The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1780-03-28 00:00:00, page 2

themselves ; and that the nor%n ones do not con
tribute to reinflate you in America, who already en
joy the market for naval Bores by the reparation.
You fcem surprised that Holland does not pour in
her fuccours to maintain you m ; fafs of the feat,
when her own commerce is fuffering by your act of
navigation or that any country should study her
own interests while yours is on the carpet.
, Such excesses of paffioaate folly and unjust as well
as unwise resentment, h%ve driven you on, like Pha
roah to unpitied ^iferies, and while the importance
of the quarrel /hall perpetuate your disgrace, the flag
of America will carry it round the world. The na
tural feelings of every rational being will take again&
you,and wherever the story shall be told, you will
have neither excuse nor consolation left. With an
unfptring hand and an unfadabie mind,you have ha
Vocked the world, both to gain dominion and to lose
it. and while in a frenzy of avarice and ambition,
the east and weft are doomed to tributary bondage,
you rapidly earned deftradios as the wages of a na
tion.
At the thoughts of a war at home every man a
mongfl you ought to tremble. The profp&a is far
more dreadful there than in America. Here the par
ty that was against the measures of the continent
were in general a kind of neutrals who added ftrenqth
to neither army. There does not exist a being so
devoid of sense and fentimeat as to covet " UNCON
DITIONAL submission," and therefore no man in
America could be with you in principle. Several
might from a cowardice of mind, prefbr it to the
hardships and dangers of opposing it; but the fame
disposition that gave them such a choice, unfitted
them to a& either for or against. But England is
rent into parties, with equal shares of resolution.
The principle which produced the war, divides the
nation. Their animosities are in the highefl Bate of
fermentation, and both fide# by a call of the militia,
are in arms. No human forefight can difeern, no
cooclufion can be formed, what turn a war might
take, if once set on foot by an invasion. She is not
now in a fit disposition, to make a common cause of
her own affairs, and having no conquests to hope for
abroad, and nothing but expence; arising at home,
her every thing is flaked upon a defenfive combat,
and the further she goes the worse she is off.
There are filiations a nation may be in, in which
peace or war, abfira&ed from every other confidera
tion, may be politically right or wrong. When no
thing can be loft by a war, but what must be loft
without it, war is then the policy of that country;
and such was the situation of America at the com
mencement of hostilities : Bat when no security can
be pined by a war, butwhat may be accomplished
by a peace, the case becomes revered, a^d such now
is the situation of England,
That America is beyond the reach of conquest, is
a fia which experience has shewn and time confirm
ed, and this admitted, what, I ask, is now the object
in contention? If there be any honor in pursuing
felf deftruaion with inflexible passion; if national
suicide be the perfection of national glory, you may,
with all the pride of criminal happiness, expire unen
vied and unrivalled. - Bit when the tumult of war
shall ceafeand the tempest of present passions be fac
ceeded by calm refleaion, or when those who far
viving its fury, shall inherit from you a legacy of
debts and misfortunes, when the yearly revenue
shall fcatcely be able to difeharge the interest of the
one, and no possible remedy be left for the other;
ideas, far different to the present, will arise, and
embitter the remembrance of former follies. A
mind disarmed of its rage, feels no pleafnre in con
tear plating a frantic quarrel. Sickness of thought,
the fare conference of conduA likeyours, leaves no
abili y for enjoyment, no relish for resentment; and
tho' like a man in a fit, you feel not the injury of
the ftrugfle, nor distinguish between strength and
disease, the weakness will neverthekfs be proportion
ed to the violence, and the sense of pain encreafe
with the recovery.
To what persons or to whose fyflem of politics
you owe your present fate of wretchedness is a mat
ter of total indifference to America. They have
contributed, however unwillingly, to set her above
themselves, and flit in the tranquillity of conquer
refighs the enquiry. The case now is not so proper
ly who began the war, as who continues it. That
there are men in all countries to whom a Bate of war is
a mine of wealth,is a fa& never to be doubted. Cha
riAsrs like these naturally breed jn the putrefaction
of distempered times, and after fattening on the dis
ease they perilh with it, or impregnated with the
flench retreat into obscurity.
