The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1782-07-01 00:00:00, page 2

the following Addreii, a place
the Ne& lerfey Journal.
you my fellow citizens, efpeci
^,llly to the inhabitants of New-Jersey. I
both to alarm, and to encourage. The
f^ea of paying t,xes gives me opportunity;
a abject,at at present calls aloud for confix
Terano/, We want the war finished, and fi
fi/hed cqhnfortably it cannot be without im
exertion in paying our taxes. We all
ERpt,he war is coining to an end ; and too
^ re& P' to think it will mow Aide gently
to its period, and that they may now fall
ffiito a pleafing'flcep, or rather that they may
^fy,* :y from any further difficulty, or ftrenu
^gte xe rti°o in thecafe. But few are feniible
necedity of exerting o^felves in the
vigorous Manner that our circumflarces really
rJfyire. We must make ore more vigorous
erf/Tf before we ting our requiem, and the ef #
for, &required of rhe body of the country, is
and punctually to pay their taxes,
four enemies are notafloep, but endeavouring
in an itfduous manner to lull us into that
liate. ^forenemies arc seeking an advantage,
'^arfeifAve are not aware may give us a worse
then we have. had. Their attempts are
divide us or lull us "ir/to security. Let us
be united, keep awak'e, and pun&ually pay
purpart of fappoft, and we need not fear.
We mull continue the war vigorously to the
%nd, as if the last blew was to be the fatal one
to our enemies, and to secure our own tran
quility, Thelart blow has often done more
than all the rest. We are certainly able to ex
ert qurfelves vigorously. Our Urergth, our
courage, cur pecuniary ability is not exhaust
ed. Weare better able to carry bn the war
than we were seven years ago. We mull ex
peQto pay large taxes and to pay them pundu
zlly. Tis not a little that we a e contending
for, nor may we ex} e& that a small expence ;
will accomplish the business, We are con
t^ncigg fir liberty, for the free difpoAl of our
ewn properties: And how bften since the war
began have we said we watfld part with every
thing rather than part with our liberty. Let
our words and s&ions correspond, and not
think much of parting with the little that is
required in cortexes: I call it little, for so it
i. s coinpared with our all. One of three things
mult take place with ms; we mull pay large
taxes and pay punctually, or, our army be al
lowed to take the necessary supplies when and
where they phase, or, the enemy be allowed
to come and take what they, please, and sub
jugate us. You cannot my friends hesitate a
mmeat which es the three you will choose.
And believe it, 'tis not a chimera that one of ;
the three mull take place. Co^fider the ' rea-I
fonableoefs, the justice, and advantage of pay
ing our taxes well. We have sent out a num-i
ber of our friends to fight for us; to defend
our lives and our eflates, and who goes a war- I
fore at bis over charges ? Have not our fol'diers'
as good a right to a proper fubfiftance, an we
have to any thing that we possess? Shall we ;
fend them out to defend us, and withhold from ।
them what is, their due 1 Our taxes are to
fuppori thenar; and nur faldiers foffer for
want of that which we retain while we pay
not ®ur taxes punctually. It is hard that cur
soldiers fticuld be kept out of their wages as
they have been, especially those that have
families at home (offering for want. But by
oar neglecting to pay taxes as we ought to
have done, our loldiers are not, only kept out
of their wages but Gmetimes fuffer for want
of sod and raiment. Shall they futfer for
'want, and we retain our wheat, our cattle,
our (wine, and other commodities, and pre
tend we know not how to spare enough to pay
bar taxes? Change circumUances with our
farriers, or, with those that have fuffersd by
the enemy, and then fay whether we are able
to pay cur taxes. The proper payment of our
quotas will Shorten the war, and make it much
cheaper while it continues. Should the Con
gress and the army ba reduced to the hard
neceffiry of taking a supply for the army by
compulsory methods, it would be more costly
to the country than to be furhifhed with a
supply by a pur^ua! payment of our taxes.
