1/A '- letters. L E T T E R XI. r Amsterdam, Oct. i 7, 1780. OUR eleventh question will give an opportuni -■ ty of making some obfervationsnpona fubjedl that is quiit misunderstood in every part of Eu iope. I fiiall ani'wer it with pleasure, ac coi ding to the bell of my information, and with ihe utuioit candor. i lie quellion is, " How great is the pr.'J] nt debt (/J America ? What has J}>e occafton for yearly to ast defenjively ? Are thoje wants J applied by the inhabitants themjelves, or by other nations ? If in '^ e latter cafe, what does America lose of her strength by it ? Are they not, in one manner or other, recompensed again by J 'ome equivalent advantage ? tf J~°> what manner'? What would be required to a(i off en five ly, and by that means fhorttn the war ?" All Europe lias amiltaken apprehension of the present debt of America. This debt is of two foi ;s ; that v hichis due from the Thirteen Unit ed States in Congress aflembled ; and that which is owing from each of the Thirteen States in its se parate capacity. lam not able to fay with pre cision what the debt of each separate State is, but al! these added together, fall far fliortof the debt of the United States. 1 lie debt of the United States conlifts of three branches: 1. the Aims which have been lent them by trance and Spain, and by Mr. Beauinarchais and Company : These have been for purchalinji some supplies of cannon, arms, ammunition ana cloathing for the troops ; for allilling prisoners elcapedfrom England, and for some other pnrpof cs ; but thewhole Ann amountstono great thing. 2. I lie Loan-OiTice Certificates; which are promiflbrv notes given to individuals in America, who have lent paper money to Congress, and are their lecurities for the payment of the principal nndintereft. These the Congress have equitably determined flinll be paid, according to the value of the paper bills, in proportion to silver, at the time of their dates. 3. 1 lie paper bills which are now in circula tion, or which were in circulation 011 the eigh teenth day of March last. Tliefe bills amounted to the nominal ium of two hundred millions of dollars ; but the real value of them to thepoflef fors is estimated at forty for one, amounting to five millions of Spanifli dollars, or one million and -a quarter sterling. This is the full value of them, perhaps more ; but this estimation has given fatis fa<slion, in America to the pofleflors of them, who certainly obtained tliem in general at a cheaper rate. These three branches of debt, which are the whole, (according to a calculation made last May, and fern me by a Member of Congress, who has been four years a member of their Treasury-board and is a perfe(Jl mailer of the fubjetft) amount in the whole to five millions sterling, and 110 more. "1 he national debt of America then is five millions sterling. In Older to judge of the burthen of thisdebt, we may compare it with the numbers ofpcople .They are three millions. The national debt of Great Britain is t\vo,hundred millions. The number of people in England and Scotland is not more than fix u)inions.--\Vhy fh'ould not America, with three millions oi people, be able to bear a debt of one hundred millions, as well as Great Britain, with fix millions cf 1 people, a debt of two hundred mil lions ? We may compare it with the exports of Ame rica:—ln 1774 the exports ,of America were fix millions sterling. In the fame year the exports of Great Britain were twelve millions.—Why would not the exports of America, ot fix millions, bear a national debt of one hundred millions, as well as the twelve millions of British exports bear a debt of two hundred millions? We 111 ay compare it, in this manner, with the national debt of France, Spain, the United Pro vinces, Ruflia, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal ; and you will find that it is but final! in couiparifon. We may compare it 111 another point of view. Great Britain has already spent in this war sixty millions sterling—America five millions. Great Britain has annually added to her national debt more than the whole amount of her annual exports. America has not added to hers, in the course of five years war, a sum eijual to one years exports. The debt of Great Britain is, in a large propor tion of it, due to foreigners, forwhich theymuft annually paythe interest, by lending cash abroad. A very trifle of the American debt'is yet due to foreigners. Lord North borrowed last year twelve millions, and every future year of tliewarmuft borrow the fame 01 a larger fuin—America could carry 011 this war an hundred years, by borrowing on ly one million sterling a year. The annual expenceof Americahasnotliither to exceeded one million a year—that of Great hi itam has exceeded twenty millions