The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1778-12-29 00:00:00, page 1

From the CONNECTICUT JOURNAL.
(Continued from our last)
hi H E injustice done to foreigners will be no
l left. Great numbers of them have entered our
service : Some of them have great funis of our cur
rency on hand or in public loan offices. Ochers there
are who at great expence have furnifhed the States
with clothing, arms, ammunition and articles of
merchandize absolutely necessary for the publici
ty Our currency has been taken in greater or lelier
quantities for these articles, or the public faith has
been pledged that payment shall be made. Anether
we confider these articles as brought to us by indi
viduals, by the influence of public bodies of mer
chants, or a %reat nation, they exposed themselves to
much lots and danger. Individuals by attempting
to furnish us with these things became exposed not
only to the !of s of property but of liberty, and even
of hfe, in cruel captivity ,• and the nation became
liable to have her general tranquility disturbed, and
to be involved in all the expence, danger, and hor
rors of war. The friendly aids they have given us,
by taking our money, by Applying us with articles
cf the greatest importance; by their personal Cervices
in our armies, by intruding large fams not only cf
our own current y, but ofhard money in our funds,
they have done us the most essential Services. They
have done these things for us in our most calamitous
low ?nd defp fed circumstances. When we could
hardly trust cuifelves, they gave us this ample Cre
dit. There has been something in this truly great
and magnanimous. They have in the hand of Pro
vidence which we must principally acknowledge,
been, in a sense, Ae political breath of our nostrils.
After al, to rob them of four or five fix^hs of all
thole moneys ; nay to annihilate them by public
afts, and daringly venture on measures which may
utterly incapacitate us to make them any compensati
on at all, a^d which may fruftwe all the public, po
litical, and private ends which either a great nation,
or individuals could have in view, or expe& from
these friendly and generous aids, must be the most
cruel injustice, and the mod Locking prostitution of
public faith and honcur. It will, by no means, do
to fay we will fulfil our engagements, maintain faith
and honor with foreigners, while we pursue differ
ent measures at heme. The supposition, in this case,
is falfe and absurd. A father who will not regard
tr,h. juffice and honor a^-bsc^ among his own
children, can have little credit ofSpnor abroad. No
more can the common fathers ofa people, who aft in
like manner That man's character is poor enough
who is obliged to go abroad for honor and credit.
He who will violate faith and justice in twenty in
fiances, cannot be supposed ever to regard them from
principle, only from interest and necessity, in any ;
and fo,can never be depended on. Besides, by not
keeping up the public confidence, by doing public
injustice among burfelves, by ruining the fortunes of
thousands and difqpfointing the general expectati
ons of the people, the States will be thrown into the
utmost convulsion ; we Ihall ruin our currency,
difbind our armies, and by one great blow beat down
that fair ffrudure of liberty and fafety, which for
years, we have, at the experace of so much blood and
treasure, been e-eding. This will forever incapaci
tate us to fulfil our engagements how desirous fee
ver we may be of it. This will at once deprive
foreigners of all the monies with which they have
intruded us, and kill all their expectations from us,
whether as nations or individuals. The only way
to do juftioe to our allies, and maintain faith and
honor abroad is to keep faith and do justice among
ourselves and to pursue the measures which make
States wealthy, honorable, happy and powerful at
home.
Next to foreigners the injustice which the great bo
dy of our seamen must fuffer deserves consideration.
These are cf very great public ufcfilnefs and emolu
ment. They are very essential to the trade, wealth,
apd power of nations ; and have, in all wife slates,
been thought worthy of encouragement. These States
4n#rccur?<e and animate them, arT for their own
TUESDAY, December ^, rfl. THE fatuLER 727.
CONNEGTIOUT COORA NT,
AND THE
WEEKLY I NTELLIGENC ER.
HARTFORD: Printed by W ATSON and GOODWI N, rear the Great Bridge.
advantage, have engaged that they Shall possess such
and such proportions of all prizes by them taken.
They risk every thing dear to them, in the service of
the country, and to get gain themselves. In this
way they have rendered important services to the
public. Whatever is taken they put to sale for mo
ney, and their profits are principally in bills of the
prefen: currency lying on hand or in our public
funds. These have been obtained in a way honor
• able, honest and ufeful. To annihilate five sixths of
this and render the other sixth altogether precarious
must be cruel, marvelous injustice. What an unex
petted unaccountable method of taking from them
all the fruits of their labours, dangers, courage, loss
of blood and limbs, must this be 1 Who can think
of it without pain and deftrefs I At the fame time
theimpolicy ofit is no less than the injustice. It is
at once breaking up and tearing away all the springs
of public and private enterprise, cutting the very
sinews of great actions. Men will not risk life, and
limbs, and run all chances for such paltry rewards
as public injury, abuse and disappointment. It is a
killing the spirits ofa people, when the spirit of en
terpize. of induflry, and of public and private exer
tions ought to be raised, and kept up to the highest
elevation.
