The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-03-05 00:00:00, page 1

To the Printer of the Pennsylvania Packet.
SIR,
I request you will publish the two following refoliati
ons of our assembly, and if any of your correspon
dents will favour us with the letter alluded to in the
latter of those refoiutions, I (hall be glad to fee it in
your ufeful paper.
" Resolved, That this house confider it to be the du
ty of the several states to furnifh their quota of fup T
plies agreeable to the requisitions of congress, and are
also convinced, that early, vigorous and adequate ex
rations arc the only means under Divine Providence,
for bringing the war to a speedy and happy concluli
on. Wherefore they are determined to doall in their
power to call forth the resources of this Fate, and re
ly on the known zeal and virtue of their conflituents,
to second that determination with effect
" Resolved, That this house approve of the sentiments
contained in the circular letter of the fuperintendant
of finance, refpeaing the import law recommended by
congress, and deeply lament the delay of some of the
states in this rrfped, as many citizens of Pennsylvania
are great fufferer & , by withholding the interest due on
monies len the united states: and that in our opinion,
it is equally the duty and interest of the several slate,,
to support the public faith and credit of the union, by
the grant of fuco effective revenues, as may be neces
sary hr that great purpose."
THESE refoliations do honour to. those who made
them, and (peak the real sense of all the whigsin
Penofylvania. Artful men have endeavoured tofpread
an opinion that the taxes are too heavy, and weak men
are induced to a belief of their assertions ; but if feeing
is believing, we are bound to believe the direst contra
ry. It is poflible enough that the taxes are unequal,
and tnat amendment might be made in the mode of lay
jog and collecting them ; but as to the amount, it is bu t
trifling compared with the wealth of our people, nay it
it is but trifling compared with the taxes we have ac
tually paid. lam told that the expence of the war hi
therto has been above-twenty million hard dollars year
Iy ; that is to fay, the paper money eftima'ted as it pas
sed from the treasury, and the supplies and fervicesta
ken and impE ffed, when efiimated at their value,
amount to that sum, on an average, for every part
year There is no man can doubt that Fennfylvania
lias paid her full share of this expence, and therefore it
it ;s evident that our tax has been greater than the pre
lent portion of eieht millions. The only difference is
in the mode of collection, which was either by means
of a wicked depreci^' or else by seizure of their pro
perty. T>ere re people who pretend that a tax of fpe
cific articles of prd.e would be better than a tax in
money, because the farmers could always find wheat
and beef tfic' they cannot always find money : this is
an affection which proceeds either from ignorance or
else from r he artifice of British emissaries, who are me
ditating our ruin. It is contradicted both by reason
and oy experience. But people adopt it because they
do not cuifider it. They take up the idea that this is
the Rate of things; we are to pay forty eight (hillings,
and it is advantageous to have an alternative of paying
eight bufhe's of wheat at fix (hillings the bushel. This
may be right enough, but what would they fay if the
alternative were to pay the forty eight (hillings or twen
ty bufhels^f wheat, and yet this is precisely the case,
as shall be (hewn. Indeed the thing is clear enough if
we Confider what has been already said, namely, that
the former ex pence of twent. millions is now reduced
to eigne millions. But suppose a ton of flour collected
in a part of the country where it is worth fifteen pounds,
and that it is to be expended in another part of the
counry at two hundred miles diflance, where it could
bebonght for fifteen pounds, and this is a case which
has actually happened in former times
Is it not ev dent that the transportation is worth
twice the quantity of the flour? And of conseq uence
that the horses are maintained and grain confumel for
the purpose unnecessarily, to twice the amount of the
thing carried, all which labour might have been ufeful
ly bellowed upon other purposes greatly to the advan
tage of the country. The queflion is never fairly dat
ed to the farmer about fpecific supplies. When he is
asked whether he would rather give at Lancarter fifteen
pounds in money or a ton of flour, he is deceived The
real question is, whether he had better pay fifteen
pounds, or firfl pay his ton of flour, and then carry it
from Lancaster and deliver it at Weft-Point, a diftar.ee
of two hundred miles. We cannot be at a loss what his
answer would be : and yet if he reflects a moment, he
mud be convinced that the articles are wanted only
where they are to be consumed. Put it is not reason
only which contradicts the project of taxing in fpecific
supplies ; experience is against it. Fennfylvania was
the firfl to quit that pernicious mode, and what is the
consequence ? Let any man travel, as I have done, thro'
the middle states, and he will be flruck with the differ-
VOL. XL? Published EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY.—Price Six-Pence.
