PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNOI, No. 69, HIGH-STREET, BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS, PHILADELPHIA
[No. 55, of Vol. lII.]
FROM THE FREEMAN-s JOURNAL
Mr. BAILEY,
IT is tie duty of every good citizen, and every prudent man,
to consider the nature and operation of the public rreafures,
that arc adopted from time to time by government, whether they
be those of Congress or the State Legislature. I found myfelt,
fatisfied on very little reflexion, with the impofton foreign goods,
and I fee plainly it tends to give a considerable part of the nc
ceffary revenue, and, at the fame time, to encourage manufac
turing at home. Smcc the new revenue law, or cxcife, as some
call it, has been patted, I have had it in my mind a good deal,
and turned it there much and often. On thinking for myfelf
(for I d • not like any man to heat or cool me too much on pub
lic fubjtfts) some things strike me, which did not at firft occur,
and as they may not have come into the minds of some of my
countrymen, may be it will do no harm to fend them to your
free paper.
The firft remark that strikes me is, that by the
made, there appears to be no occasion Jor aland tax, or any otfw
kind oj taxy and no probability ot one, if this revenue is colle£t«l ;
for there seems enough impost and duty on spirit to keep us clear
of them all. Now I never did expert to fee the public debts of)
this country, and the expences of government and an Indian war/
all provided for at once, without one dollar of land tax, or tax oif
polls, or heads, or personal property ! I find too, if I have a
mind to be sober and frugal, and have a large family, whose
maintenance obliges mc to be so, I can make out with cider,
mead, metheglin and beer, without pay ing any of duty, and
I can fell my gain for food, or to those who make a trade of
distilling and brewing to fell by wholcfalc. There is no doubt
that thole, who do follow liquor-making as a trade, will do it
the cheaper, in propoition as they make it in large quantities,
and that they can afford to give a price for grain to diftill, which
it would not do tor an owner of a Hill of fitly gallons to pay.
The duty on the lowest foreign rum, is much higher than the du
ty on home made spirits ot the fame proof or strength. Ihe
home made spirits of grain and fruit, pay only nine cents, or
about eight pence Penufylvania money, which is cxaftly the du
ty laid by the of Assembly, and continued tor many, many
years, by as good patriotic whig as ever fat in this
State, o- in any other country upon earth. But foreign spirits
tf the famepioof pays 20 cents, or 18 pence Pennsylvania money,
whicn is above double the duty on our spirits. It is plain to me
that ttiis diff rence of eleven cents (or about ten pence) in favor
ot home-niude spirits, mull very soon stop the ute of any great
quantity 01 foreign rum and brandy, even on the ft:a coast, and
that it will put an end to it in the back country, the firft time we
have a good crop ?nd bad markets abroad. From accounts it
feims very likely that thts will be the cafe with our present crop,
This great difference in the duty in favor ot home made spirits,
will be tound a vast help to the farmer, and therefore found and
patriotic policy in Congress. It is better tor the maker of home
spirits, to pay eight pence on his rum, ai)d to have eighteen pence
«n rival Brill(h rum, than to be quite tree from duty, and have
only seven pence as before, on foreign spirits. Under the State
law, we had only 2 and 1-2 on foreign rum, and then our itills
had a worte chance, by fix or seven pence.
They think in Holland and Britain, that the growing of hops
and barley is a very profitable part of farming ; and it is plain
that America will be better off, by railing gieat quantities of them;
for the mofe various our produce, the more certain it will be that
wc shall get some of our crops through to advantage, in our va
rious fcafotis wet and dry. I therefore argue, that the high du
ties on foreign spirits (which have been very much increaf.d on
account of the duty on ours) will bring on a deal of brewing, ana
call for hops, and winter and fummcr barley, in large guanines.
Indeed I think, this very season there will be such a want of bar
ley, owing to the short impost of rum and molalfrs, that wheat
will be mahed in some places. It a man that ov\ ns a ft:II, will
■work it smartly and pay by the capacity of the still, and not by
the gallon, the duty will not stand him more than one third of
■what foreign rum is to pay, so he Can afford more for grain and
fruit to still. We know very well iri Pennsylvania, that old
William Penn was a fhrcwd fcnfible man. He kept peace with
the Savages better than any of the other proprietors, governors, or
old king's governors, thai we read of ; and he brought Pennsyl
vania forward by the foundations he laid, fafter than any country
m the world, in the fame time, This wife old man, in the year
1684. fixt a duty on spirits of all kinds, of twelve pence, as
the nest revenue for a young country. He justly observes, thai
the rich and the drunkard pay nearly the whole of it. The sober
ami modcrau pay lit le ; and any man may pay nothing by using
only cider, metheglin and bei r. Penn was certainly a very wife
man, a good Christian, a friend to liberty, civil and leligious, and
had a remarkable insight and foreh,;ht in the true interefl and ca
pacities ot this country, ft is my opinion, Mr. Bailey, that the
regulation of (piruuous liquors <s as importantto the happiness
©t man, and thetru ferviceof God, as schools and places of wor
ship. School a youth ever so well, teach him the way of a sober
and pious life ever so carefuiiy, he will be in the greatcft danger
it spirituous liquors be as plenty by him as the springs and foun
tains. Isa man will spend his money, or give his labor for drink,
ia such a degree as to make himfelt unfit for work, the more he
pays for it the better, because the price will set lomc bounds to
exccfTts. I find a particular comfoit in the excise, on the follow
ing'(core—The Stare debts, if ihev had not been afTumed, would
have remained for the States to pay. Havingvefted Congress with
the impost', the States would probably have laid a land tax, for
they could not have laid an excise without ruining the country
distilleries, unless Congress had raised the duty on foreign rum,
as rhey have done from a regard for the home distiller ; and it is
bui right. further to mark the scrupulous justice of Congress, in
regard to the money. In order that the money raised on stills
and spirits in the back country, might be applied to the immedi
ate benefit of the persons reTiding in those parts, they have provi
ded, that all that /lull be raised this year, by the revenue or ex
cise law, shall be pledged to pay the expences of General St.
