantation and to maintain a Commerce with the Natives 3. By joining with us in this Colony and securing a Post on the South-Sea which the Princes of Darien will no doubt very readily agree to they may shorten their Voyages to the East-Indies and by that means be able to out-do all their Rivals in that Trade but if they will be so far wanting to themselves as to suffer those advantages to fall into the Hands of others who are Enemies to our Religion and common Country they cannot blame the Scots who have made them such fair Offers 4. If after all the English should continue in their Opposition to us as their late Proclamations in America and other Passages would seem to imply they have a mind to the World cannot blame the Scots to provide for themselves by such other Alliances as they shall think meet since the English are so unkind especially since the Restoration of K. Charles II. to which we did so much contribute that without our Concurrence it could never have been effected This will appear to be incontrovertibly true if we consider that in the time of K. James I. we were under no Restrictions as to matters of Trade more than they except as to the Exportation of Wool and a few other Things of English Product and so we continu'd till the Restoration when K. Charles II. and the English did very ungratefully lay such Preclusions and Restrictions upon us contrary to the Laws relating to the Postnati by the 12 Car. II. For the incouraging and increasing Shipping and Navigation and the 15 Car. II. For the Encouragement of Trade by which we are put in the same Circumstances as to Traffick with France and Holland and in a worse Condition than Ireland that is a Conquest which is so much the more unreasonable since we are always involv'd and ingag'd in the Wars betwixt England and other Countries And those with whom they have most frequent Wars being Holland and France the only two Nations with whom the Scots have almost any Commerce our Trade must of necessity sink during such Wars whereas England hath still a great Trade to other parts of the World and by this means we are forc'd to be sharers in their Troubles tho' they will not allow us to partake of their Profits nor suffer us to take any measures to procure such as we may call our own It is plain from the Instance of Darien and the Proclamations in the English American Colonies against their Subjects entertaining any Commerce with our Settlement there that we are in a worse condition than ever for when any thing happens wherein the Interest of England seems to be contrary to ours it is certainly carried against us so that in this respect we are in a worse condition than any Foreigners with relation to England for if a foreign People discover any thing that may be of Advantage to them they are at liberty to pursue it by themselves or to take in the Assistance of others and if they find themselves aggriev'd by England they have their respective Governments to make Application to for Redress To let them see that it is their Interest as well as ours it should be so we shall only desire them to consider how fatal it may be if by any