The war reuft not be given up while the ene
my is ready to take our all ; and if not the
tomy mull be fuffi!?d ; our taxes are for this
purpose /
Objrflions and excuses for non payment of
taxes, and the complaints refpetiing them,
ought to have a calm and candid hearing, j
know that wkile people think they have rati
oral objections agairft paying; while they
think themfclves oppressed and their minds
are fretted, no persuasions that can be offered
will have proper weight and influence. I have
endeavoured to feel the weight of every objec
tiofy and all the uneasiness that I know of
among people refpeding this matter. Some
complain that great part of their produce has
beretof re been taken to support the army, for
which they have received nothing but certifi
6ite„ that these are not paid, nor will they
answer in payment fr present taxes: And
they think : t very hard that they fhouid now
be obliged to pay an equal proportion with
others while they receive no pay for their
CGruficatrs. Others complain that hefide be
ing circumflanced as above mentioned, they
have been called out in the militia, been o
bliged t@ spend much time to the negled of
tl eir farms or trades at hame, have yet receiv
es? little or no pay for their military service,
and now after all to be called upon to pay
faxes to support the war without receiving any
th pg for what they have done, is hard and
intolerable, Others object and complain that
they cannot naßtefye what becomes of out
money ; t^ev have paid several large taxes,
they do not find that the soldiers have received
any thing considerable, or are any better sup
plied, that no certificates are paid ; they can
not therefore but think there must be some
misapplication of the public money ; and un
less they could know what use it is put to,
they cannot think it proper to put themfclves
to so much difficulty as they melt, to pay more.
Others objeft their inability id pay : They
have no money, their famines need all they
can produce, and they have nothing to spare
to procure money to pay their taxes. Others
fay our hard money is continually going in
great quantities to our enemies ; The country
is drained of it's cash : And if our army and
civil authority will not prevent it they do not
think it necessary to put the money into their
hands.
These are the objections I hate met with :
Some-of them are very frecious, have weight,
and deserve Consideration. As to the certifi
cates not paid nor taken for taxes; the militia
'not paid and yet obliged to pay their part of
taxes, let it be confidere^ that we are under
necessity for money to carry on the war in the
present time. It is granted thatit is an hard
ship for people to have their produce taken
for certificates, and those certificates not al
lowed to pay texes; it is a greater hardship
that the militia are obliged to do duty, be kept
outof their pay, and yet obliged to pay their
equal share of taxes. But what can we do?
Necessity has no law. The war mail be flip
ported while it continues. There must be
money now to furnifo food, eloathing, ammu
nition, and other necTfary expenses of the
army. Enough cannot be collected from the
few who have not been obliged heretofore, to
furnifh provisions for the army. Taxes paid
in fomerhing beside certificates, are abfolutel,
nectary for the army at present. For this
teafon also the militia are called upon to pay
t^xes. Enough canrot be cobra d for the use
of the arms at prefect aflefs all the inhabi
tants forni/h f>me mo iey or provisions. No
law can be made or line drawn to ex raptfome
who may really have an innate right to be
exempted could the partition be property
made. The present expence of the army is
more than can yet be collected by way of tex.
And this may answer that part of the objection
that they knew not what' becomes of our money.
As to the objection that they are not able co
pay; their families require all they hav^, and
they can spare nothing for taxes; I would
bbferve that people do not know what they
are able to dw till put thoroughly to the (rial)
Did they confide, it as a cate of absolute ne
cessity they would find ihemfelves able to dd
more than they now imagine they can. The
following short piece of hypothetic history,
may fcrve to (hew what people can do in that
case. A number of families in a neighbour
hood, not far from an ercampment of part of
the army, were full of the above mentioned
objections; declared they could not, and there
fore would not pay their tax, and would de
fend themfclves against the collector or any
body that mould attempt to compel them.
A party of about ten soldiers was sent to the
most headstrong man in the neighbourhood,
with orders to live upon him With as little
injury as might be. He food armed at his
door, and declared not a man of them fhouid
enter his house while he was alive The fcl
diers let him Tone for the present, but flirt
several of his fowls, made a fire abroad with
pprt of his fence, cooked their fowls and that
night dept in his barn, The next day they
killed a fat iheep and dressed it, and being
about the honfe through the day, one of the
folders flipt in at one of the doors, on which
a fort ofafeeflic ensued, and the whole body
of the soldiers coming to the assistance of their
companion, the man of the house received se
veral pricks with their bayonets, and th# fray
ended without any life left, or any very bad
wound. The soldiers kept possession of the
house, end lived as suited them very sumptu
ously for near a week, when they were ordered
to proceed to the next neighbour, and so on.
