PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS P.Y JOHN FENNO, No. 4 r, BROAD-STREET, NcAR THE EXCHANGE. -WW-YOS.::
£No. xo, cf Vol. IT.]
fOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.
AN ADDRESS
TO THE CREDITORS OF THE US 7 IT ED STATES,
YOU are entitled to great refpefl*—lf you had not been our best
citizens, you would not have been our creditors, your pat-
Tiotifm made you such. When you performed services or lenc
your property, you nobly despised your immediate pcrfonal in
terests, or rather you looked beyond them. You law that if th
country was loft, you would have nothing to save. Is it in hu
man nature to perform this noble effort but once ? Is it the n tira
effect of felf interest to blind the eyes and to harden the h art ? o
jikc a dark lantern, does it throw a ftroug light upon what is near
while it involve* diftanr obje&s in a deeper thade ? Your patr
otifm has been proved hv your conduct: you are called, and ver*
juftlv, enlightened men ; how then can you be prevailed upon to
wifli that your own debt may be funded and that of the States ri
je&ed ? Their claims are as just as your Qwn. It is your intcrelt
to maintain a refpeft for justice, and to impress it upon the legif
laiure. Will vour own rights be-held inviolablr after tht ir fellov
rights are impaired in the ruin of the State creditors ? If the State*
can pay their own debts you lose nothing by throwing tliem into
the common (lock. If they cannot pay them, arc you neutral
fpeftators of their ruin ? Are you fafe while they fink ? When juf
ticeceafes to be a rule of public conduct, the shame which re
trains will be less, and the Temptation will be greater, which in
cites to destroy the domestic debt. If justice would not protefl
25 millions, will policy spare millions ?
If you regard humanity, the ruin of the State creditors ought to
move you. They will be-involved in dittrefs. The very money
that has been given to you has Idng been given to them ; it ha:>
grown familiar to their touch ; they gave up thr import which
was nearly equal to the pavmcnt of their interest in some of the
"States; 2nd now you aic told that the other funds occupied by the
State?, the last resource of their creditors, are to be d< strayed by
your laws, or greatly impaired bv your imposing on
the articles taxed \iy the States as much duties as they can bear.
If you believe that the duties intended to be imposed by Gongrefs
will be duly collefVrd, the difti ess of the State creditors is equa
ly manifeft and deplorable. As to their dependingon dire# tax
es <it is a mockery of their rights and of their injuries too. They
will not yield muck, nor that Tittle with certnrncy, while the ci
tizens, w any thing ner.r equal to the inter til of the -State debts
should be .levied, would fuffcr the 1710 ft violent opprcflion and be
driven from tlreir fnrms mto the wildcriiefl, while in other States
they would be almost free from burdens which to be just ought
to be equal. But experience has piovd, and thr woild knows
that some of theStstes cannot pay their debts ; you who claim jus
tice, should insist upon impartial justice.
But other motives arc not wanting even if yon-put ofT the poli -
tician and fay, let ns g<*t our due—-and let juftMce l<e <iee-med aic It,
—let the government fall into conlufion—let the country ftiffrr
disgrace and ruin—let t-be brave officer or soldier who has f«ivcd
it, keep his Sra'e paper—it is the proof of hi* merfts and of the
degree ;n which ws country oure cftremed thrni—let him pine
and com pi tun m fee ret—do not mind the pulsations of your own
(ympathy be ijiiickrmd bv the ifYeivfi tern of
widows and oeggaied orphans. Thefie are subjeCts, it is true,
which come home to the fieiit and wound it. Yhey maHce the
bread bitter which vou < at, not only while thev want it, hut
which you will eat want it—For yon ;me to be pro
vided for, not only by leaving them unprov drrd, but -by tak n j
away what they depend i:pin. Thefc are topic* which regard
yon a* men. They Src leifons which the heart teaches iitWf. But
it lelfiflinefs has etKomnMfed it wi'h circles, het OS agree to re
nounce juAice, companion, and Irilen cnily to t l »e dilates of felf
interest. Ought wife am 5 , prude ntccditolrs of the union to wilh
the State creditors to be rxcludi«d from jxroviliou by Congress ?
