Fromamixtureofprejudiceandinattention，wehavecontractedafalsenotionrespectingthenavyofEngland，andhavetalkedasifweshouldhavethewholeofittoencounteratonce，andforthatreason，supposed，thatwemusthaveoneaslarge；whichnotbeinginstantlypracticable，havebeenmadeuseofbyasetofdisguisedToriestodiscourageourbeginningthereon。Nothingcanbefartherfromtruththanthis；
forifAmericahadonlyatwentiethpartofthenavalforceofBritain，shewouldbebyfaranovermatchforher；because，asweneitherhave，norclaimanyforeigndominion，ourwholeforcewouldbeemployedonourowncoast，whereweshould，inthelongrun，havetwotoonetheadvantageofthosewhohadthreeorfourthousandmilestosailover，beforetheycouldattackus，andthesamedistancetoreturninordertorefitandrecruit。AndalthoughBritain，byherfleet，hathacheckoverourtradetoEurope，wehaveaslargeaoneoverhertradetotheWestIndies，which，bylayingintheneighbourhoodofthecontinent，isentirelyatitsmercy。
Somemethodmightbefallenontokeepupanavalforceintimeofpeace，ifweshouldnotjudgeitnecessarytosupportaconstantnavy。
Ifpremiumsweretobegiventomerchants，tobuildandemployintheirserviceshipsmountedwithtwenty，thirty，fortyorfiftyguns，（thepremiumstobeinproportiontothelossofbulktothemerchants）
fiftyorsixtyofthoseships，withafewguardshipsonconstantduty，wouldkeepupasufficientnavy，andthatwithoutburdeningourselveswiththeevilsoloudlycomplainedofinEngland，ofsufferingtheirfleet，intimeofpeacetolierottinginthedocks。Tounitethesinewsofcommerceanddefenseissoundpolicy；forwhenourstrengthandourrichesplayintoeachother’shand，weneedfearnoexternalenemy。