The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1780-12-25 00:00:00, page 2

I would be willing re learn wisdom from
Great-Britain. Fas ep ab bofle ^'oceri. Ainidft
all their n^dnefs, arid in all their didrede^ for
money, they never once, thought of making
their bank or exchequer bills a tc; * .•, or com
pelling their Currency by penal lav^. But these
cohtderaboro may h«ve little effect on some
minus who are not very delicate in their choice
of means,but fe m refobeu to carry their point,
Cokato t^eate Deo., I therefore haflen to ano-
t cannot be consent with thel
tne policy, the interest or charter |
of au A^mbiv of Pennfilv^a to ft a ,
law which, by its neural operation, &I
afford p-o+cton to manifest injustice and ff li
berate known wrong. ,•.
Third, Nocaaie or end can be so g00d,,, e.
so heavenly in its origin, io excellent its
nature, io perfect in ns principles, io
ufeft:l in iu operation, as to require or juility
infernal means to promote it. by internal
means, 1 mean ^ as are most opposed to
Heaven and its laws, repugnant to natural
principles of equity, which are all derives
from Heaven, and deib^ve of the rights of
human nature, which are /Tendai, to the hap
pinets'c- society, the laws of which are cn
praven by Heaven on the heart of every man.
Some wicked men have formerly laid, let u:
do mil that good may come, whose danrna
lion isjuft Perhaps this fort of argument
Say not have all the tffed I could with on the
mind of every reader. I therefore proceed to
another Argument, which goes to the ^nature
and principle of the act itfelf, vii. that the
credit or value of money cannot, in the very
nature of the thing, be sapped, preserved or
rellored by pe.al laws, or any coercive me
thods. The fubjed is incompatible to force,
'tis out of' its reach, and never can be made
fufc/ptinle of it, or controuUbte by it. The
thing .hich makes money an object of desire,
which gives it Strength of motive on the
hearts of all men, is the general confidence,
tie opinion which it gains, as a sovereign
means of obtaining every thing needful.
This confidence, this opinion, exists in the
mind my, and is not compeliible or available
by f ice, but mull be grounded on that evi
dence and reason which the mind can fee and
believe; and is no more fubjert to the adion
of force, than any other passions, Sentiments,
Or affections of the mind, any more than faith,
honour, esteem. 'Tis not more absurd to at+
tempt to impel faith into the heart of an un
believer by fire and faggot, or to Whip love into
your mistress with a cowlkin, than to force va
lue or credit into your money by penal laws.
You may indeed bv force compel a man to de
liver his goods tor money which he does not
elleern, and the fame force can compel him
to deliver his goods without any money at all ;
but the credit or value of the money cannot
be held up by all this, as appears by number
left examples. Plain fads are Stubborn and
undeniable p oofs of this. Already this has
been 1 ied am°ng oui selves in filch extent of
places and variety of fbapes, and in every in
fc.nce been tout'd ineffectual, that I am amaz
ed to let any attempt to revive it, under any
devifeabie form whatsoever. Numberless at#
tie instances of flagrant oppression and wrong,
and even ruin, which have been the fad^c^s
of these dreadful experiments) with infinite de
triment to the community in general, without
ending in Any one instance the ends intended.
The farts on which this argument depends are
frefo in every one's memory. I could wiffi,
for the honour of my country, to draw a veil
over what is pail, and that wisdom might be
drawn from part errors Sufficient to induce eve
ry one to avoid therti in future. In fine, from
the contemplation of the nature of the thing,
and of the fads and experiments which have
been made in every variety of mode, and fop
ported by every degree of power and exertion,
it appears as plain and undeniable as intuitive
proof, tat the credit or value of money is
not in its nature cohtroulable by forces and
there bre any attempt to reach it in that way
must e.,d in di(appointment, and the greater
the efforts, and the higher the authority which
in be exerted in this way, the greater mart
bathe chagrin, Ihame and mortification, when
the baseless fabric (hall vanish into smoke.