If tht funding system fo.mueh J cured, has been delayed, has
not tflis been owing to the drb.'te upon the afTu'inption ? IT the
system n fttll in danger m its paffape, i& tot this to be imputed to
the division created by this qucftion ? AJo not many members
think it a meafureof abfolure jufticc—that norualjuoding i* work
than none at all 4 that positive injustice he flone if the reve
nues now occupicd by the Sates should "be i.npaircd ? If the af
'umption was once established, the funding system would be!
fpeediiy cnaficd. Nor do you lose anything in pi int of interest, |
tor it is not propefed to give vou an higher interest without the
atfumption than with it. Will you lu(e aa-y thin* tn point erf
fecuiiry in thccxcctiticn of the system ? the foci of the alTump
f ion allow that it will llrengthcn government ; can you doubt thjt ,
it will the collection of the duties more popular ? The St. t
crcditors will rot iu that cafe futfer by your meant—they have the
'.'me interest with you, they will watch the revenues, nor will
the people approve of frauds which will wrong not only the pub
ic but their own friends and neighbors. It will diftufe common
niter efts and willies into everv corner ; you will have the whof
• nnc.s under one energetic uniform system, and all inaereih ccm
nncd tt» itipport it. If you canuot procure money en> u»h in this
way, \ou would get lefe by the other. Your public officers in
form von that the funds will be fuffi event—nor ctin it be doubted,
at .cast one system would not injure the other. You will no
'hercfore lose by affirming the State debts.
See the oilier fide of Ilie piece, and judge whether you will be
if they fhonld not be assumed.
If the ftntc creditors mult fall at last, they will make a v.go.ous
•I.on ftrfi—they will expert that pro* i lion will he mule by then
"f.es. It it Ihould tiot be made, will thev make the collertiou
■it vo.rr revenue popplar ? Will arts obnoxious by their nature,
i nc. not trlvto enforce because of the extent to which it is necef
my topulh them, furnifh a refourec to you, thatwill be Cafe and
produrtivc? and do you expert this to happen in prooo.tion a.
the cUmors of the injured creditors lhall swell the note of popu
lar difcoment? Rut fuppote the state leg.flatures should, from a
of l"'' 1 "", <'r for any other reasons, . evife their revenue atls,
•od carry them at far as inay lie neceflary to do that justice to their
r reMiors which'hey are no less entitled to than youtfelves, how
iifteft the provision which CongrtTs may make for your
•f in - Which will give way, the state laws, or those ol the United
>uies ' Die ol j> rt of the former will be as laudable, and better
vwnanted Uv iieceifity limn the latter. For no option is left to
the impost is taken away. With the confidence of the
people, with Ihe powcrlul aid ol their creditors, who greatly cx
leed you in numbers and influence, will the state legillatures, be
obliged to recede and annul their laws ; or will they be unable to
roUtt their duties? Will the creditors on the 1 pot watch for
>ou, and exert ilienifclves to swell your revenue to the deUrurti
cn of that of the state, on which they depend ? Or if boil, cam,..
col »eatd, will they uot rather with vour'i to fail, and bytl a
means to t ufure their own? If the dulled articles will no: bear
h du:: «. ha s tr.oft cause to fear a failure ? You or thev ?
SATURDAY, MAY iy, 1790,
If the article will bear both duties, why oppose the assumption'?
for it is plain that if a duty imposed by a (late is productive,
more money would be obtained by extruding it over the union.
If you will regard coufider.uions, equally weighty, tho a littje
moie remote, will you think a provihon permanent and late
which divides the government againll itfelf, which ferments while !
it is forming, vi:h the principle of deftruttion ? 'If a public dcot i
is a principle ot union, here is a debt which divides—withrmt a j
-bt, who caai fay that we fnould have hada government i What ;
was uleful to form is indifpenfiblv necejfary to prelerve it. It '
Aould be fafe to trull your felf interest to mpke its owji terms, »f'
y hi would ast as the permanent good of your whole number if. j
aires. But immediate interest is often preferred to'that which
ill last long, and indjvicuals may not only find indemnity, but
derr-e advantage from measures wb ■ch will ruin the body to
which they belong. Funding the debt on the moil unMelunds, i.
may railc the price ot r, and "keep it up until expenence lias
fhewu that they are not to bt truflrd. Mmy of your number,
who only wi!h to fell out, will have ail opportunity. Butfure-!
I . you, who mean to continue cieditors, ought not to be dup. d
by the artifices oft'nofe who prefer any prefeut pioviftun, how
ever unfound,io a solid arrangement which willeplure the govern
ment and be ensured by it. Are you willing to bring the Hate
and national government's direfily to the conflitt ? Arp you wii
-1 |ig to throw thrft system into confufion on which you place all '
your hoVes? Are you content in mere wantonneCs to raise up e
nemies whose repniiches you cannot bear, whose etf irts you can
not relist ? Is it nothing to you that the government willie made '
weak ? For what do you incur this rilk.? Not for an inereafe of
intrrcli—not for better fecuriiy.
