The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1778-01-13 00:00:00, page 1

CONNECTICUT
C^SA R TO CATO, LETTER n £
THERE is one thing, which Cccaflons 'a great deal
bf^ pre odice a^ai^ft merchants, I mean the miich
greater gains and larger fortunes, they Squire by
their buhnefs, than the rdft of theircotiutryreh Who are
equally deferring. It is true indeed that Tome of them
prove bankrupts, tot thisis commonly' owing to their
profound ignorance in'theit occupation, inattention to
their bufin^is, extravagance in living and dress, and
debauchery. Where 'a gyutlenVinunderftands the
trade of a country, Apply, liimfelf with diligence, and"
care, and lives as frugally & his neighbours, he com
raonly acquires a fortune Worth federal thoufinds in 1
few years, Whereas farmers in general feidom ac
quite more than h soy hundreds beyond what they
Qd at their firfl bc'gln'Qpg. the bufinets.' Suppose a
firmer has a farm and d^-sets at firft worth a thdufand
pound, lie must be, ver, iadWhious indeed to improve
with his own hands above twenty acres' in wheat In
dian corn, oats arid flax. At least this will -be more
difficulty and labour &h to feffa Qoufand pounds
worth of goods in a year. Now the merchants profits
up6Q this, at theadvafethey ufo.aUy -made, even in
gpod times before ,he„War. ^oujd amount to about
three hundred pounds., ' Whereas the, far,ifei ;will think"
faimfelf weli off. ifthq incomes of his ' own industry
and farm amount to on, hundred. No Evander then
sot the induthiqus and cartful .merchant acquires .a rs
fo^ne ^mx? greater, than fe firmer.- Bd't Gace
the merchant is not so ufeful a member of society as the
induhriota farmen, Specially in this new country, it is
perhaps not ver, easy to airgun good Trifon why the
„ercharts,gains Should be so grezfo What pretensions
injustice, equity, or good policy, can the merchant
bare for making fach, yaniy greater eftata out of his
countrymen f-This'may rente fi^h merchants rich
end flourishing, but how this {hom'd contribute to en
figh hi, neighbours, whp fappetyhira by their trade,
fa nffi so plain ta-nn canary mfeftanding, I query,
'whether THEY would pa's be as' rich and, flourishing;
if he Horrid fell his'goods at ten or. twelve pg cent,
infted of twenty-hue percent ; and inftead'of leaving
at his %th,<4n estate worth fix of ten thousand
pounds if he left t,„ hajfQat fun, or not more th,n
a forfended farmer common!, leaves to his childrens
Mu paiterity ®ft/ade/k worilcf probably be as rich in
a genet ationor two, if 'th,.were e&fifed 'with fefs
Sandier and mche inditity and frugality. We find
kt th e fras of Wealthy merchants, from the manner
of their educatioft, often fend in a' fliffl time the m
cottes of many ,^rfs,,4rh±b Live been left them, and
tecerne themofl oracled arid worthies of-mankiad,
a, .not Bing able to trade. uor;v/il!& to labour.
The c^nrnQß advance wlijfh trade; were agtufiom
« to make on tlrtir goods h said tofefi%a^d twen
ty per eent. Burt when rite; pome ^o ^ according
to this genial rule, thef, gran, of 4^^, fry fame
mreani or other fell'ipfcthp rrar.re m'iftfr -of ranking
Thirty.three end a fol ;OT^M.. and in dtojt articles,
of fifty, and fom4 tims( .% .hundred ^p^ Let
the books of many me^h/Ats, whether' l^e.b ,>' ^*
le examined, 21^1 if this,± nos rehe, 1 rfj te^^fy
.#^iQ*^e*ymiMtf.-4tUfflfr\d'@€U%h^tt
take theif ihrtui^. 'But \¥%'t advantage riheir ac
cumulating such vast exalts,as been 1b <th4 puH%\
is net quite fedriar; They live on (the coLritir by
The labdr of others, but what extraordinary feteice
rirave they -done this new country that entitles them to
f eat^t teventto .than ,heir indurfWoUS neighbours ?
What h their ffecial merit. -It j, granted That they
- frr, our rid horses, and timber, and ,fend fhbm'to' the
Weft-Indies, and import vast quantities of -firm Which
the inhabitants' consume. • Hit is not this /prodigious
confirmption of rUm fgreat damage tb the country, as
it debauches their morals, fends th6ir eftates;,and
dißrirbs the peace of their families, and flat public,.by
promoting quarrels and law-fui^. This ta& indeed"
./ay enrich the merchant,thetryefn kfcp&r, anti law
yer, but how does it -enrich the inhabitants in general ?