The only possible mode then of giving value
and credit to money is, to give it such qualities,
and clothe it with such circumstances, as (hall
make it a lure means of procuring every need
ful thing; for money that will not answer all
th:n% is defective, and has not in it the full
nature and qualities of money. In this way
only it will grow faft enough into esteem, and
become a Efficient object of desire to aniwer
every end and use of money. Therefore, when
the question is propos'd, how Shall we give
credit or value to our money ? The anfiver,
the only true answer is, bring it into demand,
spake it necessary to every one; make it a high
means of happiness, and a fare remedy of mj
fcry. To attempt this in any other way is to
go out of nature, and of course into difficulty,
only to obtain Shameful difappoirrment in the
bed. There is nothing better than to take
thirds in their natural way. A great and dif
ficult work may 6/ ^c• w:plifhod by cafy dili
gence. if a good method and a wife choice of
means arc adopted ; but a I'm all work may be
made difficult, vety fcon; if taken at the wrong
end and pro feed Uy-ur- atuial means. There
is a fight add a wrong method of doing every
thing. You may leak with a thread what you
cannot drive with whips arid Scorpions. The
Briton- have found this to their coll, in the
unnatural means they have pursued to pre
feive and recover thrift virions in America.
1 with we might be made wife by their er-ors.
Felix ^mfaciuni alicna fc ricula cautwn. •
t' a r tcp ; c < a gumeh; v:z. tappears to me
the art u founded in nufekeg and xcry bad
pirtky, arid by its natural operation mart pro
duce many effea ,jtumdy prejudicial to our
great and most important interests.
Ift, It seems plain to me, th ' the art has a
fatal tendency to destroy the great motives of
industry, and to dishearten and difoourage men
of every profeffion and occupation from pur
<ring their business on any large scale, or to
any great effort, and therefore will prevent the
production of those (applies derived from huf
bawdry and manufactures, which ^e essential
to our fafety, support and comfort. Few men
,will bellow their labour, attention and gc-d
money, with zeal to procure goods and commo
dities for sale, which they know they murtfell
for money which they esteem bad, or at bell
doubtful. This proportion is so obvious and
natural, that it flrikes the mind with convic
tion at firtf light without proof, aad is so amply
confirmed by our pail experience, that it cab
admit no doubt as to its truth or consequence.
The extent and dreadful effects of this are una
wcidallt and immense. If the industry of the
farmer and tradesman ft difeouraged, and they
cease to lay themselves out for large crops and
fabrics, the consequence mull be an uniVerfal
diminution and Scarcity of lining, as well as
commerce. The general industry of the coun
try is of such vast importance, is an objed of
such magnitude, that to check it is to bring
on ruin, poverty,famine and df^refs, with idle
„fs, vice, corruption of morals, and every
species of evil; but enumeration or enlarge
ment is unnecessary here. Is money is the
flnews of every business, the introducing a
doubtful medium, and forcing it into currency
by penal laws, mutt weaken and lessen every
branch of business, in proportion to the dimi
nution of inducements found in the Inoney. .
4th, The art, 1 apprehend, will give a bad
appearance to our honour and refrertability,
in t.t eyes of our neighbours on this continent
and theoations of Europe, and other mqre
dillant parts of the world. For when they
tome D: be informed that car own people must
be compelled, by the loss of half their , elates,
and imprisonment of their persons, to troft the
public frith, ehey will at once Conclude there
rauft be some great danger, fame Shocking mif
chief dormant.there, which the people nearest
to.and belt acquainted with it a^hor so mach,
and of course, as they are cut of the reach of
our con fixations and ituprifonments, will have
little inducement to trull or elteem us. And,
sth. Will give great exultation and encou
ragemert to our enemies, and induce them to
proi ng the,war, and thereby increase the hor-'
rid penalty of imFrifoumenty which is to last
3d, I apprehend the ad will, by its natural
operation, tend to corrupt the metjity of the
people, sap the support, if riot the very founda
tion, of our independence, lessen the refped
due to our legislature, and dellroy that reve
rence for our laws, which is abfolotely neces
sary to their proper operation, and the peace
and protection of society. Many people will
be so terrified with the apprehension of feeing
their real fobftance, the fruit of their labour
and anxious attention, converted into a bundle
of paper bills of uncertain value, that, to avoid
this evil, they will have ilrong inducements
to wreck their invention for all devifeable ways
and means of avoiding it; and this will give
rife to frith numberless frauds, ambiguities,
lie#, quibbles and (hams, as will introduce the
habit, Ind give a kind of facility to the prac
tice of such guile and feats of art, as will en
danger the uprightness, plain hone^y, and no
ble finceruy, which ever mark the character of
a happy and virtuous people.