Is there a prudent man among you, who comparing the fund
ing fyltem without the alfumpiiou, with tiie conduct of other na
tions, and judging ol the intercils and pafli<ms rtf the ilate credi
tors, and legislatures, as he will i{ he knows any thin» of humm
nature, will fay, «ravely,anil upon r.<:i)c£tion, tiie revenue willhe
more fafe and prodn&ive, without alfuinption than with it ? J
Will he fay that the it lies may proceed with their duties, and even
exten d them to a full pro ifion tor their debts, and vec the revc-;
nue ol the union will not proverlcficient ? If he w:!l faythat there
■•vill not be a deficiency of one-third,you ought to prize him as a
prnflliet. He will fjive encouragement and keep hop: alive loirg
enough to feil out—but beware of being hindmoll.
Judge then whether the inteieft of your own paper does not re
quire the aflfucption ; you cannot he fate without i'. Patronize
jtiftiee and prattilo magnanimity H'hich will-cost you nothing,
Uutdo you hou:)r, by inlitling (but the pronSxi fhfll cortijii't-'
he»d the kmdied claims of ihe flute or dltofi. They are not
y > ir rivals ; they are unfrieciily lo I,oth, who would divide .you.
1 your whole inHurrce is dirofled lo thit object, you will ren
tier (ervice to yout country, at the time time that you will belli
promote yuur own imrrelt.
Renumber that as the adoption of the.new rorvftiiittiun raifrtl
your hopes, the undmng it in praftite nisy hlal) them. Dtf.i.im
tin- liiiwoulijf *nd riiflt'tiifft fchetrc of invading the funat of state'
cr •riitors, to (mm your own. Likr honcil men, take your fol-i
liwshvthe luwd, unite your exertions in the common caule a'
cau(r worthy of y >ur virtu.' and of your coMltry. lufuccefj will
icward ihe aiir., aiid fevt-theo'tlier. * j
QISCCMJ/tSES ON D AVI LA.
No. IV. concluded fiom our last.
C'eft la le proprc de I'clprit humain.que lcsexemples necorrigent ;
pcrfonnr; lesfottifej, cVc* pcics font peidues pour leurs cufaiis;
il faut Life les ficnncs. |
' I 'HERE is in human nature, it is trne, Cmple !
J- Bcnevo'lcnce—or an aifrrtlou for the good '
ofothers—but alone it is not übalance forthel'eJ- 1
fifh affedtions. Nature then has kindly added
to benevolence, the defireof reputation, in order
to make us good members of society. Speeiemur
agendo expre'les the great principle of activity
for the good of others. Nature has famftioned
the law of felf-prefervation by rewards and pun
i foments. The rewards of felfifh adtivity are
life and health—the punishments of negligence j
and indolence arc want, disease and death! Eath
individual it is true ihauld consider, that nature
has enjoined the fame law on his neighbor, and :
therefore a refpetft for the aiuhori.i y of nature
would oblige him to lefpedt the rights of others ;
as much as his own. But rcafoning as abstruse, I
tho as flmple as this, would not occur to all men. I
The fame nature therefore has impofod another
law, that of promoting the good, as well as ref
petting the rights of mankind, and hasfanclion
ed it by other rewards and punishments. The re
wards in this cafe, in this life, are etteem and ad
miration of others—the ipiinifoments are neglect
and contempt—nor may any one imagine that
these are not as real as the others. The delire of
the eftceni of others is as real a want of nature as
hunger—and the negledt and contempt of the
world as severe a pain, ns the gout or (tone. Jt
foonerand ofrener produces delpair and a detes
tation of exiilence—of equal importance to indi
viduals, to families, and to nations—it is a prin
cipal end of government to regulate this pafli»n,
which in its turn becomesa principal means of go
vernment. It is the only adequate instrument of
order and fuhordinarion in society, and alone
commands effectual obedience to laws, since with
out it neither human reason nor ftandingarmies,
would ever produce tliatgreat effedt. Every per
sonal quality, and every blefling of fortune, is
cherifoed in proportion to its capacity of gratify
ing this universal affection for the efleem, the
sympathy, admiration and congratulations of the
public. Beauty in the face, elegance of figure,
grace of attitude and motion, richcs, honors,
every thing, is weighed in thisfcale, and desired
453
not so much for the pleasure they nfto'd, as th' c
attention they command. As this is a point of
giirnpoi tance, it may be pardpuaule to expa
tiate a little, upon theie particulars
A Jiy are the pei fonal accomplillim en ts of beau
ty, elegan e and .grace, i'ucJi higuclUma
tio:i by mankind > !s it merely for the pieafb-re
which is received from the fight of thefeatti ib-utes?
