[Extract]
S^r.

. . . its very hard the Circumstances of the Times admits not the Sea Ports to exert their strength in the little Maritime War we are able to carry on, with[ou]t incurring the Jealousy & Envy of the Country People, who Ultimately reap all the Advantages arising from it; My Agencys¹ so totally engross my Time that I know but little of Public Affairs, therefore unfit to write a Lre of this Sort; Millets² Accounts have made me from a Warm Advocate for Privateering almost a Convert to the Interests of the Army, I shoud always have been so, but I had such a high Opinion of Our Virtue & Our strength, that I only look’t on Privateering as the exuberance of both, but I find my self mistaken, stand rectified in my Opinion & shall act accordingly, tho’ I cant entirely give up Privateering, as its confin’d but to few States, the middle Ones [be]ing wholly excluded by Howe’³ situation &c,

. . . it was movd in Council,⁴ that all the Small Privateers under such a Burthan shod have no Commcons [i.e., commissions] granted them, & it had been Carried but Mr Hopkins⁵ opposd it, they were stigmatisd as Pirates &c &c but he Urgd they had Commissions from the State, and if so, the Conclusion was too Pointed, the ostensible pretence was they hurt our Nova Scotia Friends, but the Public Voice says, they disturbd the Clandestine Trade carried on thro’ that Channel, & the Popularity of the Derbys⁶ lessons much on this Motion, & some other Circumstances of which you may have better information from Millet, it was One of these little Piratical Privateers, that took the Rich Prize Millet will inform you of, and for which I hope the Army will be so much the better, You understand Mechanics and can apply them Politically, one broken or Weak Cog in a Principal Wheel retards the Motion of all the Dependent or Colateral Ones, had this Motion of Derbys past our Legislature, it might have been adopted by the whole Continent without Knowing the Sinister motive of it, and ⅓ if not ½ of our Advantages by Privateering have been struck of[f]—Give Pay enough, Premium enough, and a high Gratuity at the expiration of three Years or the War, and there certainly is Landmen enough in America, to fill Your Armys withtrecurring to the Ports to lessen the little Maritime Strength and Advantages agst the most Potent Maritime Nation that ever existed in the World, . . .

In hopes of Congratulating You on some favourable event that may happen befor you arrive here, am with great respect [&c.]