Clair's, and QcfoeTaiScotl-s and other expeditions against the Sa
vages, thai harralsour back country, from Pennsylvania to Geor
gia. This is surely giving the bell and faireft course to things, and
is 1 iglit well done.
This dary is alio to be applied in part to renewing the treaty
with the emperor of Morocco, whose cruisers would take our
veiTeU and interrupt the iales of our fifh, grain, indigo, rice, to
baado and lumber in Europe, and the wine countries. Other
uses to which the money produced by the excise will be applied,
are to pa-y ofFonr de&ls to France and other friendly powers,
contrasted in the late war with Britain, and £o our creditors at
Saturday, August 20, 1791.
home. It mud therefore be the desire and interest of every good
dtizen. who wishes that our government inay discharge these ob
ligations, and may obey these plain delates of policy, to give a
helping hand to the law'. This is growing up inio a powerful and
glorious country, and will continue to grow, if we have peace at
home and keep'faith abroad. Above all, we Ihould try not to
owe money to foreign kings, because it will give them a pretext
to interfere in our affairs, and ihey are a fort of persons, who like
to meddle with other nation's matters. lam your friend, and
A CONSTANT READER.
\JVe have received several numbers of the BEE, a
new work, tidv) publijhing oy Dr. Anderson, in
Edinburgh, from which extrafls may occafioually
appear in this Gazette.~\
FROM THE BEE
rT> EVOLUTIONS in l'ocieties and nations arc
-t\- not affairs universally demonstrable, that
owe their perfection or circUmscription to the
powers of the human mind. These belong ra
ther to the nature of cnufe and effect. 1 heir
hidden and secret nature are belt known by their
confcquences. One catfe however is obvious,
the opprejfion of men in power. Despotic govern
ments might preserve the peace and felicity of
their subjects by lenity and equicy of administra
tion. The people under such princes might be
cemented to their sovereigns without so much as
knowing for why—at least without any inquiry
into the rights of sovereignty : But whenever op
preflion begins, the painlul chains speak to their
understanding more emphatically than all the
eloquence of Demosthenes. Another evident rea
son of (late-revolution is, the introduction of com
merce. The heads of the people might even be
generous and humane in framing an abfolnte go
vernment : But these principles being only flexi
ble, and corruptible by interest, what can lave a
nation from utter ruin, but the common and
commercial people ? and how (hall these become
saviours ot their country, unless by mechanical
ingenuity and commerce, they obtain influence
to raise up their dignity ? Unless they indultri
oufly cultivate those arts, which have fertility to
flip pi y the defeats of nature ? Oppreflion, there
fore, matching with influence and mental refine
ment, will fh uggie and debate from their own
weight and importance ; and the refulc mil ft turn
out according to the superior balance of contend
ing powers. Such things appear to have been
two causes of the French Revolution, which, if
as ftedfaftly maintained in infancy, as at the
birth, imift be productive of the manhood of li
berty. If these principles laid down are gene
ral, "Spain in its multiplied degrees of fbciety,
and ill firuation for trade, on account of the in
flux of the Mexican fpecic, inufi yet spur long in,
the furrows of slavery.