But the neighbours finding what would com%§
one fold a swine, another a sheep or two, and
having a fat fleer among them, several joined
in making good the price of him to the owner,
fold him, aid thus by one mean or another all
found hard money to pay their taxes, who a
week or ten days before declared it impossible.
Did we know and realize the consequence of
not paying our taxes we fhouid generally find
ourfelyes able, and I may add willing too.
The objection omp,-&ence that our cash goes
to the enemy, and is not prevented by those
that have power, may be true in fad, but is
no fuffic?ent excuse 'or negle&ing to pav our
rat-s. The fad mentioned is a reproach to
the mercenary people who live near the lines.
'Tis also a reproach to the civil authority, and
to our army, that such a scandalous commerce
with our enemy is not prevented. Where the
fault chiefly lies I pretend not to fay, but great
iniquity there is somewhere. Be this as it
may it is no Efficient reason why we fhouid
not pay our taxes, and carry on the war vigor
ously; 1 think it is a reason why we fhouid
do it, and put an end to the war as soon as
pcHible.
Shall we not now at least, my friends and
countrymen, exert outfelves an^put an end to
the war with credit, when we have so much
depending as to religion and pur temporal
interest. Paying our taxes punctually will
loon give an honourable finifhing stroke to the
war. Innumerable bieffings shall we tranfinit
to our poflerity. Many generations and mil
lions of people will in future time call us
bleHed'for this important druggie with our
enemies. Who in futu#, time wul not wiffi to
have lived in the present day that they might
Ihew what they could and uculd do in such a
; glorious cause. When we comfid^r that we
,may be instruments of conveying dwn to our
pefleritv so many civil and religious privileges
, it ffiould animate us to exert outfelves in dif
,burfihg, what is neceffay in the important
I undertaking. shal| any friend to his country
{ pretend he cannot pay a tax when ip much is
j depending. Shall any friends to their country
I among us be like the Ifraelices who in two
j years after they came out of Egypt palled the
j dreary wilderrefs, and arrived a: the borders
¥of Canaan ready to ente-rin, and then loft all
Iby being difeour^ged and unwilling to exert
j themselves to go in and pofTefs the good land.
I Tri a little while after our proper exertion we
j shall rest in cur good land like Iftael in Egypt
§ after their tedious journey in the wildeAiefL
1 God has favoured us and frailed upon us thro'
I the Oar, and shall we now provoke and rempt'
I him, by our reludance and unwidingneG to
§ pay our taxes, which are the means to aecbm "
! plilh the end we desire.
Thus have I shewn, according to my ability,
the neceffityand advantage of a speedy, pane
tual payment of our taxes. Some may, per
haps, think that what is here written fhouid
not be exposed to the view of our enemies, as
our publick prints are; that it implies a back
wardnefs in our people to carry on the'war-g
that there are so many difficulties, thafa little
more may turn the scale against us; that it
would give new life to our enemies to find
such reluctance in paying our taxes, &c I
have not written without well confideriog all
these things: And would observe, that the
relu&duce to pay taxes is not general; that
there is no reluctance at all to "carry on the
war; but the objections against paying taxes
riles from mistakes which I have here eodea
vou^d to reap ve ; that there is refolutioa
enough in our people when o<ce they find a
real necessity to exert th&mfelves against the
enemy; that if they saw the real and immedi
ate connexion between paying taxes and car
rying on the war. there would be no objection
against paying taxes ; this immediate connec
tion I have endeavoured to convince them
of. [further observe that our enemies know
our circumstances in general nearly as well
as we can tell them ; that they knew or may
know that there is no general, or confider
abie reluctance to carrying on the war, but
the contrary to a great degree; that if they
fhouid be mistaken from what is here writ
ten, or any thing else, and suppose foch a I
reliance amoug ns, it would be their difad-I
vantage in the end and not ours, for they will
find tha^ we shall carry on the war with reso
lution ; if the, are deceived it will difeoncert
and hurt them, for the war will be carried on,
and the army supplied some way or other,
since there is such an abundant fufficiency in
the country for this purptfe.