Many who wilh well to our independence,and
have man, necefikriea for our army which they
would wish to supply, will be yet held back
from offering their goods, from the foie con
sideration of their doubtful value of the bills
in which those fuppiies mull be paid for ; and
instances of this fort I conceive will be so nu
merous, as greatly to affect the fuppiies ofour
army, and of course the support of our inde
pendence. The injuries and fullerings ofpeo
ple, who are compelled to take said bills in
fatisfaftion of contrasts for real money, will
induce them in their rage to use the legislature,
who formed the a& ft with great liberty, and
perhaps gross difrefped ; whilst the habit of
reproaching the legislature, and eluding the
injurious atl, will become general, and pave
the way to a habitual and universal abhorrence
of our legislature and contempt of our laws,
with a kind of facility and artful dexterity in
eluding the force of the vhole code. I freely
submit Y to my readers if these confeguences
are not all unnatural or ill-drawn, if the sur
mises arc at all grouhdlcf>, or the painting a
whit toertrong. No art of government is more
neceffaray than that of keeping up the dignity
and ,efeeddbility of the legislatures, and dll
courts and officers of government, and exciting
and preserving in the hearts of the people a
high reverence for the laws; and any thing
which endangers these great fopports of the
Rate ought to be avoided as a deadly evil.
id, The fame thing will render the procure
ment of (applies f^- th- army difficult, if not
utterly impractical. Most men will hold
back their goods from the maket, father than
fell them for money of a doubtful credit; and
there will be no possible way of collating them,
bet to feed a superior force into the country,
and there take them by violence from theown
er, which will occasion such an expence as
wili double the cost of the fuppiies by the time
they get to the army, be fubjetl to a thousand
frauds, &C. &c. &c, This is the mod obvious
and natural operation of the rd. it we confider
its own nature only, and is confirmed by such
ample experience, recentin the memory of eve
ry man, that it can leave no doubt but all this
train of mifchiefs mast follow the ad from its
firft operation.
dur'n:% the war. When they fee that out mo
ney ftpecomefo deteftibie, that it requires such
an ad as this to compel our own people to take
it, they inuft at lead be convinced that its na
ture is greatly corrupted, and its efficaty and
use nearly at an end. When we fee the paffi
orate admirers ,of a great beauty forced by
lalhes and tortures into her embraces, we at
once conclude that flic has 101 l her charms, and
is become dangerous arid loathsome. It can
not be fairly obje&ed to those ftriftures, that
they suppose the bills funded by this ad are of
Ids value than hard money. The aft itfelf
implies this. The Assembly never thought of
wafting time in framing an att to compel
people to take guineas, joes and Spanilh dol
lars, under penalty of con Afcation and im
prifonrirent-.Befides, the fed Hands in such
glaring light in the eyes of all men, that'tis
mere trifling to dispute it. I dare thjnk that
there is not a man to be found, either in the
Assembly or out of it, that would esteem him
felf so rich and fafe in the pofeffion of a thou
sand of these dollars, as ofu thousand Spanish
ones; and the mod effectual way to empress a
sense of the deficiency of the,art on the minds
of all men, and even difeover the idea which
the Assembly themlelves have of it, is to en
force it by penalties of extreme feVerity ; for
were there no deficiency in the art, it could
not possibly require such penalties to give it ill
necessary effort, nor is it fuppofeable that the
Assembly would add the fanftion of horfid pe
nalties to any of their arts, unle6 they thought
there was need of them. The enormity of the
penalty deserve! remark. The penalty for
refuting a dollar of these bills is greater than
for fteafihg teri times the fam. Further, the
art alters, arid of course destroys, the nature
arid value of public arid private cohtratts, and
of consequence strikes at the root of all public
and private Credit. Who can lend money with
any security, arid of course Who can borrow,
let his teceffity and dift)?fs be ever so great b
who can purchase on Credit, dr make ahy ton
trart for future phyment# and of course all
confidence of oer fellow citizens in ote ano
ther is hereby destroyed, as well as all con
fidence of individuals in the public.
Upon the whde matter, the bills must rest
oh the credit of their funds, their quantity,
and other cirtvtnftances. If these are fo^cient
to give thepi a currnty it full Value, they
will pass readily enough without the help of
penal laws. If these ar€.sst # fuffivient, they
most and will depreciate; and ; thereby destroy
the end of their own Creation sand this will
proceed from such ftrong.natural principles,
such physical causes, as cannot in the, nature
of the thing be checked or controlled by pe
nal laws, or any other application of force. 4
These ftrirtures are humbly offered to pub
lic consideration. The farts alledged are all
open to view; and well understood. If the
remarks and reasonings are just, they will carry
conviction ; jf they are not so, they are liable
to any one's correction.
KINGSTON, v. 4.