TUESDAY,
^aww@@,
G ENERAL ADVERTISER.
ene'e. In Fennfylvania he will find peace, quiet and
abundance ; a great plen y of hard money, and every
body at their ease; in the other states he will find mur
muring and grumbling, and paper money and difeon
tent. But some people complain of the weight of tax
es, as if they expected the war could be carried on
without thehi. No body will be so wicked as to pro
pose a submission to Great Britain, and yet we must
either fight or submit; and we should not save much
by ceasing to fight ; for if Great-Britain, in a fit of
kindness, should promise to let us off with only paying
the interert of what (he borrows during the present year,
which is very improbable : and what is more, if (he
should keep that promif, which is Pill more impro
bable; Fil we should lose by the bargain. Sue bor
rows twenty millions sterling, the interest of which, at
five per cent, is two millions flerling which, at tour
and sixpence fferling for a dollar, is considerably above
eight million dollars.
The fplemn sense which our assembly have exprewed,
on the duty incumbent on them, in common wfhher
sister ftates,'to support the public faith and credit, is
as high a gratification to every good whig as it is a
sweet confutation to every public creditor. I (peak
from good information when I fay, that this Conte
will be given up on the part of Great-Britain when (he
finds the measures of Congress supported, and the pro
mises of Congress secured by generous confidential
grants of solid and effective revenues,
What then mus fbe these lings of a Fennfylvanian,
to find that his teprefentatives flepped foremoft in this
great business, and hand highest on the lift of those
true patriots who have really supported the liberties of
America. Not of those bawling brawling patriots who
blufler and bellow, nor yet of those paltry pettifogging
patriots, who prate, and piddle, and puff, and pay in
wind what they save in money. A thousand and ten
thousand of such infers are scattered with every breeze;
but those who give their money and those who filed their
blood in the cause of independence, those are the men
whom porterity will revere, when the little animals who
plague them in the present moment, (hall be dead, rot
ten and forgotten.
A soever, which, among the nations of the ear h,
can create so much honor, refpeflability and public
confidence towards the laws and the rulers of states,
as a Arif? adherence to the fulfilment of every compact,
domeflic as well as foreign. The free government,
in particular, which forfeits its good name and is fre
quent in the violation of her public faith, is a prosti
tute in empire, and the vilest harlot among nations.
But that government which, while from tear it up
holds to its engagements with extern powers, will,
Jew like, defeend to cheat, dupe and beguile its heft
and oldest (ervants and domeflics; the government thus
a&ing merits not allegiance, support, nor even exist
ence.
Ah ! Americans you who no''ly flruggle,more for the
rights of mankind than for your own ! Vou wbo aspire
to the exalted name of being the scourge of oppressors,
and the agents of a divinity in restoring political faith,
honor and honefly a.aong nations! Ah, permit not
that the high reputation you have acquired with the
world, as a people generous, magnanimous, h mane
and brave, be now tarnished and bedau ed with the or
deur and feculence of the vilest infamy; an infamy
which may be earned and brought upon you by re-,
prefentatives which will mifr^pretent you, in the effront
commission of legal ingratitude and 'fanaioned robbery
towards your faithful servants who, while they ask
only for the pitiful loaf they have earned, are prof
ered the novercal stone to feed on!
Prudence and patriot moderation forbid me, at
this period, so big with evil profpe&s, t> do every
justice to the fu fferings of our brave army, which
truth alone would authorife me in. The virtue, gra
titude and honor of our refpeHive afrmblies will anti
cipate ferments, which the weakness or the wickedness
of ignorant or designing men in our foederal councils
may create, but cannot allay. Now is the time, mow,
before the opening of a campaign which promises to be
the mort interefting,and bloody that ever America be
held ; now is the golden time to evince gratitud-, to
renovate juflice, to dispel diffidence, and to re eflab
lifh hope in the breads of our troops ; long, too long
inured to public injurtice, to public ingratitude and
to public negleA! Justice, when designedly protracted
or delayed, is designedly refufed;and designedly to
refufe jurtice, is to withdraw proteOion, and to un
hinge allegiance; these are the general positions, these
the axioms of eternal truth which in' all ages have
given birth to political liberty, and by which ; even in
A seasonable HINT, with all due Submission recom
mended to the Notice of the Legislature now fitting,
by one oftheir Confiituehts.
