[No. 108,—Vol. ll.j THE TABLET. THE Editor accidentally met with the fol lowing Eflay, and thinks the remarks are of such a nature as deserve publication. FOR THE TABLET. " Tl,erc arc cerUln '"uations where foppefcd evils are productive of mach good." A National debt attaches many citizens to the government, who, by their numbers,wealth and influence, contribute more perhaps to its prefei vation than a body of soldiers. This ob servation has been made by every one. A nati onal debt not only prolongs the existence of the form of government ; but it has a direift ten dency to produce a wife and just administration • This efFe»ft is not equally obvious. Every measure tending to public good adds something to the security of the debt. It is for the advanT tage of the creditors to have that public, which is their debtor, become rich. The fame reason ap plies to the revenue laws. The creditors will wish to bring into the treasury the moil money with the least possible burden, or even difgult to the people. This is equally true of the public expences. This body of men will fee the public money squandered with pain and apprehension. Their influence will be exerted in fupportofa system of frugality. It seems to be inanifeft that the creditors will defxre to fee the public good promoted, and of courfewill dread an opprefllve and prodigal administration. It only remains to calculate the influence that this body of men will have, firft, upon the public opinion, and next up on the government itfelf. In this country, they are powerful by their numbers ; by their pro perty ; by their patriotifin j for it was that which made great numbers of thein public creditors. They arejuftly denominated by the Secretary " enlightened men." Their dispersed situation en ables them to give a strong impulse to the public mind in different parts of the country at th« fame instant. Interest will wake when patrio tifin flceps. As thefc persons have a common in terest, and that corresponds with the general interest of the society, felf love is combined with the love of our country. They become watchmen, and continue such, when other citi zens, left interested, relax their attention to pub lic affairs for the fake of their private concerns. Much has been said in favour of republican jea lousy. The creditors can never have ail interest against liberty—for tyranny and public credit cannot exilt together. Heaven grant that the union and the public liberty may last forever. If any expedient within the reach of human wisdom can preserve those blessings, it is the unchanging interest, which a powerful body of the belt and wisest citizens will have in their fafe keeping— who cannot neglect, and who will not betray the trust—whom government cannot do without, and who cannnot do without government. Rome fell, an almost unresisting pray to a des pot—why ? Roman liberty, as it was misnamed, was 3 burden to every body, except to a few who called their right to npprefe all others, liberty— being made alternately the instrument and vi«fiim ot tyranny, the weary world found even despo tism, a pillow of repose. But if the best citizens in Rome and in the provinces had really enjoyed freedom, and their property had depended on the security of the government, they would have ab horred any change, and most of all a change from liberty to tyranny. Caesar would have been watched and obliged to seek fame in th# Senate, or in the field, under their orders. FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES. MR. IFN'NO, T> Y examples we are constantly ta«glit, that of •*-» all the subjects which engross any fliare of our attention, there are few 011 which we can reason with lo little certainty as on thecontingent events involved in every political system ; or in the whole train ol human affairs, any, in which we are found to deduce such wrong conclufious, or where we meet with greater disappointments in the expec tations we may have formed. In the common oc currences of life, our judgment assisted by experi ence is generally a competent guide in conduc ing us to the obje<fls we have in view ; but the politician finds himfelf in a great measure with out this advantage, and is often obliged to con fide in measures warranted only by presumption, while he is si equently mortified ill perceiving the PUBLISHfcD WhDNKSUAVS A.ND SATURDAYS „ ;*» ,„. W , KAltilxm wotK No. CVIII SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1790. res ult ofluch plans as he thought were conceived in wifdoni and executed with prudence, prove the reverie of all he had proposed to himfelf. 1 was led to these reflections by a view of the pi efent ltate of public ass airs in this country, which appear so eflentiallv to contradict the pleaiing reveries of the Philosopher, and the sanguine hopes of the well-meaning politician. I will not attempt to delineate the durk pkfture which we a fliort time since prefeiHerl to the view of the world—the painful traces ij: :hat Ctuation are not yet effaced from the reflerting mind—l will only revert to the dawn of that day America ap peared ushering with majeltic splendor thro the dark clouds which had so long enveloped her po- Imcal hemifpherc— I will just re cal to memory that terafo honorable in the annals of mankind which gave to her a form of government, not the offspring of violence, but the result of calm and mature deliberation, directed by a view to the ge neral good—and to thatflill more glorious epoch when the hand which had so ably guided us thro a long and perilous war, was called forth to dis tribute the blessings of Peace, Liberty, and Inde pendence— Knchanting Profpe<ft ! The irradiat ing beams of pleasure broke on us with a lultre aim oft too dazzling—the