The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-05-29 00:00:00, page 2

TH £ present Situation of public affairs demands your most se
rious attention, and particularly the great and encreafing de
preciation of your currency requires the immed ate, Strenuous,
and united efforts of all true friends to their country, for
preventing an extension of the mifchiefs that have already flowed from
that source.
America, without arms, ammunition, difciplinq, revenue, govern
ment, or ally, almost totally Stripe of commerce, and in the weakness
es youth, as it were with a " Raff and a fling" only, dared " in the
name of the Lord of Holts" to engage a gigantic adversary, prepared
at all points, boasting of his Strength, and of whom even mighty war
riors “ were greatly afraid."
For defraying the expences of this uncommon war, your reprefenta
lives in Congress were obliged to emit paper money ; an expedient that
you knew to have been before generally and fuccefsfully pra&ifed on
this continent.
They were very sensible of the inconveniences with which too frequent
emissions would be attended, and endeavored to avoid than. For this
purpose they established loan-offices so early as in October 1776, and
have from that time to this repeatedly and earnestly folllcited you to
lend them money on the faith of the United States. The futos re
ceived on loan have nevertheless proved inadequate to the public exi
gencies. Our enemies prosecuting the war by sea and land with im
placable fury and with some success, taxation at home and borrowing
abroad, in the midst of difficulties and dangers, were alike impractica
ble. Hence the continued necessity of new emissions.
But to this cause alone we do not impute the evil before mentioned.
We have too much reason to believe it has been in part owing to the ar
tifices of men who have hastened to enrich themfclves by monopolizing
the nectffaries of life, and to the mifcondudt of inferior officers employ
ed in the public service.
The variety and importance of the business entrusted to your delegates,
and their conftaht attendance in Congress, neceßarily disables them
from investigating disorders of this kind. Jußly app;ebenfive of them
they by their federal resolutions of the 22d of November and 20th*of
December 1777, and of the 3d and 9th of February 1778, recommended
to the legislative and executive powers of these frames <ldue attention to
these interesting affairs. How far those recommendations have been
complied with we will nor undertake to determine; but we hold our
selves bound in duty to you to declare, that we are not convinced there
has been as much diligence used in detecting and reforming abuses as
there has been in committing or complaining of them.
With regard to monopolizers it is our^pinion, that taxes judiciously
laid on such articles as become the objects of ergrofferS, and th. fe fre
quently collected, would operate against the pernicious tendency of
such practices.
As to inferior officers employed in the public service, we anxiously
desire to call your most vigilant attention to their conduct with refpeft
to every species of misbehaviour, whether proceeding fiom ignorance,
negligence or' fraud, and to the making of laws for inflicting exemplary
punishments on all offenders of this kind.
We are sorry to hear that some perfuns are so Nightly informed of
their own interests as to suppose That it is advantageous to them to fell
the produce of their farms at enormout prices, when a little reflection
migiit convince them that it is injurious to those interests and the gene
ral welfare. If they expert thereby to purchase imported goods cheap
er, they will be egregiously disappointed; for the merchants, whoknow
they cannot obtain returns in gold, silver, or bills of exchange, but that
their veflels if loaded here at all must be loaded with produce, will raise
the price of what they have to fell, it, proportion to the price of what
they have to buy ; and consequently the land holder can purchase no
more foreign goods for the fame quantity of his produce than he could
before-
The evil, however, does not stop at this point. The land holder by
anting on this mistaken calculation is only labouring to accumulate an
immense debt by encreafing the public expences, for the payment of
which his eState is engaged, and to embarrass every measure adopted
for vindicating his liberty and securing his prosperity.
As the harvests of this year, which by the divine goodness promise
to be plentiful, will soon be gathered, and tome new measures relating
to your foreign concerns, with some arrangements relaying to your do
mestic, are now under consideration, from which beneficial effects are
expected, we entertain h@pes that your affairs will acquire a much
greater degree of regularity £ind energy than they have hitherto had.
But we Should be highly criminal if we did not plainly tell you that
those hopes are not founded wholly upon our own proceedings. These
must be supported by. your virtue, your wisdom, and your diligence.
From the advantage of those feats in the national council with which
you have honored us, we have a pleasing profpedt of many blessings
approaching this our native land. It is your patriotism must introduce
and fix them here.
In vain will it be for your delegates to form plans of oeconomy; to
strive to stop a continuation of emiflions by taxation or loan, if you do
„c zealously co-operate with them in promoting their designs, and use
TO THE
INHABITANTS
OF THE
United States of America.
