The Romans had no
sooner divided, broken and subdued those powers upon the continent of
Europe, who had given a diversion in the great attempt they had long
intended, than they attacked the Carthaginians, a maritime power,
potent in arms, immensely opulent, possessed of the trade of the whole
world, and unrivalled mistress of the sea. Yet these people, who
enjoyed no wealth, pursued no commerce, and at the commencement of
their quarrel were not masters of a single ship, at length prevailed
against this enemy upon their proper element, beat and destroyed their
fleets, invaded their dominions, and subdued their empire. From
whence, sir, I must conclude, that we cannot wholly rely upon our
situation, or depend solely on our naval power; and I may venture to
reason upon this axiom, _that this nation must contribute to support
the house of Austria and the balance of power in some degree_.
The next question that occurs, is, in what degree we ought to do it,
and whether we should do it with our whole force? Taking, therefore,
our footing here upon this axiom, that we must contribute to it in
some degree, and taking farther to our aid the reasoning of those
gentlemen, who think it a work of such extreme danger, and almost
desperate, the natural and evident conclusion can be only this, that
as we must do it, so we must do it _with the utmost vigour, and with
our whole force_.
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