But there are several erroneous notions to which
you likewifc owe a share of your misfortunes, and
which if continued will only increase your trouble
and your losses. An opinion hangs about the gen
tiemen of the minority, that America would rehfh
measures under THEIR administration, which she
would not from the perfent cabinet. On this rock
Lord Chatham would have split had he gained the
helm, and several of his survivors are steering the
fame course, Such diftinftions in the infancy of
the argument had feme degree of foundation, but
they now ferVe no other purpose than to lengthen
out a war, in which the limits of the dispute, being
fixt by the fate of arms, and guarantied by treaties,
are not to be changed or altered by trivial circum
^ances.
The Ministry and many of the minority facrifice
their time in disputing on a question with which they
have nothing to do, namely, whether America shall
be independent or not? Whereas the only question
that can come under their determination is, whether
they will accede to it or not ? They confound a mi
litary question with a political one, and, undertake to
f°pply bya vote whist they loft by a battle. Say,
she shall not be independent, and it will lignify as
much as if they Voted against a decree cf fate, or fay
that she shall, and she will be no more independent
than before. Questions, which when determined,
cannot be executed, serve only to fh^w the folly of
depute and the weakness of disputants.
- From along habit of calling America your own,
you suppose her governed by the fame prejudices
and conceits which govern yourselves. Because you
have set up a particular denomination of religion to
the execution of all others, you imagine she must do
the fame, and becuafe you, with an unsociable nar
rownef, of mind, have cherished against France and
Spain, you suppose her alliance must be defective in
fnendfhip. Copying her notions of the world from
you, she formerly thought as you infimAed, but
now feeling herfelf free, and the prejudice removed,
she thinks and a&s upon a different system. It fre
quently happens that in proportion as we are taught
to dislike perlons and countries not knowing why.
we feel an aider of esteem upen a removal of the mis
take: It seems as if something was to be made amends
for, and we eagerly give into every office of friend
fhip to attoae for the injury of the error.
But perhaps there is fumething in the extent of
countries, which among the generality of people,
insensibly communicate extention cf the mind. The
foul of an Minder in its native State seems bounded
by the foggy confines of the water's edge, and all
beyond, affords to him matters only for prefit or
curiosity, not so, friendship. His island is to him
hit world, and fixt to that his every thing centers in
it ; while those, who are inhabitants of a continent,
by calling their eye over a larger field, takes in like
wife a larger intellectual circuit, and thus approach
ing nearer to an acquaintance with the universe s
their atmosphere of thought is extended, and their
liberality fills a wider space. In Oort, our minds
seem to be measured by countries when we are men,
as they are by places, when we are children, and
until something happens to difentasgle us from the
prejudice, we serve under it without perceiving it.
In addition to this, it may be remarked, that men
who fludy any univtrfal science, the principles of
which are universally known, or admitted, and ap
plied without difiinaon to the common benefit of
all countries, obtain thereby a larger share of phi
lantrophy than those who only fludy national art#
and improvements. Natural philosophy, mathe
matics and agronomy, carry the mind bom the coun
try to the creation, and giveit a fitnefs suited to the
extent. It was not Newton's honor, neither could
it be his pride, that he wasan Englishman; but that
he was a philosopher : The Heavens had liberated
him from the prejudices of an island, and science
had expanded his foul as boandlefs as his Audies.
- (To be concluded in a subsequent paper.)
The following A&s passed at the left Session of the
General Assembly, viz.
An A& for ascertaining and declaring the Value of
the Debts due to certain particular creditors of
this State, and for Applying the State Treafary
with such Sums as shall be necessary for the Exi
gences of this Government, and to answer certain
Requisitions of the United Slates, and for the
ehablifhment of public credit.
WHEREAS it behoves every Government to ren
der Jiftice as far as possible, to every Member be
longing thereto, and in a most especial manner to
those who have placed a particular confidence in
their equity : Thi^ Government considering, that
in the Progress of the present most cruel and oppres
sive War, the Bills of public Credit have, by una
voidable Accident become much depreciated; from
which Circum^ance some Doubts may pcffibly arise
jn the Minds of the public C.editors of this State,
that they may hereafter be obliged to receive their
Pay according ^to -the depreciated Value of the pre
fect Currency. To prevent all misapprehensions of
this Nature :
BE it enaaed by the Governor, Council, and Re:
prefentatives, in General Court assembled and
by the Authority of the fame, That the Notes exe
cuted and issued by the Treafcrer of this State, by
Virtue of an A& of this AOembly passed in Decem
ber, 1766 and the Blls of public Credit which have
been loaned to this Srate in covfequence of an A&
of the General Assembly puffed in May, 1,77 ; and
in consequence of another A& puffed in February,
1778; and also the Bills of public Credit which
have been loaned as aforefaid in Consequence of an
A& passed by the General Assembly in May, 17,8,
sh all be paid for, together with the Intererc, to the
refpe&ive Landers, in Goldor Silver, or in B'llrof
public Credit of this State, according to the full Va
lue of thefaid Bills or Nates when they were loaned
or iffaed as aforefaid.
