later. American ships and merchants then, after the separation
from the mother-country, continued the trade which they had enjoyed as
colonists; Nelson, zealous for the commercial advantage of England as
then understood, undertook to enforce the act, and in so doing found
against him the feeling of the West Indians and of the colonial
authorities. It does not seem that he or those supporting him searched
unlawfully, for the power of England was great enough to protect her
shipping interests without using irregular means; whereas Spain
between 1730 and 1740, being weak, was tempted, as she has since been,
to seize those whom she knew to have injured her wherever she could
find them, even outside her lawful jurisdiction.

After reading the entirely sympathetic presentation of the case of
Walpole's opponents, urging war, which is given by Professor Burrows
in his Life of Lord Hawke, a foreigner can scarcely fail to conclude
that the Spaniards were grievously wronged, according to the rights of
the mother-country over colonies as commonly admitted in that day;
though no nation could tolerate the right of search as claimed by
them. It chiefly concerns our subject to notice that the dispute was
radically a maritime question, that it grew out of the uncontrollable
impulse of the English people to extend their trade and colonial
interests. It is possible that France was acting under a similar
impulse, as English writers have asserted; but the character and
general policy of Fleuri, as well as the genius of the French people,
make this unlikely. There was no Parliament and no opposition to make
known popular opinion in the France of that day, and very different
estimates of Fleuri's character and administration have found voice
since then. The English look rather at the ability which obtained
Lorraine for France and the Sicilies for the House of Bourbon, and
blame Walpole for being overreached. The French say of Fleuri that "he
lived from day to day seeking only to have quiet in his old age. He
had stupefied France with opiates, instead of laboring to cure her. He
could not even prolong this silent sleep until his own death."[85]
When the war broke out between England and Spain, "the latter claimed
the advantage of her defensive alliance with France. Fleuri,
grievously against his will, was forced to fit out a squadron; he did
so in niggardly fashion." This squadron, of twenty-two ships, convoyed
to America the Spanish fleet ass