A LETTER From a GENTLEMAN at London to his FRIEND at Edinburgh.  
SIR,  
I Am informed that those, who in the last Meeting of our Parliament appeared for the Interest of the Country, have taken a Resolution to begin the ensuing Session with an Act declaring the Nations Right to Caledonia; which I presume to be a very wrong step, and such as will prove of very bad consequence. I suppose, the great Argument that has been offered for this Method, is, that nothing will more Unite the Members of Parliament, than the sensible Injury done to the Nation by the Destruction of that Colony. But, I hope, that upon better consideration Men of Honesty and good Intentions will not suffer themselves to be led into such a Mistake. For a Declaration of our right to Caledonia can do no real good to the Nation at this time: But the disbanding of the Army will. If they would be even with those who have ruined our Colony, they can never do it any way effectually, but by breaking the Army. They are now to choose upon which of these two Heads they will again break with the Court; for in my Opinion neither of them will be granted. But if it should be thought convenient to yield to either of these Propositions, 'twill certainly be to that of disbanding the Army, on Account of the Interest the Parliament of England might take in it, and perhaps second it for their own Security. Whereas the declaring our Right to Caledonia will (how unjustly soever) be attributed to mere pique and humour, because of no present Advantage to the Nation; and will sound ridiculously among our Neighbours, where our Weakness, and ill Conduct in that Affair has but too much exposed us. So that the Court can never desire a fairer pretence to vindicate themselves both to the English and Dutch, then to break up our Parliament upon such an Account. And we who are crushed by a Power which we are no way able to resist, aught to have great regard to such things as may engage all Men of good Intentions in those Countries to be our Friends; and not continue to mistake what is done in both by the Court Party, as proceeding from the Nations themselves. Besides, till the Army be disbanded, there is not the least probability of obtaining Money from the public, for carrying on the Trade of the Company. We must have lost our senses, if we do not see that a quarrel with us is industriously sought, that a pretence may be found to keep up an Army. And if the Court Party should prevail in the Parliament of England, who knows, how far our insisting upon the Business of Caledonia, without any prospect of present good to the Nation, might be made a handle to excite that Nation against us? I cannot but think there's just-ground to suspect the Conduct of those who by all means would push the Affair of the Colony at so unseasonable a time. We don't abandon our Rights and Privileges in this point, because we think fit in the first place to enter upon another Affair, which threatens us with the utmost danger. As long as we have a standing Army, we can have neither Trade nor Liberty. We expelled King James because he would keep up an Army in time of Peace. We are now struggling with this Government about the same thing. And a certain Person, tho' he stand looking on a Crown at such a distance, as amounts to a Vision, is yet so dazzled with its brightness, as to make it his business to employ the present Spirit and Vigour of the Nation in any thing rather than in breaking the Army. I value not Protestations; they are Nauseous things; I look only upon what Men do, and cannot forbear to think, that those, who after due consideration of our present Circumstances, shall in the Ensuing Session of Parliament, prefer any other Business to that of disbanding the Army, are Men seeking their own Interest, and not the good of their Country.  
I am Sir Your, etc. October 13. 1700.