A id to provide for the special Exigencies of this
State, and other necessary Ufts :
Be it ena&ed by the Authority afimfaid, That
there shall forthwith be emitted uhon the Faith and
Credit of this State, Forty Thousand Pounds, Law
ful Money, in Bills of public Credit, computing
every Six Shillings of such Bills to be equal to one
Spanish milled Dollar, and to other Coins in that
Proportion ; which Bills shall be redeemable by the
fiiS Day of Match, 1784, and shall bear an Interest ,
to the Possessor thereof, of Five Pounds per Centum
per Annum, from the firft Day of March, 1780, un
til the said Time of their Redemption.
That a Tax be and hereby is granted upon the
Polls arid rateable Estate of the Inhabitants of this
State, on the Lift which shall be given in to th Ge
neral Assembly in the Year 1782, of S'x Pence on
the Pound, to be paid in fa d Bills or in Gold or Sil
ver, computing Spanish milled Dollars and other
Coin as afofefaid. by the firft Day of January 1784 ;
and that the Treafarer es this Slate be and he
hereby is directed to iffae his Warrants for colle&-
ing said Tax, and shall difeharge said Bills accord
ing to this Aa.
Be it further enaAed. That a Tax be, and hereby
is granted on the Polls and rateable Estate of the In
habitants of this State, payable in Bills emitted by
the Congress of the United States, of Twelve Shil
lings. Lawful Money cn the Pound, to be paid by
the fitft Day of April next ; And also that another
Tax be, and hereby is granted on the Polis and
rateable Estate of the Inhabitants of this State, pay
able in said Bills emitted by Congress, of Twelve
Shillings on the Pound, payable by the fie? Day of
June nett : Both of which left mentioned Taxes
shall be collected and paid on the Lift given in to
this Assembly, A. D. 1,78. That a further Tax
of Twelve Shillings on the Pound, payable in said
Bills emitted by Congress, by the firfl Day of Nov.
next be, and hereby is granted on the Polls and rate
able Estate of the Inhabitants of this Slate, as the
fame is or shall be given in on the Lift 1779 : And
that the Tisafurer of this State be, and he hereby is
dirtaed to ilTue his Warrants to collet said three
left mentioned Taxes according to this A&.
Provided nevertheless; That any. Person charged
with the Payment of any of the three left mentioned
Taxes, shall have Liberty and Power to discha r ge
the fame upon paying one thirtieth Part of the Sum
wherewith hedhall be so charged in such Taxes,
either in Bills of public Credit which are or shall be
ordered to be emitted by this oriany future General
Assembly, or in Coin according 10 the Computation
thereof as afmfaid.
That the aforefaid Tax, payable the firft Day of
November next, shall not re issue from the Treasury,
except by the special Order of the General Assem
bly : And that the Taxes granted by this AA, pay
able the firft Day of Junenext, shall be applied to de
fray the Expence sos this State, and to answer the
Requisitions of Congress towards our Qrcta of the
Expence# of the United States.
And be it further ena&ed by the Authority aferte
faid, That there shall be borrowed on the Faith and
Credit of this State, the Sum of One Million Pounds,
on Bills efthe common Currency of the United
States, which have already issued by Cengreb. upon,
the following "Terms.'
That every Person who shall d/pofit for the use of
the State, in the Hands of th? Tteafurer of this State,
any Sum in said Bills of the United Stales, not life
than One Hundred and Eighty Pounds; Lawful
Money, sreordipg to the nominal Value thereof,
shall receive therefor from thistState/o the amount
of one thirtieth part cf the sum so deposited, in Sil
ver or Gold, computing Spin.fh milled Dollars and
other Coins as aforefaid, within fix Years after such
sum shall bedepofited as aforefajd ; and shall receive
annually on any sum or fams he fall deposit, accord
ing to this A&. an lotreft of Six Pounds per Cen
tum, per Annum, either in Gold or Silver Con
computed asaforefaid, or in Bills of public Credit of
this State, not tearing an Intra# cf less than Four