Wertern wilds of Ame rica resounded in echoing her future glory and the peaceful waters of the lakes arose into bil lows fwelledby the general joy. 1 he happy unanimity and liberal policy which marked the proceedingsofthe firflfelfion of Con gress were calculated to confirm the most flattering anticipation. Thefecond was opened by a speech 11 om the head of the nation, pure as the fountain from which it ifiued, and urging in the most ex prelnve language an early and eariieft attention to such meafuresas would tend toeftablilh public credit on an immovable basis, and restore to this country that relpe<ftabijityfhe had lod in her'for mer weak and confufed councils- To this end and in conformity to a prior vote of government, the Secretary of the Treasury reported a funding fyifcejn, itamped the capacity of it 3 author, and constructed on those Apsm national princi ples which will alone lead us to national honor —butalgs, every feature of this fair portrait, has been wantonly distorted, or lays in broken pieces at the several shrines of ambition, avarice, and vanity—and the pride ofgaininga party athome, or of leading one here, is found paramount to a generous paifion for advancing the public good, which is only seen to arise in the finoke of the incense, burnt at the altars of State policies Sad defalcations indeed in the aspiring hopes en tei-tained from the late political revolution in this country ! The failure of public measures is not only to be attributed to the incapacity of rulers, but to the palfions of ambition and resentment, which are feldoin under control in men velted with power, and where the degree of responsi bility cannot by any human contrivance be made adequate to the confidence reposed. It is from the misapplication and perversion of great talents we have every thing to sear—those splendid abilities which are founded and intend ed by providence to exalt national fame and pro mote public happiness, operate in a contrary di rection when abused ; and instead of procuring honor, wealth and security to society, they in volve in disgrace and entail inifery and disorder on future generations. It is to be hoped that the great neck ar, of Ame rica, with all that superiority which belongs to a cool and determined mind, will be found proof againit the barbed fhafts of envy and interefled ambition, and eventually triumph over both, in his noble pursuit of the public welfare. The free use of the press is the birth-right of an American, which he will not consent to dilpofe of for a mess of pottage ; it is the fan which kin died that spark of liberty in this country, which is fact spreading overall Europe, and bids fair to illuminate the whole world. CONGRESS. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. TUESDAY, MARCH 30. The proportion for ajjuming the Jlatc debts under conjideration. MR. William son observed that on a fubjeft which had been handled by gentlemen of great information and abili ties, he could not expect to offer new arguments, but as he had not heard the arguments hitherto advanced, and as he differed very much from the opinion of the late committee, it was a duty he owed to himfelf, to the State he had the honor to represent, and to the nation at large, to give fomc reasons why he conceived that the debts of the several States ought not to be afTumed —He ob served that the national debt had been ftatrd at 54millions ofdol- AMERICANUS Ukso PRICE THREE DOLLARS PR. ANN art, the lntereftot thu sum is 3,240,000 dollars. The debts of the individual States had been Hated at 115 millions, he helieved a tew millions might be added to that amourit, for he knew that many citizens of North-Carolina had good claims agaiftft the State or the union not hitherto fettled, aud the State had inftrufted in delegates to obtain a longer time for exhibiting claims again!) the United States. He believed thecitirensofVirginiahad alfc many cLiimj to exhibit, and when he tonfiderrd the present claims of North-Carolina, were 6 or 7 millions of dollats ; he thought it not improbable that the amount of the debts might be near p millions—He would call it for the present 25; The inteieft of that turn is one million and a balf. He thought that an annual tax of ;j,a40,0°0 dollars 1, a burthen I'ufficient tor the present abilities »t tile nation ;he (?«> not cotnpiehend the 11 •_, ;heo-v, \\i. that a great burthen is more ea&lv carried by making it greater • he heartily wilhed a fafe voyage to the political veflel, but he 'had tome apprchenfions chat with the propoled cargo (he may fink at her anchors—He knew that the proposed ta* is small when we conlider the number of our fellow-citijens, and compare it with the numbers in fevera| kingdoms and the taxes paid bv them ; but the facility ofraifiijg taxes by iinpoAs and excises, is according to the number of inhabitants in any given (pace, In the aity of Pans, where a vail body of people are collected within a small space, the inhabitants are supposed by one species ol tax and another to pay 64 livres per head : in other Darts of that Kingdom it has been found difficult to colled tg livres per head from the fubjefls, though France is well peopled and contains many contidcrable cities. Ii three times as much could be coHcHed in the city of Paris by imposts duties andcxcifes as in the other parts of France, he con. ceived that very small sums might be expected to arise in Ameru ca from excises, and our impost mult decrease in proportion as theinduftryandneceflitiesof the people increafe—Headmitcd that direct taxes, as a land-tax or a poll-tax may be colkflcd with lome degree of certainty, but he withed never to fee direct taxc. lmpofed by the national government. They (re dangerous