Other amerchaats buy ©ufpfovifibns, and Ln exchange
fell its a great may fine things.' This may make us
took finer, but thaf it renders us better of richer is hot.
ibtevi'dehtj If W± had' never fallowed the fopperiesof
Europe, and the Weft-Indies, in d'refs and fUrnitUre---
Xeating and drink ing- - -we ffiOuM probably Aad Jess
TUES D A T,%^, J% CT^
Containing the Freshest ADVICES
h^NTED A^D Published by MATSON' and GOObWI.N., NEAR THE dREAT BRIDGE.
W BB KLY
AN#
iOB^W^W
^^^tiO^Olf^^-
debt and rnore virtue, and greater plenty of gold and
filvef than we have now. , For then the great plenty
of proviiions, flax feed, lumber, &c. which v^e ex
ported would have turned the balance of trade rather
i° ° ur favour; Idleness and luxury render so much
merchandize necessary. These afford a plentiful har
vest to the merchants from whjch thef derive much
of thetr wealth ; but these practices when they prevail
To generally as they h^ve done in this country are not
profitable for the inhabitants. The country is toohew
to f u pport fach extravagance.---Industry Is much more
Suitable so our circumflandeg We have milch and
- honey, the glory' of ail land. What occasion then
have we for tea, coffee, &c? We have flax in great
plenty; and as many hands ih proportion as any other
country to manufacture, it. Sut^ly weh^ve-no acca
fion to import linnens, 'if fy/nning,well underftood,and
Weaving were properly encouraged and practiced. And
would not this ce more profitable than & fell our flax
for a trifle, and import such prodigious .quantities of
linneas at a high price ? But it is easier for the inhabi
tants to run to the merchant, and ' buy, than to fpinand
wekve. However IE is hot idleness and luxuary that
have rendered traders so profitable tb the Du'rck, but
the great industry and frugality of the inhabitants.
But fame will objeft, th§t if'fuch br^ches- of mer
chandize were flopped, t^ merchrnt could not live by
his butin&lty but muftjhrfft^feis fliofa And I would
4& what damage wpwid : thr,& the c'ommufitty ?----
They may get a fudicient good tiv^g asmany of them.
Qf areneed^ul by mug fe§ gains and nw/e frugality #
.the^ grow very rich they ire commonly the
rfag&ad& 'in ill'h€w f^icn^te the gr^at and rifed
lefs expence of the country. -siich things allure many
to the employments Well as &e love ,of bodily ease.
There is no danger at all but we 'fhall always have
traders more than enough forthe good of theccuntry.
And ihculd they all fefufe in a pet so tfarfe any more,
the toaftets as form as trade is open might probably be
prevailed with to fupply,he country with goods quite
as cheap, till their proud ffomaehs cepid learn to bear
fheb affiants and losses, as would be put upon them by
laudable indufeft
A small number of hrerchants 'rauld be Efficient in
good times to carry on the tradeoff this fta'te and such
as are gentlemen of business and probity would get a
good living and be some advantage tothe State. But
what /half we think of the (hafpets arid etgroffer^ who
new swarm inevery pthde^ are make mere gain in one
year tlm a merchant could formerly so ten ! These
are utterly intolerable with thefefey of the date. All
gcad men of every employment Ihobld unite agaipft
them as commons Anifantes,' as tfe grea^ft ftourges &
ver the Lord in,hi| wrath permitted to affh& a people.
Tories, are harmless in camper fan of fitch blood-fuck
ers; Nay, common thieves and highway rubbers are
innocent when competed ' with them. /For thtfe only
fttin her^and there one'; wtereds'lharpers ' and erigfot
fers have been the principal agents in bringing the
whole country to the very verge of delmclics. The
#& appointing,dheffofrs' appeals to be well planned to
,htfome stop to them, bet it is lo.be fc° • that a
©tat part of the good clefignbd by this aft w^. it be
attained through the negligence or timoroafnefs of ihe
,affeilofs. For these engroifers and sharpers make the
noff horrid clamour and noise a 4 fcon as ever their
freat and Unrighteous gains are touched, and they, and
tliehr ebnnexioßS and wdl-ttifhefsV are fa' many in
thete corrupt times when the virtue of the people is al
most loft, that it.is to be feared that the assessors Will
n6'tm%€ refoluti&h enough to aifefs these proud op
preflhfs any thing like enough to humbletheir haughti
' rsfs by wrbfffn^ from th&n the vaft' gains they have
ttfuftly and' cruelly made.