Wednesday, the Arrow, with a floep her prize,
having on board the remainder or said cargo, allo
anchored at Port-Royal.
cape. M'Nei! informs us, that on the 27th cf Sep
tember, a fleet of nine fail of the line, two frigates,
and the Unicorn, failed from the Cape on a cruizte;
and as they have not been heard of since, it is ima
gined they must have perished in the Storm. The
30 h of Ortober, a fleet of 14. fail of Americans failed
:or Bolton and Pii'cataqui, under the protection of
three lette s of marque, two of them carrying 20
guns, and the other 14. About 7 days befae the
flag °t truce left the Ca?e, a French Ship ati&M fee
Martinico, having left her mizen-matt. main-yard,
•'moft of her guns: and two days after, another
top arrived in much the fame plight. These vehels
were part of a fleet of 47 fail from Martinico to Hif
pariiom, bur nope of the rest had made their appear
ance when the flag came away: three Americans
had also a rived uii'mafted.
BASoEIERRE, (St# Kitts) Noyem. 2.
Xeheiday a fine Ship called the New De
fane-, Capt. Weeks, from Baltimore, with
The Schooner Five Sifters, Campbell, having been
driven from her anchors at St. Kitts the nth ult. in
the late hurricane, arrived at Port-Royal on Tuef
dny. On her pillage down, She ddily law the wrecks
of vessels, and picked up the head of, large French
Ship. She afterwards met with Inu über of malts,
yards, &c. which, from their fi?e and appearance,
they judged to belong to fomelar e French flips of
war. Before She left St. Kitts, a vice had been re
ceived by a Dutchman, that 60 fad of transports,
having 6oso troops on board, and 70 loaded mer
chant Ships, were blown out of the hatbeurs of Mar-'
tinico, molt of which it was imagined had perished
at sea.
“ The beginning cf Sept, letters from the Con
tador of the Spamfo fitt'emehts on El Rio Varcena,
weje teceived by the royal officers of Puerto Cabeillo,
winch soon eccafioned a rumour among the people,
that the Guthern provinces of New Spain had revol
ted and thrown Off heir allegiance to the Spanish
government. About the end of the fame month, the
post from Mara Cayba, arrived at Puerto Cabrillo,
with a number of private letters, and public dif
patchts from Santa Fe, for th^ royal officers of Car
racas, containing an authentic account of that gr, at
event; that they had not only thrown iff their alle
giance, but h^ elected a King, whofc rtfidence was
at Quito, with the title of E< Rey Caffimrrio Teree
roj and the revolution fa so efcblifced. that already
money was coined, and laws palled under the new
government. It was fufperted rite kingdom of Santa
Fe was ripe for a Similar revolt.''
On Tuesday the 23d ult. at his penn (Content)
in St. Ann, died Mr. Hugh M'Corntick : What
friendship with fteadinefa and without profeffion---
manly fortitude and disinterested attachment to men
of worth, with great pun&uality ip business; could
add to the chararter of an a&ive member of society,
were acknow edged to be all his due, by a very re
fpeaable meeting of his numerous friends at the last
melancholy tribute to the person of the man they
lov'd and esteemed.
The following aecoubtof a revolution that has
lately isken place i" Q^itd, the molt northerly pro
vince in the kingdom of Feruj miy be depended On
as authentic i
many pafeagerfy on bdard, and 560 log-
Iheads of tobacco, was sent in here by the
Hornet letter of marque from Newfoundlands
CHARLESTOWN, Novem. 16
The following persons were yeflerday taken
tip and put oh board one of the prison Ships:
Benjamin Cudworth, Richard Beresford, Sam
uel Prioleau, jun. Arthur Middleton, Joseph
Bee, John Sprat Cripps, Henry Crouch, Philip
Smith, Benjamin Dorrel, Morton Wilkinson, w
Benjamin Potlell, Wilfam, Logan, Edward
Weyman, James Wakefield, • Ch^iftopher Pe
ters, Thomas Savage, Geo. Abbo: Hall, D in
iel Defauffurc, Daniel Bourdeaux, John Ber
wick, Benjamin Waller, William Lee, Wil
liam Jones, with three others whefe names we
have not yet learnt..
In .consequence of the powers in me veiled
by the R'gh Hon. Ea:l Cornwallis, ard War
rant, received fr<m his Lordffiip and the C< m
rnandant of Charieftown; 1 do hereby ,roake
public to all whom it may concern; That [
have given the necessary orders for the feizrire
of the estates, both real and personal, ofthofe
persons whose names ate undermentioned, ex
cepting such property in Charlellown, as is
fecafed to those who were in town at the time
of capitulation. Andl do hereby Hrirtly pro
hibit, all and every peHon or persons from
attempting to central, remove, or in any
way injure the said property, on pain of be
ing punilhed, as aiding and abetting Rebel
lion. JOHN CRUDEN.