Ijy no means ; Ihe talle tor delicacies is
not universal—in those who feel the molt lively
sense of them, it is but a flight sensation, and of
Ihori continuance ; those attradiohs'command
tlie noiice and attention of the public— t hey dr-nv
the eyes of fpcdlators -this is the charm that
makes them in evitable, is it for such fading
perfections that an huiband or a wife is choferi i
Alas, it is well known, that a very lhort familiar
ity, totally deltroys alUenfe and attention to such
properties ; and on the contrary, n very little
time and habit destroys all the averiion to wtrlj.
ness ami deformity, wUen unattended with dif
cal'e or ill-temper : Yet beauty and addrels are
courted and admired, very often, more than dis
cretion, wit, ienfe, and many other accompli/h
---i.ients and virtues, oi infinitely inone importance
to the h tppinefs cf private life, as well as to the
utility and ornament of focietv. j s j t f ar
momentous pnrpofc of daijciag and drawing
painting and malic, riding or fencing, that mell
and women are deltined in this life or anv other '
Yet those who have the belt means of education
be-tow more attention and expense on thofe,than
on more fori id acquisitions. Why ! Becaufethey
attratft taore forcibly the attention of the world
and procure a better advancement in life. Not
withltanding al. this, as soon as an eltabliflnnent
in life is made, they are found to ha-ve atjftvered
theii cud, andareJaid ahdeneoJecfted.
Is there any thing in birth, however illuftriotis
or fplepdid, which should make a difference be
tween one man and another i If, f rom a com
mon ancestor, the whole human race is defceneled
they are all of the fame family. How then t ail
they dillinguiihfamilies into tlie more or the lei;
' ancient > What advantageis there in an illtiftra
turn of an hundred or a thoiifand years ? Of wlrac
a>ail are all tlig biftories, pedigrees,.traditions ?
\\ liac foundation lias the w-hole science of cenea
logy and heraldry ? Are theredifferences hi Hre
breeds ofmeu, as theie are in those of horses ?—
11 there are not, those fliences have no founda
tion in reafoii—in -prejudice ther have a verv fc
lid one : All that philosophy can'lay is, that there
is a general prefumption,that a man-has had some
advantages of education if he is of a family of
note. But this advantage mull be derived from
his father and mother chiefly, j.f not wholly-of
what importance is it then, in this view, whether
the family is twenty generations upon record or
only two ? '
The mighty secret lies in this—an illtrftrimis
UCiccnt attracts the noticc of mankind. A single
drop of royal blood, however illegitimately Rati,
tercd, will make any man or women proud or vain
Why ? Because, altho it excites the indignation*
of many, and the envy of more, it ltill attracts
the attention ofthe world. Noble blood, whether
the nobilty be hereditary or eleiitive, and indeed
more in republican governments than inmonar.
chies, leait of all in clefpoti fins, is held in eUinta
tion for the fame reason. It is a name and a lace
that a nation has been interested in, and is in the
habit of refpecfling. Benevolence, sympathy
congratulation, have been so long aflbciated lo
those names in the minds ofthe people, thatthev
are become national habits. National gratitude
descends from the father to the ion, and is often
ltionger to the latter than the former: It is often
excited by remorse, upon reflection on the ingra
titude and injustice with which the former has
been treated. When the names of a certain fam
ily are read in all thegazettes,chronicles, records,
and hi.lories ofa country for five hundred years
they become known, refpedied, and delighted in
by every body. A youth, a child of this extrac
tion, and hearing this name, arrraCis the eyes and
ears of all companies long before it is known or
enqnired, whether he be a wife man, or a fool,
his name is often a greater diftindtion, than a
title, a kar, or a garter. This it is which makes
." ,en P rol 'd, and so many others envious
of llludrious descent. The pride is as irrational
and contemptible as the pride of riches, and no
, A Wl '* e n >an will lament that any other
diltmdhon than that of merit should be made.—
A good wan, will neither be proud nor vain of his
birth ; but will earnestly improve every advan
tage he lias for the public good. A cunning man
* conceal his pride; but will indulge
[V. r HOT.E Xi. H4.]