The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1779-06-01 00:00:00, page 1

TUESDAY, June i, iff^ THE NuM^Ek fa^
CONNECTICUT COURANT,
AND THE
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCE R.
The following is inferred I, the particular de-
Jire of a number of our ref,enable readers,
TH E venerable Dr. Ghauncy, in his
fernion on taking away the accursed
thing, after mentioning " epprefion of the
'' poor, fatberkfs and the widow, as eminent
“ iy the accursed thing in the midst of us,
“ which ought to be taken away, so far
" as may be, by the powers ordained of
«' God to be his ministers for good,"
Adds, " I am sensible it may be difficult,
if within the reach of the magistrates (kill
or power, to remove tl at injustice which
like an overbearing Hood, has made it's
way through these American States ; oc
casioned partly by the paper currency,
partly by the necessities of the people in
this day of general calamity, but princi
pally by the undue love of money: But
however difficultor impossible it may be for
the governing power, in the prelent Rate
of things, effectually to restrain, in general,
the affair of commercial dealing within the
bounds of righteousness, this may be done,
and without the least difficulty, in regard
of those widows and orphans, together with
many others, who have greatly fuffered,
and are still fuffering, by means of a law
of this State, which obliges them to accept
of four or five shillings, instead of a pound,
or to lose the yearly interest which they
depend upon for a fubfiftance. I fear not
to fay, that glaring injustice, and of the
worftkind too, wherein it affects the fa
therlefs and widow, is established by this
law. It would be a dishonorable reflection
on themakers of such an establishment, who
are politically dead, to suppose that their
intention was to give opportunity for the
cancelling bonds by the payment of one
half ora quarter of their real value. As the
emission of paper bills was necessary to the
carrying on the war, they might think a
law ofthis kind would tend to preventtheir
depreciation, and with this view be deter
min'd to make it: But as it is now known,
notwithstanding this, and every other de
vice, that the depreciation has been ama
zingly great, and that hundreds and thou
sands of helpless widows and orphans, to
fay nothing of others, have been reduced
to the utmost distress by means of it, to
gether wi,h the law that has given it an op
pressive efli acy; it may be reasonably ex
peCted, that the powers that now be will in
terdict the continuance of this law, least
there should be the continuance of that in
justice whi;h would be a diferace to even
a pagan State.
" As I am now upon the duty of the
civil magistrate, wherein it lies within his
sphere to take away fin, wh:<h is an accur
sed thing, trom a people, I would mention
the fad case of faller, men. a^d particularly
the clergy So far as Iwo able to learn,
many parishes in th^ SU'^ have made their
ministers no allowance so; ihe depreciation
HARTFORD: Printed by HUDSON and GOOD W I N, near the Great-Bridge.
of the currency, and those who have made
any, have fallen short onehalf, if not three
quarters, of what in reason might have
been expected of them. Is it right in peo
ple, who have solemnly contrasted with
their ministers to pay them such a fum,to
difeharge their obligar^pn with that which
amounts to not more then one half or a
quarter, or a seventh part of it's real value?
is it confident with common honesty for
people to demand, and to take of their
ministers, for labor, for provision, for
eloathing, and all the necessaries of life,
five, fix or seven times more in proportion
than they are willing to give them, tho'
obliged to it by explicit contract ? and
shall government, while they know this fit
still, and look upon theiroppreffi on, with
out offering them any help ? Is this as it
ought to be ? especially, as it is owing to
government bills, and a government law mak
ing them a tender to difeharge contrasts,
tho' by a nominal sum, not worth a third, or
it may be a Jeventh part of the value ori
ginally agreed for, that they are thus in
jured ? surely, the pastors of the churches
in this State are not so inconsiderable and
contemptible an order of men, as not to
be worth the notice of government, when
almost universally wronged, and to an high
degree. Some fecial provision for their re
lief is a matter of justice, and not meer fa
vor, as it is by means^f government bills,
and a government law, however contrary to
the design of government, that they are op
pressed. And such provision, lam sure,
if inclination is not wanting, may be made,
and without any great expence of thought
time or pains ; and the provision might
be effectual to put it out of the power of
people to turn their ministers off with any
thing short of the true value of what they
agreed with them for, when they fettled
with them. This is all they desire : And
as it is nothing more then common equity,
would it not be hard, may I not fay, would
it not be unjust, should they be left to
groan under their oppressions, and to have
no helper?j
“ Should it be said, if what has been
mentioned, was to be carried in to execution,
it might unhappily tend to increase the de
preciation of the currency, which would
be a great and public damage.—'Tis ob
vious to answer, there are no persons in this
or any of the States, who have it in their
power, but are io aware of the sunken va
lue of the paper bills, as to rife propor
tionably in their demands for whatever
they have to dispose of. Common laborers
of all kinds, farmers, traders and merchants,
take effectual care to balance, in their
commercial conduC tthe fall of the medi
um, with an adequate increase of the price
they ask for their commodities: Yea our
General Court have thought it just and e
qual co inhance theirdai, stipend on account
of the jnbanced price of what is necessary for
their fubfiftance, while employed on the
affairs of the public : Nor have they in
this done any other then what is tight, and
will be acknowledged to be so by all who
are acquainted with the situation of things
among us. But shall widows and fatber
lefs children together with the clergy and ci
ther faller,-men, who have it not in their
power to help themselves, be the distin
guished grand fufferers in this day of op
pressive wickedness. V~ ... others can
help themselves, while these cant, shall
government fit still, and not exert them
selves, so that justice may be done them ?
God forbid, that we should be any longer
given up as a prey to the devouring teeth
of avaricious worldlings I
" I add here, It might be deeply irri
preffed on the hearts of our civil rulers,
that they are accountable to that God
whose throne is in the heavens, in common
with other men; and his eyes behold their
conduct in their public capacity ; and he
fees and observes it, not meerly as a spec
tator, but an almighty righteous judge, one
who enters all upon record, in order to a
reckoning another day. And the day is
coming when they shall all stand on a level
with the lowest of the people, before the
tremendous bar of the righteous judge of
all the earth, and be called upon to reader
an account, not only of their private life,
but of their whole management, as entrus
ted with the concerns of the public.
" If there needs any excuse for that
plainness @f fpeeeh I have now used, I
would fay ;---my conference beareth me
witness,; that what I have offered has pro
ceeded, not for want of decent ref, est for
those who are our civil rulers, but from
faithfulnefs to God, whose 1 am, and whom
I desire to serve, as well as from a tender
concern for those thoufahds among both
the laity and clergy, especially widows and
orphans, whose groanings, by reason of op
pression, are heard in heaven, and may if
they are not heard on earth, bring down
vengeance from almighty God, in additi
on to what we have already felt."
Fiat Juftitia, Ruat Coelum
L O N D O N, January 8.
On the Fleets of England and France.
KEPPEL with courate p'cws the deep.
But plays with Chartres a< bo peep;
Twitcher would trust the stronger sinews,
The battle mutt be fought with guineas.
Price of Stocks at the political Exchanc^
American credit-cent, per cent, above par.
The ministry's politics - at no price.
Legifla ive corruption-- tiling apace.
Public spirit-- nothing done.
Trade and commerce- -not to be found.
Seo ch infljence - 500 per cent, above par..
E,gli(h freedom filling rapidly.
Patrloifm 999 dis. . .
Nitio ^lintereft -at no price.
Omnium- -to be bought for a bawbee.