I have endeavoured to write without parti
ality, favour or affe&aon; whether it wid
please or displease I know not. I view the
fubjed a matter of importance; Ido not mean
to write upon trivial occasions, if fimething
important does not require it, I shall not trou
ble the publick with my {peculations But
the paying of our taxes at this time, and to
the end of the war, 1 view as a matter of the
$ Qtmoft importance to our own tranquility.
FUMFNES . ,
HALIBA X, June 4
Wednesday arrived here his Majesty's armed
brig Observer, commanded by Lieut, Crymes,
with the Saucy Jack, a privateer belonging to
Salem, commanded by Captain Ropes? The
Observer frit saw her on Tuesday about fix or
seven o'clock in the evening, Cape Sambro
*bearing S. W. about three leagues djftant.—
The ship was then to the eastward, bearing
down to the brig with a press of fail—Between
eight and nine o'clock they came within hail,
and as soon as the ship found that the brig was'
avfa of force, (he crowded fail and endea
Ivoured to get off.—To prevent this, Li< ut.
Crymes imcreafed his sari and soon broug t
I her to close adton, which continued upwards
: of two hours, often so close on hoard each
!other as to do much execution with their
pikes.—After this the ship again crowded fail
and endeavoured to get off, and in this fixa
tion continued a kind of a running fight till
past one o'clock in the morning, when the
Obferyer being again alongside, and preparing
i to renew the action with vigor, the. ship flruck.
3She was immediately taken possession cf, when
I it was found that Capt; Ropes had received a
I mortal wound early in the a&ion,—That his
I firft Lieutenant had received a bad wound,
I when both vessels were along.fide, from one
1 of the Observer's marines, who hove his mus
I ket at him with such force that the bayonet
■ entered his thigh and fattened him to the deck.
[ There were 25 killed and wounded on board
I the ship.—The Observer had 3 killed and 5
wounded.—Captain Ropes died of his wounds
just as the prize was coming into the harbour.
The Saucy Jack mounts 15 guns, 6 nine poun
ders, and 9 fix pounders, and had on board 63
men when the action began.—The Observer
mounts only tz fix pounders, and had on board
60 men. When the great inferiority of the
Observer in weight of metal and number of
guns it considered, the merit of Lieut. Crymes,
his Officers and Crew, will appear in the most
striking and distinguished manner. The Jack
was defended with great gallantry, but was
j obliged to submit to Superior perseverance and
I bravery. Captain Thorubrough, late of the
Blonde, who was'on board a Wallop bound
here with the remainder of the fhip's company,
having fallen in with the Observer, previous
to the action, went on board in his cutter, and
when the engagement commenced, Rationed
himfeif as a volunteer at one of the gun&
Take m^tind in rhe gross, and that two
Ithirds of them will come under the denomina
tion of fools or knaves, is beyond a doubt.
What opinion either of these may form of us,
jt is certainly never worth our while to know.
A fool cannot form any abflra& idea of your
character, and a knave will never entertain a
just one. The firff cannot trace an action to
its firfl principle, and the latter will assign to
the principle the -complexion of his own. To
be under any concern, therefore, what senti
ments these may entertain of us, would be to
partake of the foily of the fool, and to give
force to the malignity of the knave.
Almog fever, man is of consequence with
himfelf, and wants to be thought so by others,
In whatever light a man's own opinion places
him, he expects that the world fhouid Took:
upon him in the fame; and if it fhuld be
blind to his merit, or to his importance,, he is
always kind enough to endeavour, at least, /#
open its eyes . %
Want can he want who u already content?
who lives within the limits of his circumUatc
es, and who has Aid to his desires, " Thus far
ffiall you go. and no farther." This i$ the
end of all phriofophy, and poor is the philoso
pher who has not gained this end. If a man
preserves such a Rate of inind, he afts agreea
bly to his teafonable nature; jfhe does not,
it were better, as Lord Bacon fa s, thathe
had along tailand went upon four feet.
"e cannot always enjoy the conyerfarion of
thole we love ; there are many hours when the
mind must retire into itfdf, and refer to its
own treasures for its support. It is nec ffary,
therefore, to form mental as wpll as foetal
connexions; and as the firlt are the least liable
co be broken, they are better worth our culti
vation than the last.
Public Auction?
By Sickles and Elsworth,
This Day, at n o'clock, below she
Coffee-Houfe,
20 Firkins Rose Butter, firft Quality,
to Barrels Sugar, io do. Flour, 12 Kegs
Raisins, some Hardware, an Officers Mar
que, Poles, &c. complete.
NEW-YORK, June 29.
The Bast n G zete date, June 3, pubiilh fby
Meffis. Edes and Sor, give^ n account that on
Wednesday began the fid fefri n ^f t e G^n ral
Court for this year, when he votes of the ele& rs
being retu ned, they were , xamined, and it appeared
on investigating the said returns, that the following
towns, one hundred and fifty eight in number, ha<
declined thufing and feeding as usual, members $0
represent them in the General Aflemidy of that ;r
---vince, and the Printer of this paper is informed by
gentlemen to whom he is indebted for this account,
That' the read's given for this their ccndu&; was an
mobility and peremptory refutai <0 pay the heavy
taxes imposed upon their province by the Cougi &
Suffolk Count,,
Brooklyn. Hull. VV do, e; Cheifta. Fotborough.
ifex County.
Marblehead. Rowky. Topsfield. Aln fbury. Brad
ford. Methuen. Baxford. Manchetter. Wenham,
Middleton.
MiJdlfex County,
Watertown. Newtown. Lexington. Sudbury.
Eart-Sudbury. Malden. Waltham. Stow. Shirley.
Diacct. Bedford. Hullifton A&on. Durable,
Lincoln. Wilmington. Littleton. Ashby. Nau
tick. Stoneham.
Hamfflre County.
Wilbraham. Southampton. South Hadley. Amherff.
Granby. Whately, Dee field. Shelburne. Conway.
Montague. Ware. Warwick. Barnardfton. Mur
ravfidd. Charlemont, Worthington^ Shut fbuiy,
Ertinglhi^v Southwick. Lodlow. Norwich. Mer
i.field. Cumnungton. Welt-Hampton. Chdie,field.
Buckland. Windsor.
Count, of Plymouth,
Pembroke. Hanover. Hdif.x. Wareham.
Count) of Bare,able.
Sandwich. Yarmouth. Harwich. Wel&et. Chat
ham. Tiuro. Falmouth.
Count, of Brifol.
Swanzey. Dighton Berkley.
Count, of York.
Arundel. Biddeford. Pepperelhorough. Lebanon.
Sanford. Buxton. CoxhilL MalTauefech. Browse
field. Little Falls, Fiyfemg.
Duke's Count,.
Edgartown. Chillmark. Tffoury.
Count, of Nantucket.
Shelburne.
Count, of Worcefler.
Mendor. Brookfield. Oxford, Paxton. Oakham.
Barre. Hubbardit ne. New Braintree. Sourabo
rough. Uxbridge. Harved. Dudley. Boston. Upton.
Leomintter. Wetfern. Douglas.' Grafton. Royal
ffon. Westminster. Templeton. Prince Town.
Afhbvrnham. Northbridge. Milford. Stirling.
Count, of Cumberland.
North Yarmouth. Cape Elizabeth. Brunswick.
Harwell. Windham. Scarborough. Pearson Town.
Royalborough. Gray. Raymond Town. Baker's
Town. Sylvester. Bridgetown.
Count, of Lincoln.
Pownalborough. George Town. Topfham. Bow
doi ham. Bouthbay. Vaffalborough. Medumcook.
Window. Waldoborough. Edgecombe. Piustown-
Hallowell. Belfaft. St. George's. Winthrop. Tho
mae-Town.
County of Berkshire.
Williamfton. Pittsfield. Egremont. Richmond.
London Weft Stockbridge. New Afhford. Afhaw-i
let. Equigalent, Ne^ Providence. Lee. Tauconic
Mountain. |
From the IPfe/bninfler M^ztaf
NOTES by VARIOUS AUTHORS.
''°|,HOUGHI frequently with for that in
& fenfibiiity on which the ease of the h®t
depends, I never adm.-re those who arepofi^r
ed of it —I fhouid despise myf^lf, could I walk
the flage of life
With thoughtless eye, and faunt'ring pace,
And broad felicity of fice.