because they have been the means of cruel Oppreliion ; the Romans had never been completely miserable till one of their emperors had the addrelj to introduce a capitation tax ; he observed that his fellow-citizens in North-Carolina were not in general rich, few of them were ioprovident as to lay up money ; for this reason while he was entrusted with their concerns he (houldoppofeeverymeafurethat looked towardsdireft taxation, he withed never to fee the day, when tofatisfy a land tax, or a ca pitation tax, a poor man's cow or horse might be takenfrom him on which he depended for the support of helpless children. Let the State debts be once assumed and you mull proceed; ifyutir calculations are bad, and they are nothing more than pure con jecture, if they are bad, and the impost and excise does not come up to your expectations, the national honor tnuft be preserved the debt is yours and must be paid, let the means be ever so hard! It will doubtless be observed that the interest of the State debtjj must be paid either by the several State? or by the union, and it is indifferent to the people under what name they make the pay mcnti. til is argument lie.alledgid Was extremely fallacious, for alter the national legislature has imposed such taxes as might be come general, the State legislatures may with great ease, and in lomecafcs with great advantage to the citizens, impose other tax es The produce of the flute, is different; the inhabitants hav.- different modes of living, and there is a difference even in their vices ; wherefore different taxesmight.be proper i such taxes mi fi ht be ufeful to corrcft vices or restrain habits that ftiould not be in dulged ; it will certainly be granted that the legislature ofthe ftatr. in many cases can best accommodate the burthen to the strength and feelings of the citizens. It had hitherto been confidercd that the Kates owed certain duties, and that they had a certain quofi oi services to perform, from the particular pohcy of fomc ofthe Kates, their debts had depreciated greatly, certificates had been Jd at Bs - 6d. in the pound, pqoplc would not readily be recon ciled to the new creed, "that all the debts lately paid, arc state debts, but all the debts not paid, arc national debts," especially at this discovery is made after most of the certificates have changed their original holders, and have passed for a trifle into the hands of moneyed men. C liar's wife fhouldnotonly be chaste.but with out suspicion—He conceived that a national legislature should be extremely cautious how they adopted new measures, efpeciallv if there was a fmgle hook to which the suspicion of personal mteretl might be attached The situation of North-Carolina he alledged was somewhat dif ferent frotn that of her After states; commiflioners had ort fundrv occafioni ilTued continental securities to the citizens of the several states, independent of thearmy certificatesjtothe'imountof 4, Rgii.ooo dollars; of this sum about f),ooo dollars had been ilTued to the citizens of North-Carolina—the citizens of that state have hardly any continental securities, because the state by one accident or ano ther has been obliged to a flume the payment of the continental dehis ce has alTumed debts to the amount of 6 or 7 000,000 dol lars. In what manner arejhe citizens to be rewarded for allthur labors and supplies. He prayed the committee would attend to the operation of this new fyflem; other states since the peice have laid taxes to raise money for paying interest, and that interest hss been returned into the hands of their own citizens. North-Caroli na has imposed heavy taxes for finking certificates, being part of the principal of the public debt; the citizen has drawn no relief fiom those taxes, and to crown his misfortunes he is not to get a credit for the certificates funk. The state has also iflued paper money to the amount of 200,0001. that is to fay, half a million of dollars; some of this money has been applied towards paying the late continental line of the army* and some of it has been employ ed in buying up public securities ; the fccurities are in the treasury, but the paper money is in circulation ; our citizens are to he taxed for finking this money, and we are not allowed a diitount for the certificates which are purchased by the money : will not this be a double tax ? we are required to pay our proportion towards the interest of other people's certificates—we must at the fame time pay taxes towards finking our paper money, which is another fpr cies of certificates ; but we are not to be relieved in the mean time by discounting the interest cf the certificates we have taken up. Patience itfell would complain of such injustice. perhaps we lhall be told that the double tax may be inconvenient but we shall be repaid oti some future occasion ; we shall get a credit when the accounts of all the states are fettled and the quotas of the several states are fixed ; in other words ue may expctl jujlice at the day of judgment. He prayed it might be observed that the accounts were not in a train to be fettled ; that they could not poffiibly be fettled under any existing law, and Congress had not >aken a single step from which he could believe that they intended to make any set tlement ; the original rule for fixing the quotas of the several states, " according to the value of lands and their improvements," had long since been given up as impra£licablc ; Congress had substitut ed no other rule in its place, if they.were seriously disposed to fet tle the accounts of the several ftaterj and to render some measure of justice to the most deserving, the neceflary steps were obvious. Jn
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers