The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1783-08-12 00:00:00, page 2

been a labourer with you any longer, but might
have become one of yourfamily too, and have
worked only when you and they did, and must
have taken my chance for that, but I chose ra
ther to remain as I was, depending you would
pay me my wages and this wheat your Over
seer promised, and I had a great regard for your
interest too, and saw that unless there was some
body to keep a constant look-out things would
soon goto rack and ruin—As to John Private
you never need be afraid that he will fay any
thing— 70/>,r and I are old and good friends, and
many a hard days work have we had together—
you know you hired John as a labourer for a
certain time, and he could not quit 'till his time
was cut; but it was always understood between
,ou and me, that I might leave offbeing a la
bourer and become one of yourfamih whenever
I pleased—-John you know never would engage
dill youfitf paid him besides his wages, a bounty
in good wheat, besides you found John in cloath
i^g andlnever have had anyfiom you—however
Colonel the truth of the case isyou have promised
it to me, and you have never promised it to James
or Fohn, and that ought to be enough.
Col. But you forget I believe that I am " to
give you some of the waste lands" of my farm.
Labourer. No I don't forgetit, and I am very
thankful for it ;---but what shall Ido with them
it I an't able to buy a team and plough to work
them? Why I must fell them, and you know
they won't fetch me more than a (hilling an acre.
—But Colonel when you said you would give
me this land, you never said that it was to be in
stead of the wheat your Overfeerpromifed to me;
—if you meant it, lam sure I never took it so,
and I don't believe that any body else did ; —I
always supposed that when you gave me the land,
it was mere generosity in you, and because you
thought I deserved it.
Col. I am afraid if I pay you this wheat, " it
will be a pension, and that it will enslave me."
Labourer. I don't rightly know what apenfon
is,—l always thought it was giving a man j^me
thing for doing of nothing ; —and to be sure if
farmers will give away their substance in that
way, they must at last be slaves: But I wish you
would tell me how paying me the wheat you
have promised, will enslave you.
Col. If I pay you this wheat, you will then
" be an idle drone in my family."
Labourer. That you know Colonel is my own
look out : Now I think it most likely I shall fell
this wheat, and with the money buy a team and
a plough, and improve the waste land you are to
give me, —or buy a final! farm, and be a farmer
myfelf, and lay up something for my family,—
and not be a day-labourer any longer ; when if
I should fall sick, my family and 1 must come
upon the precin&.
Col. Well I do not know what more to fay to
you about it.
Labourer. I don't believe you do—l fee thro'
all this—when people have a mind to cheat, they
will contrive a thousand excuses ; —you have
said a great many things which you know are
not so a great many which you have not
good reason to believe are so ; and tho' I don't
wish to offend you, yet I can't help telling you
all this is telling a lit. —You told your Overseer
to hire labourers, and left it to him to agree with
them,---and when your Overseer made this bar
gain with me, you knew of it, —and if you didn't
like it, should have told'me of it then, —and not
let me work afterwards, and help you thro your
barvefl, —and then try to get rid of the bargain
because you said it wasn't a fair one.—l don't
pretend to high learning or politics, but I know
well that whether I make a bargain myfelf, or
get another man to make it for me, it is still my
own bargain,—my own promise ; and my bible
tells me, that no man shall enter into the king
dom of heaven unless, " altho' he promise to bis
loss—yet makes bis promise good." If you won't
pay me I can't help it, for 1 am too poor to go to
law with you,—but remember that although I
can't punifli you for this injustice, there is ONE
who can; and altho' you have had a good har
vest, and have it well housed ip your barn—take
care left in bisjudgment HE fend his lightning
and destroy it.
To Col. ROSWELL HOPKINS.
S I. R,
YOU cannot be at a loss to discover, that the
above dialoguehas anallufion to the resolves
of the town meeting, in Amenia precinct, on the
4th inst. against allowing the officers of the army
half-pay or commutation promised by Congress.
„ Altho' I have introduced you as a chara&r
in the dialogue, I do not mean that it should be
thence inferred that you concurred with the ma
jority at the meeting in these resolves ; —the cir
cumstance of your being made chairman, will
induce a suspicion that you approved ofthe re
solves: You may prevent this, either by calling
another town meeting, and using your influence
with the people to refeind the resolves; or by
publishing an explicit declaration of your own
private sentiments on the fubjea.
I have not served in the army, neither have
any of my mok distant connections; —I am
therefore not influenced by interest, —and I have
no other inducement to address you on this oc
casion, than merely as I am
A Friend to Tr. th and fuflice.
J
At a greeting of the; Inhabitants o the Town of
Farmington, on the fourth day of August,
ISAAC LE E, Moderator.
town appointed a Committee to confider what was
, proper to be done, relative to Cape. William Judd, of
laid town, who had then lately returned from Philadelphia,
having, as it was fiid, obtained fecuiities for the commu
tation pf half-pay for the deranged officers ofthe Connedi
cut Line, which Committee, upon consideration, reported
the following vote, which biting read was unanimously ap
proved, viz.
That this town do disapprove, in terms of the highest rc
fentment, of thecond a & of Cape. William Judd, offaid town,
L° e '"" "''" "' cn > rc '"i ve tothe commutation, grant
'dby Congicfs, to the officers ofthe army, and are decidedly
of opinion, that'his faidcondud tendsto the subversion ofthe
rights ofthe people, and merits the severest reprehension of
this town and the public, and that John Treadwell, Esq; Mr.
Hezekiah Wadfworih, Col. Gad Stanly, Col. Jfaac Lee,
Maj. Ichabod Norton, Capt, John Allyb, and Lieut. Joseph
Byington be appointed a Committee,^ serve the said Capt.
WiluamJudd with,a copy of this vote, as a perpetual testi
mony of our sense of this matter.
The town then proceeded to the consideration of rhe fub
of commutation of half-pay referred to in the above
^unanimoufl, agreed to the following sentiments
-That we are convinced the measure is un
juff, impolitic, oppreffiye to the people, subversive of the
principles of a republican government, and exceedingly
dangerous when drawn into precedent; which, after all
that has been said and wrote on the matter, eipecially, as it
appears to be the general opinion, it seems, at this time,
particularly to illustrate; on these grounds
trusted the General Affably in their lift sessions, would
have adopted proper meafurcs to countered a system so ruin
oils in its nature and consequences, but unhappily were dis
appointed, what the conference of this delay may be, is
uncertain; but we apprehend the silence ofthe General Af
lembly will be confirmed as an approbation of the meafere,
and that the longer it is delayed, the more difficult it will be
to obtain redrefs.---Notwithftaoding our opposition to this
mcalure on the principles just mentioned, we entertain a
proper refpea far Cengrefs, and prafefs ourselves much in
debted to their wife and prudent management, in the gene
ral conduCT of the war, for our present enjoyment of inde
pendence and peace, and are most firmly of opinion, that
the inion ofthe States, of which Congress is the band and
cement, has been a principal means, in the hands of Pro
vidence, of the preservation of these States from Slavery and
ruin § and that our present and future fafety, our honor and
national charter, require that Union to be sacredly main
tained, upon the principles of the confederation ; and Fur
ther, that justice, honor, and gratitude demand that proper
and adequate funds be provided, for the pundual payment
ofthe interest of the national debt, contrasted by Congress,
pursuant to powers vested in them by confederation; and
for the gradual redemption of the principal, at the fame
time we believe it to be the indifpeufible duty ofthe Seve
ral States, who disapprove ofthe commutation, to remon
strate to Congress in a firm and decided manner, and that
the remoufbances ofthe State be lodged in the archives of
Congrels, in the nature of protests, as a perpetual memento
to that honourable body, and also, in the provisions that
may be made for funding the national debt, that the com
mutation of half-pay be always excepted, which meafurc,
should it be adopted by the several States in the Union, will
render the securities granted to the officers of the army, in
virtue of said resolution of Congress, of a value roftly pro
portioned to the Services for which they are given, and un
der those circumstances we arc content they should hold
them inpoHcHion, as a perpetual evidence of their folly in
attempting to invade the rights of a people determined to
be fiec,
# We arc not d^fpofed to chargeCongrefs with criminal views,
in adopting a meafure,fo dangerous in its nature, butchoofe
to believe,they supposed the ct iticalcircumftanccs of affairs
would juftify the measure, up^n principles of the most co
gent necessity; but that necefficy whatever it might be, was
laid upon them by the rcftlefs, importunate and repeated
applications ofthe officers ofthe army, which were pursued
at seasons the most critical and alarming, and unde r cir
cumstances, that shew they aded upon a fixed and deliberate
fyltem of making their fortunes, whateverdiftreffes it might
occasion to the people—che services of the officers in the
field arc meritorious, and it is much to be regretted that they
have catt a shade upon their glory, by a ceurfc ofcondua
which shews they were aftuated by other principles than the
love oftheir country-—TheirilluftriousCommarderinChicf
by renouncing thole pecuniary canfiderations, to which he
was most justly entitled, will tranfmir to posterity a glory
unsullied as the fun, which they would have shared inj ac
cording to their refpedive merit, had they come as near the
inimitable original, as it is supposed their circumstances in
general would admit, ty being content with their wages'
but their condu& favouring of injustice and oppreffim up
on the people, from whom they received their honors, and
to whom they owed their all, places them by their General
as fails, to fee offhis glory with rcfplendent luftre
Far be it from us to suppose, that each individual officer;
below the Commander in Chief, has been influenced in this
matter, b, unjust and mercenary principles; no doubt the
system was formed, and the plan conduced, by some influ
ence! charaders, devoted to private interest, formed for
intrigue, and a^ed by a Machiavilian policy, but as their
chara&ers are undiftinguisliable, they are to be viewed and
considered as a. body, though many may, in confcquence,
be treated with that difrefpe& which their condud has not
merited " But the commutation is granted, is become a
part of the national debt, and the faith of the United Sizes
is pledged for the payment" —Be it so, yet after all, it still
remains a doubt, whether Congress were for this puipofe
vested with competent powers; we will not contend, that,
by the confederation, Congress have no powers to grant
monies, in the nature of gratuities, in consideration of emi
nent services, for the encouragement of merit, inch power
ought to be lodged somewhere For the benefit ofthe States,
and has frequently been cxercifed by Congress, in the caurfe
ofthe war, to general fatisfi&ion ; but these grants must
jc within the bounds of moderation, and for the public e~
molumenc ; but it will not hence follow that Congrels havc
a right to do wrong, or a power to exhaust the people for
the benefit of individuals, however meritorious ; their pow
ers being granted for the public good, must ever be limited
by 1 reasonable conftrudien, and though true it is, thatCon
grefs arc, in the firft instance, the proper judges oftheir
own powers, yet they are bound to judge agreeable to truth,
bciDg accmwrable for their high tru st, as servants, to their
constituents, the great body of the people, to whose decisi
on they must finally submit ; for there is an original, un—
derived and incommunicable authority and supremacy, in
the colleague body of the people, co whom all delegated
power mult submit, and from whom there is no appeal.
We arc convinced that the people of these States, as far as
our information extends, arc determined to oppose this
measure, as uppreflion, and a flagrant usurpation of their
rights ; ana after all that has been done and Suffered in the
cause of freedom, usurpation is sure to meet with a Spirited
apportion, under whatever form it appears. It is true,
thata fadious oppofrion to government ought to meet
with the bigheft resentment of the public; but when the
Sente of the people coile&ively if opposed to nieafures a—
depted by the ruling power, it cannot be denominated fac
tion, out the judgment of the community, by which, that
power ought to be controuled : Nothing, indeed, but an at
tack upon the vital principles ofthe constitution can rouse
the great body of the people, or juftify them in an open and
violent opposition to the Supreme authority ; for when fuck
an event takes place, it is in fad, a resumption of all dele
gated power, a fufperfion of the constitution, and throws
the community back into an original fate of nature, the
rubicon is palled, and what kind of government whether
free or tyrannical will arise, from Such a dismal Scene of
wretchedneG and confufion, is left to the hazard of precis
rieus events ; tac exercise therefore of this original power,
is much to be dreaded, and ought to be considered as the lift
fovercign remedy to five a people from political death.
Certainly therefore the interpolation of the legislatures, and
''f united wisdom of the people, in this most important and
critical moment, is necellary to save us from that guiph into
which we are on the point ofplunging.
And thereupon further Voted, That John Treadwell, Esq.
Col. Noadiah Hooker, Mr. Hezekiah Wadsworth, Mr. Ti
mothy Root, Col. Gad Stanley, Capt. John Allyn, Col. Isaac
Lee, Mr. Jofepb Byington, and Simeon Hart, Esq. be a
Committee, to conefpond with committees that arc, or
may be appointed, by the several towns in the county of
Hartford, upon the fubje& ofthe commutation given by re-
Solve of Congress to the officers of the array, and in con
sequence of such correspondence, if it shall appear to be the
sense of the towns in general, co propofc a Convention of
Delegates to meet at such time and place as may be agreed
on, to consult and advise upon such measures, as may be
prudent to be adopted, under present circumstances, to coun
tcra& she effc& and operation of the said commutation, and
that the said Committee prepare for the Press, and cause to
be published, in the Connecticut Courant, extra's of the
proceedings and votes of this meeting.
Test. SOLOMON WHITMAN, Town Clerk.
Lubr by the Subscriber, between Norwich
and Wethersfield, a neat Silver mounted
Pihol----Whoever shall find it and return it to
the fubferiber at Wethersfield, or the Printers
at Hartford, shall receive Four Dollars reward
and no questions asked.
GEORGE WATSON.
August 12, 17^3.
Excellent St. Kitts R U M
For sole, at the Store of CHANCEY WHIT
TELSEY in Middletown.
Run away from rhe Subscriber, on tne joth of July, ^ R
apprentice Bey, named Elias Goodrich, xg years of
age, about 5 feet 5 inches high, freckled in the face, shore
dark hair, had on when he went away, a blue Coat lined
with while, blue Vest, a brown great Coat, check'd Shirt,
flripea Trowfers, an old felt Hat bound with leather, he
has worked at shoe-making for some time past. Who
ever will return said bay to the fubferiber, shall have Twa 1
Coppers reward.
EL! BARNS.
Middletown, August 4, 1783.
TO be Sold by the Subscriber, for Cash only, two piece,
of LAND, one in Sim/bury, containing about 70 acres
the other in Farmington, containing about 60 acres, each
partly under improvement. Any perlon inclining to rur
chafe, may know the terms and receive an indisputable Ti
tle, by applying to
. " ABRAHAM PETTIBONE.
New-Hartford, August §, 1783.
BROKE into (he pasture of the Subscriber, a™black MARR,
6 or 7 years old, near 14 hands high, paces, a sta r in
her forehead, left hind footlock joint lame. The owner if
desired to prove bis propeity and take her away.
„ „ RAPHAEL HUBBERT.
Worthington, Aifoß r, „,.