A common plea Which they have gfealy^bufedisrthai
frife maxim, trademuft regulate itself. But this is a
time wherein fb^e is no tfade. Our port's are all ffi'ut
tip, so that' we can neither import nor export. I Would
then aft, how no trade or nothing frall regulate it-,
felf: What is now carried on.is not fair trade and
hoheft dealing, but Sharping and knavery. ,A'nd now
Sharping Will regulate /harping requires feme explana
tion.
But it is Fife in fa&, and always been.found so, that
trade is fufficient to regulate itfelf. For if this Was
true, #henthc're would be no need of any laws about
TUP
trade which yet we find ever, kingdom have enabled'
to regulate it., How. many laws has .Great-Britain
made to prohibit the exportation of wool to other king
doms. It seems they did net think trade was fufficient
to regulate itfelf for the good of the nation. And c
ther nations have made like prohibitions as might Pty
be [hawed.' So that no wile, legislature ever imagined
that trade could regulate itfelf in a right mariner.
The reason is plain, that ,ra& and business faa,
conduce much to a toan's ^ dvantage, which is very
detrimental to the ftate,in general. A, faan may focn
get rich by burglar, and robbery, or by Sharping ang
erigraffing: But these practices ari V&, pre udicial to
the state, and therefore ; ftridly forbidden # under ,±4
severest penalties. And thus any trade however pro
fitable to fame few, yet if it be pernicious to the public
in general it ought so be prohibited by the legiflaturt
And this is by 'no.means impracticable as.expfrien?
shews ifi bflfer nations. The meaning .of this maxin as
they understand arid practice it fe in plain EngH&
" We /harpers haveengtollbd all the traffic imp p^
bWn,hari^s, and are about to make imme.-fe estates out
of the inhabitants,,arid you mp,ft riofc cemplain.ior take
an, n^afures to hinder us,thcugh .you twill certain!/
bemined by it; for if,bu attempt to prevent as, we
jhall be very angry, arid not be able .to accompiifh the
plan we hav, in view of engroiling all your efetes.aug
making you servants to us,." The fame fort of feafon-'
thg may Mctavis Mas Amrits serve the.thkf and tub
ber as well as the engrosser and Sharper. ~.
P. S- It was omitted jn. reckoning up.the difidyar.-
tares attending farming bufinefs,' that'we are deptteed
of water carriage and forced to ttarfp&t all out provi
sions, and military ftoted a^'h^gitf l/'tadfrTji^
employs .some 'tZou'farifcof teams,' which rafy en
creafes the demand formed and oxen, Which raise the
price of,abut and oxep. and conf^quently of,provisi
ons. By .this m^oV@age''c'anrf6t Ee so general!, at
tended to; so that much damage acQues to xh^ farm
ing interest from this quarter."" ° '
. —^—.teQ^^gig^&tetißMfa^
the foliating faffag&. &c. passed t'etweea
Majpr General Gates and Liueteriamt Gefu
Bur^oyn% previous jo (he tonventipa
at Saratoga. , - \ :
From General Burgotie to Getters Gat^,
LIEtITENAN r General Burgtyre ff d&
firsus of fehefeing afield.officer witha
Imeffage to Major General Gates, upon
matter of high moment to both armiQ',
The Lieut. General requests to be inform
ed at what hour General Gates will receive
him: to morrow morning.'
Major General GA^.
General Gates's reply; ,
MA J O R General Gates will receive A
field officer from Lieutenant General
Burgoyne, at the advanced post df the arty
of the united Spates at ten o'clock, to-mor
row morning from whence he will be con.'
du&ed to head quarters. ,'
Cain, at Saratoga,ine b'clock, ,£
Oaber 1% 2,77.
Lietochtmt General Bcrgoyne»,
Memorandu'm of a in efface delivered Es ma
jor Kington, from General Hurgafc to
General Gates. .
'✓HEGeneffl, ;from a 'great deal ofiofc
n+fs, did nori fefterday answer youc
letter abounho officers, but in tended it,
fri repri d to the reproaches made tfo%
this arfiy, of . burning the country they
were dnjt^ General ' QclfoWs hoefc, And
adjacent buildings, remained protrftd till
General Gate's troops approached the fed;
General Burgoyne avows the order sot fe^
INTELLIGENCER.
Both FOREIGN and boMEstiC.
COURANT,
HARTFORD
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