P I.UD '.V' ..NfaDAYS AN!) SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNO, No. 69, HIGH-STREET, BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS, PHILADELPHIA
[No. 6', of Vol. lII.]
TRANSLATED
" For He GAZfL TE ,f the UNITED STATES.
A DISCOURSE OF STEPHEN BOETIUS,
Concerning voluntas y Servitude : Or the Anti-One.
(Continuedfrom No. 4 of this Gazette.)
X7"OU sow the feeds of your fruits that he may
JL reap the harvest: You furniih and adorn
your lioufes,-^ provide materials for his robbe
ries : You your daughters, that he may
have the means of satiating hi s luxury: You feed
and cloath your children, to the end that he may
most graciously please to lead them to his wars
and conduct them to llauglner ; that he may make
them the minifiers of his avarice, and the execu
tioners of his vengeance : You break the conlli
tutions of your bodies with labor, that he may
fondle in delights, and wallow in his dirty vil
lainous pleal'ures: You weaken youifelves to
make him more itrong and rough, to hold you in
with a lhorter rein. And from all tliefe indigni
ties, which even the beasts ti.emfelves
ther not feel, or would not endure, you may
liver yourfeives, if you attempt it, not indeeoTn
action, but in volition. Be rei'olved to serve no
longer, and behold you will be free. 1 do not
exhort you to pull or to haul, but barely not to
lift and fupport,and you will fee him, like a great
Coloflus, from which they have removed the pe
deilal, fall to the ground by his own weight, and
crumble in pieces.
But certainly the advice of the physicians is
•wife, not to lay your hands on a wound that is
incurable; and I am not prudently employed in
attempting to advise the people, who have 101 l
Jong ago all knowledge, and whose malady is
evidenily mortal, because they feel not the evil.
Let us examine then, by conjeiSure, and fee if
we can dilcover how it is that this obllhiate ref>-
lution to serve has become fi> rooted, that itfeems
at present that the love of liberty is not fa natu
ral as the love of servitude.
11l the firft place, this is, as I think, beyond all j
doubt, that if we live with the rights which na
ture has given us, and the principles and doilrines
that <he reaches us, we Ihall be naturally obedient
to parents, fubjetfts to reason, and llaves to no
man. Every one will be difpoi'ed to obedience
to his father and mother, without any other ad
monition than that which his natural disposition
will didtate. All men are witnefles, every one
in himfelf and for himfelf, concerning reason,
whether it is born with us or not ; wiiich is a
queltion difcufied to its foundation by the acade
micians, and touched by all tne schools of philo
sophers. For the present, I (hall not think my
fejf miltaken in believing, that there is, in our
human foul, fonie natural feeds of reason, which,
cultivated by good council and conduct, manners
and habits, may flourifh in virtue : and, on the
contrary, frequently, not being able Jo support
itfelf againlt the vices which grow about it, being
choaked, becomes abortive. But certainly if
there is any thing clear and apparent in nature,
and to which it is not permitted us to be insensi
ble, it is this, that nature, the minilter of God,
and the go*ernefs of men, has made UQall of the
fame form, has call us all in the fame mould, to
the end that we may all mutually acknowledge
one another for companions, or rather as bro
thers. And if, in making the partition of the
pvefents which {he has given us, (he has given
some advantages of property, some powers of
body or faculties of mind, to some more than to
others—(he has not however intended to throw
us into this world as into a close paflure, for the
(honger to devour the weaker—lire has not sent
down here below the (trongeft and the molt
knowing, like robbers armed in a loreft, to eat
up the weakest. But we ought rather to believe,
that distributing thus to some a larger portion,
and to others a smaller, (lie meant to give room
for the fraternal affection, that it might have op
portunity for exercise; some having the power
to afford alfiftance, and others, wants, to receive
it- Since then this kind mother has given us all,
the whole earth for a residence—has lodged us
all in the fame house—has moulded us all of the
fame clay, to the end that every one may behold
himfelf or his own in every other—if (he
has given us all in common this grand present of
the voice and speech, that we may become better
acquainted and more brotherly with cach other,
and make by the common and mutual declaration
nf our thoughts a communion of our wills—and
!» (be has endeavored by all means to draw close
Wednesday, May iB, 1791.
together, and tie more ftritftJy the knot of our
alliance and society—is fhehasfhown in all things
that she desired not so much to unite us as to make
us one—we ought not to entertain a doubt but
ihat we are all natut-ally free, since we are all
companions ; and it cannot occur to the imagina
tion of any one, that nature has placed any in
servitude, having put us all in company.
FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.
O D
ODE IV.
John professeth his disinterestedness.
CRITICS, Reviewers, by whatever name,
You shine recorded on the Roll of Fame ;
Whate'er your titles, or whate'er your trade,
Your claim is equal to the Muse's aid.
A true republican herfcif,
Alike to her all titles and addrefles :
From the poor idiotic elf,
To the proud monarch, (he confefles,
Each living wight her care pofTelles.
This is the very cafe with John ;
For all he feels, for all he cares,
And with unwearied toil goes on
To make, of sense, all mortals fellow-heirs.
And here, with honesty of foul, profeffes
That, notwithstanding many envious guefles
Of what his motives and his wishes were,
With pure difintereltednafs of spirit,
And charm'd, alone, with all Reviewers' merit,
He doth these several Hirts, with labor haid, prepare.
In troth, dear Critics, I have nought to hope
Or from your wisdom, or your wit;
Alike regardless Ihoula the honest rope
Adorn your necks, or decorate your spit.
I've wrote no Book, profound in ancient fazvs,
Which claims your praises, or your smiles requires ;
Nor does a Doctorate of Medicine, or Laws,
Fill me with Learning's never-dying fires,
Not only destitute of Title's aid,
Tofcreen my Writings from contempt, and traJJi,
But I despise all writing—as a trade—
And scorn, a hircling-fcribler beau, to slash,
Beside, unfortunate indeed forme,
This genius-barren foil has given me birth ;
" Tmrcrteas- ~rritc, yen -ftrrr,
of V.
Unblels'd with Trans Atlantic genuine worth.
Nay more, I ne'er the improving Ocean crofs'd ;
Nt'er drew in science on Britannia's wave ;
Nor, sense inhaling as the vessel tnfs'd,
Rode o'er the seas which fair Hibcrrda. lave.
Nay, and my father boasts no foreign blood,
No Mac's, or O's, his progeny enrich ;
Poor, but iii virtue, and in doing good—
Which (hield no native from the Critic switch.
Now let the rabble, and the vulvar, crv
That John is fee'd your merit to display,
And paid for Hints which, free, he doth supply.
I'll heed no more their clamors—no, not I —
No longer from my purpose w : !l I stray,
But, in another Ode, my devoirs ihortly pay
JOHN.
Conclusion of an extraß of a letter from London, to
a gentleman in Salem, dated Jan. 3, 1791, begun
in our I a ft.
" TT will readily occur to you that the extreme
A rigor of the Navigation Ast in admitting no
veflels to be British but such as are actually built
within the dominions, is in this particular absurd
as well as impolitic, as by increaflng the cojl of
/hipping it lejfens the quantity and objtruclr the de
sign of increasing feamen —and that if government
should relax To far as to allow the free nurchafe
and life of veflels from the United States, the
British nation would gain the most solid advan
tages— bv having much cheaper vehicles they
could afford to carry cheaper ; and, carrying
cheaper, they would be employed in carrying
nior e—which neccfTarily m ult increase both /hip
ping and seamen. But. you will agree with me,
that nations, like individuals, are not easily in
duced to give up old habits, even when acknow
ledged to be bad ; and therefore that a very fid
dsn change is not to be expetfted. But be this as
it may, 1 think your investigation of the policy
of our Navigation Lawsmuftat last result in this'
that as a fyftenf of naval jlrength and defence for
this ljland, nothing could be more wise-—but as a
febeme of profit or gain in any country nothing can be
more ABSURD. This conclusion being allowed,
yon will afk'whether commercial restrictions are
to be j'.iftified uiionno other ground than that of
providing and supporting. a naval power? To!
this qneftion f should anfver, that there may be
cases in which small, tenporary or particular re
ftrainis upon any fpecie< of industry must be to
lerated as the means ofobtaining a greater, more
permanent or general As the remedy how.
