The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1779-06-08 00:00:00, page 1

Meffi'rs. PRINTERS,
I Am a traderman. ,I have lately read a
° piece in your ufeful paper, of the 4th
and nth ultimo, the firft signed A. B.
the second a Farmer. Something in each
I like well, the firft I approve for many
plain truths it contains. The latter for
the spirit it breathes ; a spirit of recon
ciliation-, and that nothing ought to be said
or done to widen the breach between the
merchant and the farmer, whose interests
are reciprocal. A spirit of true love and
affedion, once fettled, inthethree branches,
that is, between the merchant, farmer and
mechanic, all the branches that are friend
ly to their country's cause, would make us
formadable indeed. Only let the mer
chant, the farmer, the tradesman, and the
day laborer, seek every one not his own
but anothers good ; or in other words,
love his neighbour as himfelf, and what
ever he would have others do to him, do
to them. We could soon fruftrate all the
designs of Great-Britaia against us—but
while oppredion and extortion pervades all
denominations of men, we cannot hope for
better times ; nay, without a speedy re
formation, we need no spirit of prophecy
to predict, we Shall suddenly be destroyed,
and that, without remedy. .——That
avarice, that curled root of all evil, hath
taken faft hold on the minds of all deno
minations of men; I believe none will be
so hardy as to dispute, tho' there may be
some few exceptions in each denomination:
And that I may not seem too partial, I will
point out one a& of oppression, which be
gins to prevail among us tradesmen •,that
is, some have of late, demanded a bounty
with the apprentices they take, and if I
am not mifiniormed, some of the common
and most ordinary trades, have exa&ed,
either that the parent find his son cloaths
during his apprentifhip, or a certain lum
of money, besides his service of fix or seven
years hard labour ; indeed some more su
perior trades, we know, and allow, have
been accustomed to cloaths or a bounty
with their apprentices, but if the labour
of an induftrous lad fix or seven yea r s,
wont pay for learning an ordinary trade;
what Shall be done with the poor widow's
son, who perhaps has gone through school
for common learning on the charity of her
neighbours? why they must go without
trades, or in other words, they must be
fitted for the gallows. Here is oppression
of the poor with a witness, and yet some
of us will tell you, that such aone, a hatter,
a fadler, a j ?iner, or a taylor, has had f>
much of this or that with an apprentice,
and he will have so much or he will n ? t
take your son; I have taken and brought
up apprentices, but never had a farthings
worth of cloaths found them,or a farthing
bounty ever given with one, ard have
had as good a pretence as TV to it. Nov
TUESDAY, June 8, 177,. T HE Nu mbe 3 7;s
CONNECT Ic UT COURANT,
ANDTHfi
W EEKLV I NTELLI GENC E R.
HARTFORD: Printed by HUDSON and G 0 ODW I N, near the Great-Bridge.
but the truth is we are all gone out
of the way, and in the language of the
scripture, there is none that doeth good
who has not had a hand in depreciating
our currency, and bringing down the
judgments of heaven by oppression on our
land ; some few instances there may be,
but I beleive they are very rare., I am
sure I will not pretend to exculpate myfelf,
wherefore let us condemn ourselves instead
of our neighbour, and let us Sincerely set
about a personal and family reformation ;
according to the advice of the prophet
Daniel, break off our fins by repentance,
and our iniquity by flawing mercy to the
poor. That it may be a lengthening out
of our tranquility, and let us join heart and
hand cemented together in love and unity
for the good of our country: Let us will
ingly contribute, without grumbling, such
part cf our interest in defence thereof, as
our legislature (ball in their wisdom call for.
About four years ago, I could hear many
a one faying, I would willingly give one
quarter of my interest this year, and ano
ther quarter next year, and so till the whole
was fynt, to have my future privileges
fecurd / and some of those very men,
have id # ana dtheirirtereft seven fold Since,
by the laws and customs of England, a
difference is made in the customs of trade.
And probably for this very reason, that
the children of the poor, the children of
the widow, the fatherleg, by the induftrous
labour of fix or seven years might obtain
a trade to get an honest maintainance in
future life Bat fomeofthefe mechanics
will tell you, that they dont ask that boun
ty of widows, or poor folks, &c. but
they ask it only of those who are able to
pay, but who will believe one of this turn
of mind, that he will ever take a widow
or poor person's son, when another will
give him a bounty, or find his son cloaths
during his apprentifhip, this is oppression,
it is an iniquity which ought to be punish
ed by the judges. Wo to the man wno
firft introduced this cuftorn, whether it be
the matter who demanded or the weak pa
rent or guardian who complied with so
oppressive a demand, it were better far
better for the public, that a mill-stone
were put about his neck, and he were cast
into the sea, or it had been good for the
public that that man had never been born.
My design was not to delcant upon op
pression, for that would open a large field
too large for a news-paper. It was to en
deavour to reconcile all parties, and to
point out only one among many ads of
oppression in my own party, and this be
cause it is so cloak'd that it is hardly seen
to be oppressive, when in fad it is of the
most crimson dye, it is far beyond the fair
and open demand of the merchant, of thirty
or forty dollars a bushel for salt, or of the
farmer of twenty dollars a bushel for wheat
and you will now hear them complaining
of great rates, these things ought not to
to be, wherefore let usftudy the things tha;
m ke for peace, ^nd wherewith cue may
edify another.
A MECHANIC.
— —— - : - * ! r-—==— — !.^^rt
LONDON, MARCH
The Speech of Sir Fletcher Norton to
Admiral KEPPEI, in coHequencq
or the House of Commons order for re,
turning their thanks to that officer, u^
on his late honorable acquittal.
“ Admiral KEPPEL,
" T HI 3 House have done you ti^
diltinguifhtd honour of ordering
their thar ks to be given to you, an honour
never conferred but upon extraordinary
merit, which thanks it is my duty ty com
municate to you, in your place.
" After having fat so long in this chair,
I h)pe it is unnecessary to declare, th* [
have been always happy to obey the orders
of the House ; and I have now a particu
lar fatisfa&ion in that obedience - -Indeed
every generous mind must feel fatisza&ion^
when the day of honourable acquittal suc
ceeds to the day of severe trial ; and this
pleasure was, I believe, never more gene
ral nor more sincere, than upon the present
occasion.
" You, Sir, was called by your Sove
reign, with the approbation of all difcrip
tions ofmen, particularly those of youro@
profeffion, to a Ration of the utmost dif
ficulty; and of the highest importance.
The fafety of this country, and the honour
of the Britiih flag, were trusted in your
hands, when the enemy was expected dp
on our coast, and notwithstanding the most
abledifchargeof this great and momentous
trust, you was accused of mifcondua and
neglect of duty. But, after a very long and
full ipveftigation, by men in every refpe<ft
the best qualified to judge, that charge
appeared to be ill grounded and malicious;
and your judges have unanimously and
honourably acquitted you, and have fur
ther added, that your conduct on the 27th
and 28 h of July last, was that of a judi
cious, brave and experienced officer. Sure
ly then it cannot be a matter of surprise
that extraordinary marks of refpe& and es
teem are shewn to such a charader. We
now know with certainty, that our confi
dence in you, was not misplaced ; and we
entertain a well grounded hope, that their
still remain amongst the naval officers, tar
lents and abilities fully equal to this dan
gerous crisis.
" Amidst the general joy, I cannot
help repealing the singular pleasure which
I feel in giving you the thanks of this
House, which I now do, for your distin
guished courage, conduct and ability, in
defending the kingdom in the course of last
summer, effe&ualiy protesting its trade,