John Rutledge, Henry Laurens, Thomas
Ferguson, Christopher Gaddfden, William
Moultrie, Pierceßutler, Ralph Izard, Arthur
Middleton, Ch'arles Cotefworth Pinckney,
Francis Marion, John Harleftoo, jun. Isaac
Harlefton, lfaac Motte, Nicholas Eveleigh,
John Lewis Gervais, Stephen Bull, Peter
Horry, Hugh Horry, Thomas Heyward,
William Clap Sniped.
Charleftown, 18th Novem. 1780.
=<t*s%^CT^raM^ - -
rUBLICK AUCTION.
By JOHN MCADAM, and Co.
TO-MORRO W,
At eleven o'Clock; at their Aurtion Room,
will be fold, a lafge and general affortmentof
P rize goods, Rongji which are,
BRocades, fattens, taffities,
Lu:eShin:§, pelongs,
Persians, chintzes, calicoes, /
Hollands, Sneering,
Cloths, fluffs, fl°? s > &c.
On Wednesday at the Bridge,
Choice Fiench ciaiet,
Oid Erench brandy in kegs,
rPaper, nails, a case of hieJicihes, &c d
(Far the benefit of the underwriters)
A quantity of lines, and twine,, ironmongery,
and fliip chandlery, a bale of ftrouds, 3 bale of
Sheeting, and otraburghs ; imported in, and dam
aged an board the Ship restoration, f:om Coik, and
the brig Fi,, from London.
On Brownejohn'^ Wharff,
A quantity of condemned provisions, confin
ing of
Bread, beef, pork, peafe, flour, oatmeal, &c.
Between I and 2 o'clock, at the Cos-
FEt-HorsE,
The good brig Elphinstone, with all her
tackle nd apparel, as She now lies at Cruger's
wha,ff, Jout ioo tons bu then, a remarks de" faft
faiter, acd well found. Inventory to be teen at
their office.-
Choice Mufcovado Sugars,
Just imported ,n the Brig Valiant, from Jamaica, in hhds.
ti rce and barrels, to hr fold at
Public Au&ion,
At Bache's Wharf,
On Wednesday,
By Daniel McCormick.
Giles Welsford,
From LONDON,
Has opened a store at No. I, Garden-Street in Smith-
Street, and has for sale,
A General affoifment of linen and woolen drapery
and Manchester goods, buttons, trimmings,
sewing silks, threads and tapes, Barcelona and barr
dano handkerchiefs, hosiery, boots and Slices, gold
and silver laces, epaulets,fwoid knots andfword belts,
embroidered waistcoat pieces, leather gloves and
bietches, Saddles, bridles, whips and fidlery wares,
paper and ink powder, playing cards, pistols, fowling
pieces. Shot pouches, powder magazines and fl so,
Savigney's belt pen-knives, knives and forks, pickles;
Starch, teas, &c. on the most reasonable terms, wholes
Sale. "'
Owen Corthorn,
From LONDON,
Has opened a Store at No. x, Garden-Street in Smith,
Stieet, and has for fde,
A Large afforiment of plain and fashionable Striped
" and figured ribbons, gauzes of the geweft pat
terns, black and white mininets, perfians, farfaets,
modes, plain fatrins, black and white, figured fattins,
luteftrings, Barcelona handkerchiefs and cravats,
leather gloves, patent mits and gloves, thread, and
Silk patent nets, patent cauls for caps, black laces,
perfumery, newest fancy v^aiftcoat pieces, on the most
teafonable terms, v.hoteSale.
Robert M'Quoid,
(At Mr. William Donaldson's Itore, No. 1091,
Water-street,)
Has for fate, the under mentioned goods, which he
will fell, WHOLESALE, on veiy reasonable
terms, for CASH, as he means Shortly to return
to England,
BRO4D and sorest cloths; hunters cloths and
coatings ; all kinds of Manchester cords; pillow
fuftian; printed jeans and velverets ; quiltings, &c.
for ladies petticoats ; an elegant Lfortment of. calli,
coes Mid cottons of the newest patterns ; luteftring,
robins, tabbies, moree gowns, handkerchiefs ; worst
ed, thread and fill Stockings, silk waistcoats, mens
hats, &c, 4% c tf