Sketches of Fox, Burks., Pitt, Sheridan, See
[By the Author of Lessons to a You nc Pr i nce,]
[IT is an old, but ufeful adage -Read every author with ajeahus
eye. — Mankind would be under infinitely greater obligations 10
men of learning for their literary labors, were they more candid
in their remarks upon eath other ; there is a kind of Turkish po
licy predominant in theii obfervalions on cotemporaries ; not
merely imaginary rivalfhip, but any kind of equality is intolera
ble—and hence'it is very uncommon to find a generous acknow
ledgment of merit in the works of others, even on fubjefls in
which neither are particularly interested ; but with refpeft to an
oppofnion ol sentiment, it seldom fails to produce a copious ef
fnfion ol difqualifying epithets. Thele observations will apply
to differences in politics—the most brilliant success on the part of
those who are fortunate rivals, cannot defend them from the
fhafts of obloquy ; and tho the world may award the tribute of
applause, the acrimony of a party spirit will attempt to blast their
laurels. The following sketches, are the produ&ion of genius,
wit and learning, but the ebullitions of envy and prejudice are lo
apparent that they cannot be read without indignatiun—The
world at large have long entertained very different lentiments of
the rcfpe&ive chara£ters, but this writer of lcflons, has flripped
the group of both integrity and abilities—and with a generous
design to benefit posterity no doubt, has configncd their me
mories to execration !1
I AM going to hazard an opinion, on which 1
would hazard my life—that Fox, by far the
foperior man of the party, is remarkably defec
tive in the great and inventive properties of wif
dom—fchemes, plans, information, or materials,
have ever been collected for Fox, by all the ta
lents and industry of a powerful party; and he
has, above all men, the faculty of inltantly giv
ing order and expression to uncouth and enor
mous mafles; but his mind not embracing the
origin of meaftires, it is a chance that he directs
them to the ruin or advantage of his party. I
will give as inllances—the coalition—the India
bill—the inherent riglu of regency—and the
trial of Warren Hading?—events which mark
129
tit&o
[Whole No. 2.41.]
the public life of Mr. Fox with national oditim;
and he has incurred it, not from difhorielVy, for
if there be an honest man among the political ad
venturers and champions of the time, lie isCharlM
Fox ; but for want of abilities, for want of wif-
dom.
Who projected the coalition I am not inform
ed. By internal evidence, 1 ihould adjudged it
to be the idea of Burke ; the extravagant absur
dity of it suits 110 other mind.
The India bill, I am well aflured, is Burke's
own offspring, and it strongly bears the impres
sions of its parent.
The dodrine of hereditary regency was fur
niflied by Lord Loughborough ('the well known
Wedderburne) with abundant promises of autho
rities and reasons, which are not fulfilled.
In the trial of eloquence has been
employed like water"! n an inundation, withouc
judgment and without advantage.
All the objects in the contemplation of Mr.
Fox on these celebrated occasions, might have
been obtained—not only without infamy, but
with applause,
Pitt has obtained them all, with abiliiies greatly
.lferior, but with the art of profiting by the er
rors of Fox. He has all the advantages of a coa
lition, by detaching Robinson* from his old
mailer. He has acquired more power in India,
than Mr. Fox aimed at, by only saving appear
ances with the King : he has acquired popularity
by a doiSrine respeCting the power of twoeftates
in Parliament, which if advanced by Mr. Fox,
would have procured his impeachment—and he
has rendered his opponents the inftrument9 of
his own purposes refpecfting Mr. Haftings-j-.
Such are the superlative abilities of your Royal
Higlinefs's principal, though, perhaps, not your
favorite couniellor.
That Burke has talents, 110 man of sense will
pretend to deny; but they are fuperficial, often
ratious, and want the guidance of judgment and
science. Satis eloquent!*, fapiintine paruin.
Sh6rit]aii',"with equal imagination has more art;
and being educated on the Itage, understands the
method of giving effect to every sentiment, ac
tion and expreflion. But he is a mere artificer of
scenes ; his orations are plays in a new form, and
they produce amusement and admiration, never
conviction or refpetfl,
The abilities and accomplishments of the three
iiaited, would not conllitute a ftatcfinaii, or a.
truly great man. Their fancies or imaginations
are not balanced by science, or that high and etf*-
ataed reason which is formed by the calm and pa
*ien# |/ ltudy of Fhilofophy, a profound acquaintl
- with liiftory, and fVridt discipline of mathe
matics,
* Lord North's confidential fecretarv.
+ If the conduct of the Minister were thoroughly understood
in this bufinrfs ; if the motives of his sudden conversion to the
opinion that Hastings should be impeached, were Hated to Parlia
ment and the country by an able and honest Senator, we might
fee what we have long wanted, a minister rendered a&ually re
sponsible.
EXTRACT from the ALBANY REGISTER.
SUPPOSE a man to have fix children, three of
them Tons, whose eflate is worth 3000]. —the
iiuereft of this is only rßol. per annum ; —with
this finall f«m he has fix children to maintain,
clothe and educate—He certainly cannot bring
all his lons up profelfional men, por his daugh
ters fine ladies. Let him then make them ufejul
members of society. Two of his sons let liim
make tradesmen. By this he will save the ex
pence of supporting them from 14 years of age,
and ever after ; and give them what they will
ever have reason to bless him for, a trade, which
is better than an estate, because it can never be
fpenr.—The third, if he be favored by the indul
gent hand of Providence, with that defirablff
bleflinggmius, let him make a profelfional man.
And his daughters, let them be infti utfted to spin,
knit and few 7 as well as the ordinary work ot a
house, but by no means neglect their education.
Let them Uoaft, with a conicious pride, that the
cloaths they wear every day are the fruits of their
ovrn industry; and I'll engage those allurements
will soon attracft the notice of men of sense, and
dazzle in their eyes, superior to the brilliancy
of a crimson silk—the gay appearance of a fngar
loaf bar. thrown carclefsly on one fide of the
head, with the addition of an elastic bilhop, and
a full bveaued ltomacher.
AN OBSERVER,