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INTERESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 447to the present inquiry, except so far as continental relationsare concerned. The effects which it had upon these weremanifold.The first was the restoration of the subsidy system. From the moment it was decided to send an armyover to America, the need of foreign assistance was sensiblyfelt The assertion of Lord Chatham, " that cases may occurin which connexion with German princes could not be dispensed with/' is again applicable here. He certainly hadnot anticipated such a case as the present, and could nothave alluded to the contest which broke out with Americaon the subject of exemption from taxation. 1 Once admitting however (which I am very far from maintaining) thatit was politic to attempt the subjugation of America byforce, there can be little doubt that mercenary aid was thebest resource which could be adopted. The lives of theirown men were thereby spared lives which a state likeEngland could least of all afford to lose.Further, although this war did not giverise to a continental war in itEurope, yet did to one amongst the European powers, as France took part with America, and Spain,by virtue of the family compact, was also necessarily drawninto it. America was merely a secondary stage for thesepowers,the war between them was almost entirelya colonial one, for which new materials had been accumulatingever since the treaty of Paris. One of the greatestevilsthat disturbs the isEuropean system that intermixture of itscolonies, naturally occasioned by their geographical position.This was the principal cause of the seven years' war, and,although the peace which put an end to it, and by whichFrance was completely dispossessed of its continental possessions in North 2America, was in some measure a remedyfor this evil, it nevertheless contributed in other respects*The^ opinions of Chatham respecting America may be gathered from thebill which he proposed to the Upper House, but without success, Feb. 1, 1775,after the disturbances had broken out. It will be found in Life of Pitt, ii.p. 129. The colonies were to remain dependent, but to have the privilege oftaxing themselves by their provincial assemblies. The congress at Philadelphia, which had already assembled, was to settle the division of the taxesamong the provinces, and to determine the sum which each was to contributetowards the liquidation of the national debt in England. Even Chathamcould not rise sufficiently high to take an enlarged view of the immeasurable advantage which would result to England from the complete liberationof America.2 After that it ceded Louisiana also to Spain, 1765.