H< H E RE exifleth no national charaaeriftic, what
OR, THE
THE
To the fitting legislature of this Rate we now pecu
liarly address ourfdves! To you, who are supposed to
give the lead in the councils of America, we presume
to raise our feeble but well ment voice; a petition
or memorial from your quota of the foederal army, I
am told, is adually before you ; you must, you can
not but be sensible of the merit, the dirtinguiflied merit
of these troops, and how badly they were rewarded :
you have passed a law, just in itfelf, and therefore ob
ligatory upon you, to pay them their depreciation;
this you but nominally paid them; you paid them
part with money already depreciated to five or fix for
one; to enforce the tender, the tender-law was artful
ly kept in force; and no sooner was the depreciated
fluff obtruded upon them, than the tender-law was re
pealed, by which, even the then low value of this mo
ney was annihilated in their hands ; fyeculators, those
harpies of every government, became rich by the
event; while your needy troops, troops thus made
needy by yourselves, were impoverished, nay ruined
before your eyes. The depreciation on this money
you are, yet, in honor and juflice, bound to make
good to your forces; and if you refufe this justice,
some honest assembly will rife that will not refufe it:
be just, then, in this (effion, and obtain the honor de
clined by your predecessors ; be also just in granting
their depreciation to every other character having a
just claim ; appoint auditors who wil speedily liquidate
their accompts; and (huffie not witl) your creditors
like Congress, who, to keep back the interest have, on
frivolous pretences, to many of their Creditors refufed
or protracted the settlement of their Glairos for years ;
if the want of funds p eclude you from efficient hones
ty, display to the world the uprightness of your inten
tions, by resolving to be honest.
For the residue of their depreciation, you have grant
ed, to your quota, funded certificates; certificates
funded on confifeated eflates ; estates for the most part
already fo ! d to characters who neither toiled nor spun
in the cause; to characters either odious or exception
able. This obliged your officers and soldiers, who
were embarrassed, the original proprietors of these
certificates, to part with them for ten, twelve, or at
most seventeen pounds in the hundred, to mercenary
pedlars, to mean (lop-shop men, to money-melting
silversmiths, and to such other rapacious schemers and
ravening (peculators.
These fellows were not destitute of deeply interefled
views : whenever the Land office sh II be opened, or
a fund for the redemption of those certificates be esta
blished, these pourloiners of the blood-earned wages
of your heroes, will be the firft to claim full pay
ment; nay, will become competitors for priority of
redemption with thofe-officers and men who have bled
in your cause, and who, confiding in pwbic faith,
have, however dirtreffed, kept their certificates by
them: can the virtue of this assembly admit, that
these shall be equalled with those? Far be it from so
august a body ! Can the virtue of this assembly admit,
that the soldier and officer (who were compelled, by
fore distress, to part with their certificates, to part
with one hundred pounds for ten) shall receive no
more : and that the blood-fucker, who ga”e but ten
pounds, (hall receive one hundred? You, legislators
and rulers of this Rate, review ah review the acts of
the legislatures of Massachusetts Bay and New York
on these oecafions, and how they provided for the re
demption of such certificates ? In the firrt, the purcha
sers received no more of the Bate than the sum they
paid (as by oath) with moderite difeount or interest ;
and the surplus went to the original owners, teir
heirs or affighs: in the fecohd, the cOmmiffioners for
forfeited eflates were ordered to receive ,host certifi
cates from the troops as gold and silver, for tory^
farms, valued and apprais'd to the amount only ^hich
lands fold at in seventy four. by this equitable
arrangement juflice was done to a'l, and the troops
concerned were made happy. PHILADEhFHUS.
this country, the monfler, tyranny, hath been d agged
to the durt. The injuft assessment of forty (hillings on
the estate of a rich fubjed, has dethroned and behead
ed a king ; and the injurious import of not more than
one single penny on a pound of tea, has overturned
and rinded in twain the most potent empire on earth.
These are lessons which the honest rulers of a brave
and free people should ever commemorate ; these events,
created by Providence, to difignate, that power bereft
of justice, will rather precipitate the fall, than support
the duration of empire. Empires, alafs, as well as the
individuals which compose them, cherish within them
the germ of death; it grows with their growth, pros
pers as they tower, firengthens with their vigour, and
the fma left incident may difc'ofe it. You rulers of
America, rely o.i't: that justice and truth will lup
port and perpetuate the glory of your empire ! Ah,
beware: that you ftifle not the young giant in the cra
dle of sovereignty, before he emerges out of infancy,
a fed strides forth in the port and vigour of a man !
MARCH 5.178^
(NUMB 854