some years. America may therefore carry on this war an hun dred years, and at the end "of it be 110 more in debt, in proportion to lier present numbers of peo ple, and her exports hi 1 774, than Great Britain is now. There is another confederation of some weight; the landed inlereft in America is vastly greater, in proportion to the mercantile interelt, than it is in Great Britain. The exports of America are the productions of the foil annually, which in crease every year. The exports of Great Britain were manufactures, which will decrease every year, while this war with America lalts. The only objection to this reasoning is this, that America is not used to great taxes, and the people there are not yet disciplined to such en ormous taxation as in England. This is true; and this makes all their perplexity at present: But they are capable of bearing as great taxes in pro portion as the Engliih; and if the English force them to it, by continuing the war, they will re concile themselves to it: And they are in fact now taxing themselves more and more every year, and to an amount, that a man who knew America on ly twenty years ago would think incredible. Her wants have hitherto been l'upplied by the inhabitants themselves, and they have been very little indebted to foreign nations. But on ac count of the depreciation of her paper, and in order to introduce a more liable currency, she has now occasion to borrow a sum of money a broad, which would enable her to support her credit at home, to exert herfelf more vigorously againit the English both by sea and land, and greatly aiTlft herin extending her commerce with foreign nations, especially the Dutch. America would not lose of her strength by borrowing mo ney, but, on the contrary, would gain vallly. It would enable her to exert herfelf more by pri vateering, which is a mine of gold to her. She would make remittances in bills of exchange to foreign merchants, for their commodities ; and it would enable many perfonsto followtlieir true intei elt in cultivating the land, inflead of attend ing to manufactures, which being iiidifpenfible, they are now obliged more or less to follow, tlio' less profitable. The true profit of America is the continual augmentation of the price and va lue of land. Improvement in land is her prin cipal employment,her belt policy, and the princi pal source of her growing wealth. The lall question is easily answered. It is, " 11 hat would he required to a(l offensively, and by " that means shorten the -war ?" To this I answer, Nothing is wanted but a loan of money and a fleet of ships. A fleet of ships, only fufficient to maintain a superiority over the English, would enable the infant Hercules to flrangle all the serpents that em non liis cradle. It is impoflible toexprefs in too ltrong terms the importance of a few lhips of the line to the Americans. Two or three French, or Dutch, or Spanish ships of the line, Rationed at Rhode-Island, Bollon, Delaware River, orChe. fapeake Bay, would liave prevented the dread ful facrifice at Penobfcot. Three or four ships of the line would have prevented the whole expe dition to Charleßon. Three or four ships of the line more, added to thp squadron of the Chevalier de Ternay, would have enabled the Americans to have taken New-York. A loan of money is now wanted, to give liability to the currency of America; to give vi<r OU r to the enlifhnents for the army ; to add alacrity to the fitting out privateers ; aJid to give an ample extention to their trade. The Americans will labor through, without a fleet, and Without a loan. But it is ungenerous and cruel to put tliem to such difficulties, and to keep mankind embroiled in all the horrors of war, for want of such trifles, which so many of the powers of Lurope wish they had, and could so easily furniih. But if mankind inuft be embroiled, and the blood of thousands mull: be shed, for want of a little magnanimity in some, the Amcricansmuf not be blamed, it is not their fault. „ 1 h ave the honor to be, &c. MR. CALKOEN. JOHN ADA MS. LIFE or CALLIMACH iTs! C[Srom the French of Le Ftvm.l ALLIMACHUS was ofCyrene, a city of Africa, and lived under the reign of Ptolemy Philadcl plius, and alio under that of Ptolemy Euergates, as maj be easily provedby some paflages in his works. I his poet was one of the wisest men of his acre • and perhaps it would be difficult to find any au thor, who hau written a greater number of po ems. But he did not love long productions ; there fore he never wrote but one piece of a tolerable lenth which he entitled The Causes. And when lie was aiked why he was so fond of what could be only termed mere effufions, he replied, A pond ious volume is a grievous thing." We find the fame thought at the end of one i.s , ymi „ j s exprefled in a manner v-ould E r K e,U: ; T? V° mh] y that manner would not be unacceptable to the reader. << The Euphi ates, fays he, "is anobleriver; but for his fn-m.V Pl 'i efer th ° fe Utt,e ' and fountains one drop of which is more precious than all the mud and citron of that great river.'' Nothing of lus has reached us exccpt some epi grains and a few hymns *. His style is Z and nervous. Catullus and Oropertius have frequftu lv imitated ; and fomctimes (lb high did their ad miration of him rife) even translated him! *Hu hymns were ,legally trained by the uufcrtunate Dr. Dodd. Ne \v -York. November j 8 u TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Sep"' £ g GENERAL ACCOUNT of ANTICIPATIONS* A MOUNTof Orders drawn hy t 1 ' htfScrperin ! Cnda,, . t , of ,/'?" *• " P» JDol inent herewith, No. I. Amount of Warrants drawn by the lite board of 93:46 * ** Treasury, remaining unpaid, as pr. particular State ment herewith, No. 11. 0 15 9.g06^ Treasury of the United State*. ' "' hj 395 63 Bfgjlir's OJite, Sept. 1789. The Secretary of the Treafur.y ) <° SlP > ! *V»,, oj the United States. £ No. J. A particular STATEMENT of ORDERS drawn by the late Superintendant of Finance, on ie veral of the Receivers of Taxes, remaining unpaid, and were comprised in the Estimate made by the Secretary of the Treasury, and by him reported to the House of Representa tives of the United States. Date of Orders. n> , March o, 1784. ON William Whipple,Receiver ' for New-Hampshire, in favor of Capt. PhilipLeibert, beingbalance o!f>ay due him, 10 - . March 8, 1784. On do. iu favor of Capt. An thony Sclin, being do. 210 r Sept. 30, 1784. On George Olney, Receiver for Rhode-Island, in favor of Timothy Pickering^Quartermafter-General, for the ufc of his department, 3>°oo Deduct so much paid, 1,053 68 —1.946 28 Ditto. On Thomas Tillotfon, Receiver for New-York, in favor of Timo thy Pickering, Quarter mailer Ge neral for the ule of his depart ment, 50,000 Sept. 30,1784. On do. in favor of Abraham Skinner, late Commiflary-General of Prisoners for the payment of Af fumpfions made by him for the Board of Prisoners at Long-Island, 38:892 75 Ditto. On William Gcddes, Receiver for Delaware, in favor ofTimothy Pickerijig, Quartermafter-Gcneral for the ule of his department, 5,000 D.'dust so much paid, 2,700 — 2,330 Dollars, 93,463 29 Treasury of the United States. Regijkcr's Office, 24 th Sept. 1789. No. 11. A particular STATEMENT of WARRANTS drawn by the late Board of Treasury on Mi chael Hill eg as, late Treasurer of the Uni ted States, which remain unpaid, and were comprised in the Eflimate made by the Secre tat-y of the Treasury of the United States, and by him reported to the House of Representa tives of the United States. Warrant, f Ao " [| Department, a{'/[7r"what draun. | M CIVIL LIST. 1786. oa. to. 5 22 EDWARD CHINN, Comm.f fioner for adjusting the Accounts of Rhode-Island, for his own and Clerks Office-rent, See. from the ill of July, to 30th Sept. 1786, ■ 46415 Paid in part, 50' —4M J 5 1787- 804 Arnold H. Dohrman, late agent Nov. 19. for the United States, at the Court ofLifbon, his salary, 15,600 Paid in part, 2.562 46 — 13>°37 44' 1788. 927 Elizabeth Wallace, for the pay- J ul X 5- ment of a Rcgifter's Certificate in favor of Robert Patton, pr. act of Congress, 24th of June, 1788. 557 l * 943 Jonathan Burial), Aflignee to John White, late Commiflioner for the States of Pennsylvania, De laware, and Maryland, for salaries and contingent expences from lft January to 3d of March, 1788, 7°i 35 944 Do. Aflignee of William Win der, Commiflioner for the States of Virginia and North Carolina, for salaries and contingent expen ses of his office, from lft of Aprilto #oth June, 1788, 1:354 Sept. 3. 979 Dunlap and Claypoole, for print ing the Resolves of Congress, ad- . vcrtifcments for contrasts, See. Jl s 3 980 Jeremiah Wadfworth, Aflignee of Jonathan Trumbull, being for the principal and interest of a Re gifler's Certificate, pr. act of Con gress, 28th July, 1788, 2,383 45 Deduct so much paid, as appears by the Re ceiver's Account, 2.000 38345 984 Jonathan Burrall, Afligi 'of John White, Commiflioner for the States of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, salaries and contin gent expenses of office, for one quarter, ending 30th June, 94 2 7* 985 Ditto, Aflignee of do. being an advance on account of said White's salary, 6 °° Oft. 9. 956 Joseph Hardy, Attorney to George Reed, Commiflioner for South Carolina and Georgia, for salaries, quarter ending 30th June, 34 Dec. 19. 1038 Edward Chinn, late Commis sioner for Rhode-Island, for sala ries and contingent expenses of of- sice, one quarter,ending 30th Jnne, (To be continued.) Dollars, ,7
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