21
E ' S,
[Whole No. 214.]
• ever is violent.and painful we ought tfl .be fa
tisfied of the reality of thedifeafe, and of its na
tore and extent, and also of the probability of a
cure, before we submit to the application of it.
I confefs 1 don't readily think of any general fyl
tem of commercial rertraint that can be fully vin
dicated, except such as an aggrieved nation may
form by way of retaliation upon an aggreflor, with
reafonablt hope oj obtaining redress. To retaliate
upon an offending nation (with refpe<ft to them)
can be no violation of jultice. To recover and
secure that equal freedom, which if enjoyed by
all would be universally beneficial, and to which
therefore on social principles all have a claim is
certainly no unworthy objed: ; but to render such
a mode of pursuing it confident with found poli
cy, there ought to be a good probability of pur
suing it with success—" but there's ihe rub."
Our own history informs us of one experiment
at lealt that had an unfavorable issue : we are
told that, in the beginning of the reign of Kincr
Charles, France had laid i'uch heavy impositions
on our trr.de, that our annual loft was eflimated
at one and a'half or two millions lterling. Part
ly with the hope of recovering this, and partly
from animosity we retaliated by severe restraints
on the commerce with France ; but after much
fuffering, and finding no go',d effefis at all from our
rijiraints, in a succeeding reign vii prudently took
tkivi off.
" In tracing the progress ofinduftry you will
observe that " in every prosperous state the an-
nual earnings of the people exceed their annual
consumption." This excels in a regular course
of things accumulates to an enormous amount
Whether it be finall or great however is not of
any serious moment ; but it is of the I ast imp or -
tancc to society that there be a continual repro
duction of Jometking more than is immediately
coillumed. Now theconftant endeavor of every
individual to produce more than enough for his
own consumption depends upon his being able
to exchange the surplus for something he wants;
and the more he can getfurhis surplus rhegreat
er will be ins endcavoi s to mcreaie "iliac lurpTus.
Let it be othcrwife—and take away this induce
ment from tht individual to produce more than
his own wants require, and it mult inevitably
happen, if the people ilo not absolutely perish,
they 111 uft at last Puffer all the-extremity of pinch
ing want. To be f;ire therefore of never falling
bel6w the mark of a fufticiency, it is necefl'ary
to aim always considerably above ir. Ilence the
advantage of a jr ee, easy and extenfivt market can
not be duly appreciated, as it holds out to the in
dividual an irrefiftable allurement to make his
surplus as great as podible. All these things how
ever will happen right in the ordinary operation
of natural principles—no artificial fyftein what
ever can do as well. But perhaps you will urge
that while such fyftenis are pratftifed by nations
with whom you have intercourse, a fort of lie
ceffity is thereby created for you to do likeviifr.
This abfervation, as relates to some nations, is
fatisfatftory ; but the thing abstractedly consi
dered may be just, and yet impratfiicable—or it
may be practicable and yet inexpedient : the dil
eafe may be more tolerable than the remedy—
orthefuccefs may be too uncertain. Nations
likeindividualsare, or ought to be, always laboring
to make their own particular condition better.
Like individuals, however, they sometimes lose
fight of the abundant good things they poflefs,
blinded by an intemperate zeal for fomerhing
which they want, or imagine they want. The- fun
damental cause of this is ufeful—but this excefi
in the effect is pernicious. You commend the
Shepherd, who, leaving in fajety his ninety-nine
Jbeep goes to seek for one that has ftiaycd — but
if to recover a f mall part of a fwgt? fleece only ht
should weary and expose his whole flock, yos
would condemn his want of prudence as .well ?
•want of fenfibitity.
" Of all People I think yon have the leafl o
'cafion to try hazardous experiments in politics
k'oii have the most ample natural resources, tl
full advantage of which you cannot be deprived
by the contrivances of any foreign nation, unl.
your own imprudence and indiscretion should aid the.
I mention this because I have seen among you
\eagernef for prohibitions or restraints on the co
Lnierce with "this country— But as this biifi ef«
[momentous, it is to be hoped you will delibt
' ate coolly before you decide—count fairly t
coit, and eltimare truly the endof the underta
ing before you begin it—these preliminaries b
$isp®