FRIENDS and COUNTRYMEN,
your utmost industry to prevent the wade of money in the expenditure,
which yoUr refpe&ive Situations in the several places where it is expen
ded, may enable you to do. A difeharge of this duty and a compli
ance with recommendations for fnpplying money, might enable Con
gress to give Speedy assurances to the public that no more emiffioi^ Shall
take place, and thereby close that source of depreciation.
Your governments being now established, and your ability to contend
with your invaders afeertained, we have on the most mature delibera
tion judged it indifpdrfabJy necessary to call upon you for forty-five
millions of dollars, in addition to the fifteen millions required by a
resolution of Congress of the 2d of January last, to be paid into the
continental treasury before theist day of January next, in the fame
proportion, as to the quotas of the several Rates, with that for the said
fifteen millions.
It appeared proper to us to fix the firft day of next January fv the pay
ment of the whole ; but as it is probable that fome.ftates, if not all,
will raise part of the slams by installments or otherwise before that
time, we recommend in the ftrongfft manner the paying as much as can
be collected as soon aS possible into the continental treasury.
Though it is manifeft that moderate taxation in times of peace will
recover the credit of your currency, yet the encouragement which your
enemies derive from its depreciation, and the prefect exigencies demand
great and speedy exertibns.
We are persuaded you will use all possible care to make the promo
tion of the general welfare interfere as little as may be with rhe eafeand
comfort of individuals; but tho' the raifipg these fams should press
heavily on fame of our constituents, yet the obligations we feel to your
venerable clergy, the truly helpless, widows and orphans, yous most gal
lant, geherous, meritorious officers and soldiers, the public faith and
the common weal, so irrefiftably urge us to attempt the appreciation of
your currency, that we cannot withhold obedience to those authorita^
tive sensations.
On this fubje& wte will only add, that as the rules of justice are most
pleasing to our infinitely good and gracious Creator, and an adherence
to them most likely to obtain his favour, so they will ever be found te
be the belt and fafeft maxims of human policy.
To our constituents we submit the propriety and purity of our intend
tions, well knowing they will not forget, that we lay noburthehs up
on them, but those in which we participate with them—a happy Sym
pathy, that pervades societies formed on the basis of equal liberty.
Many cares, many labours, and may we not add, reproaches— are pe
culiar to us. These are the emoluments of our unfollicited Rations;
and with these we are content, if Yov approve our conduct. If you
do not, we &hall return to our private condition with no other regret,
than that which will arise from otir not having Served you as acceptably
and essentially as we wished and strove to do, though as chearfully and
faithfully as we could.
Think not We despair of the commonwealth, or endeavour to Shrink
from opposing difficulties. No. Your cause is too good, your objects
too sacred, to be relinquished. We tell you truths, becatife you are
freemen who can bear to hear them and may profit by them ; and when
they reach your enemies, we f ear not the consequences, because ave are
not ignorant of their resources or our owh. Let your good sense decide
upon the comparison. Let even their prejudiced understandings decide
upon it, and you need not be apprehensive of the determination.
Whatever supposed advantages fiom plans of rapine; projects of
blood, or dreams of domination, may heretofore have amused their in
flamed fancies, the conduct of one monarch, the friend and protector
of the rights of mankind, has turned the scale so mucu against there,
that their vifiohary Schemes vanish as the unwholefomepyapours cf night
before the healthful influences of the fun.
An Alliance has been formed between his Most Christian Majesty and
these States, on th^bafis of the tnoll perfect equality, for the direct end
of maintaining effectually their Liberty, Sovereignty and Independence,
absolute and unlimited, as well in matters of government as of com
merce. The conduct of our good and great Ally towards us in this in
stance and others, has so fully manifefled his Sincerity and kindness, as
to excite ofa our part correspondent feniiments of confidence and affec
tion.
- Observing the interests of his kingdom, to which duty and inclina
tion prompted his attention, to be Connected with those of America, and
the Combination of both clearly to coincide with the beneficent designs
of the Author of Nature, who unquestionably intended men to partake
of certain rights and portions of happiness, his Majesty perceived the
attainment of these views to be founded on the Single proposition of a
separation between America and Great-Britain.
The resentment and confufion of your enemies will point out to
you the ideafyou Should entertain of the magnanimity and consummate
wisdom of his Most Christian Majesty on this occasion.
They perceive, that feledling this grand and just idea from all those
Specious ones that might have censused or milled inferior judgment
or virtue, and Satisfied with the advantages which must result from
that event alone, he has cemented the harmony between himfelf
and these states, not only by eftabliffiing a reciprocity of benefits, but