The prodigious injustice of these measures will
further appear from the injury particular States must
receive from them. Some particular Sta es have
probably five or fix millions of the public currency,
while others which bear as great a proportion to the
whole as they do, have not more than two or three.
There is at lead a much greater quantity in some
States than others. The nothern States, in which
the war has been principally carried on, have much
the greater proportion. The New England States
in particular. In these the war began and by these
it was chiefly carried on the firft year. Almost the
whole Applies of men and provisions were from them..
From that time to this, the greatest numbers of men,
and by far the greatest part of the provisions have
been furnifhed by them They have in a great mea
sure fupplyed the army with the articles of beef,
pork and mutton from firft to lath Connecticut, in
particular, has furnifhed, perhaps, more provisions
through the whole war, than any two or three States
cf the fame extent. She has also furnifhed the grea
test number of men, according to her proportion to
the whole. By far the greatest part of the prizes,
made since the commencement of the war, have been
brought into New-England. Th± army has been
in, or on the borders of the New-England States,
almost ever since the war began. By reason of these
things the marching of men, the travelling and cart
ing through them have been almost incredible. Much
the greatest number of captives taken in the war have
been also kept in, and furnifhed with all necessaries
from them. All these things have united their influ
ence to turn the general flow of the currency into
these States. These circumstances have made them,
and Connecticut more especially, a common centre,
or grand focus of the Continental Bills. New York,
New-Jersey and Pennsylvania have more than their
proportion of the currency. The State of New-
York have furnifhed a very considerable part of the
flour for the Army, and the States of New-Jersey
and Pennsylvania have done, no doubt, more than
their proportion. Now must it not be great ipjuf
tice to these States at once, in effect to annihilate,
by public ads, four or five sixths of all these moneys;
obtained by the most necessary, faithful, and zealous
services of the public. Can the Legislatures of these
States without the greatest injury to themselves and
constituents adopt any thing like this ? Would not
this be to fall foul of themselves and to be their own
executioners! This would do as little honour to
their policy as justice. But among them all, none
would so tarnish her justice and disgrace her policy
as Connecticut. None have so much to lose this way
as she. In her lingular zeal and forwardnefs, in the
fitting business, to the great injury of her best inha
bitants, she gave to her sister States, many thousands,
without their thanks of asking. Shall she now in her
great bounty and wisdom make them a grant ofa
million or two more ! This will certainty be the
effe& of fuch.meafures. This will be the operation
of them, they will deprive men of all characters)
whose interest lies in bills of currency, how honefUy
soever they may have acquired them of five sixths cf
it at lead Tris will be the case with the Generals
and officers of our army, who have bravely fought
our battles, and defended our country ; after all the
faithful services they have done us, and after all the
injury they have received from the depreciation of
the currency, principal part of what little they have
been able to lay up for themselves and famines will
be thus ingloriou fly annihilated in their hands. The
farmer, merchant, mechanic, soldier, seamen, and
foreigner must all ffiare the fame hard fate. Now
what endless, infinite injustice must all this be?
What cruelty,arid Blocking abuse not only of the
gc?d people of these States, but of foreigners also ?
What makes this still more criminal and even
shocking to every honest and generous mind, is, that
all this injustice and cruelty will fall with the most
unfufferable weight and operate with the keenest se
verity against the warmest friends of the country;
who have most zealously supported its measures with
thier lives and fortunes, given our political fathers
the fullest credit, and yielded the most penerous
and unreserved obedience to their laws.---The un
friendly part of the country, and the more felfifli
among its friends, have been cautious of receiving
the currency for old debts have generally refafed it.
The inimical part have been fareful to have little cf
it on hand. Hence this would be a flagrant violati
on of all the SACRED LAWS of FRIENDSHIP, of HO
NOUR, and of gratitude, as well as of justice.
All this injustice, this horrible infraction of the law^
of friendship and honour, would be praftifed before
the world, receive the fantlion of PUBLIC AUTHOR
rity ; the authority of thirteen great andsO.
version States. It would be pra&ifed without
any neceflity; for it cannot be feppofed that this
great continent, the granary of the world, furirfhed
with extensive and unfailing refoujces, cannot pay
its debts. When the States owe next to nothing
abroad, when all the moneys emitted are in their
own hands, the very supposition is incredible. They
have good credit in Europe ; and it will, no doubt,
rife higher still if they continue to a& on the great
principles ofhonour and good faith. No plea can
be admitted from this quarter. Where then {hail
we find such notorious, such criminal infractions of
public faith, such cruel and extensive injustice in the
annals of men ? What patriotic and righteous mind
can contemplate such a feene of horror without be
ing thunder-struck, and even melted at the profpea I
I wish in my turn to put a few queries to the ve
nerable old man - -Is that ancient law repealed
which denounceth "Wo to them that decree un
righteous decrees, and write grievousness which
they have prescribed ? Shall the throne of iniquity
have fellowship with God, which fiameth mifehief
by a law ?" Can a people be happy when " Judg
ment is turned away backward, and justice ftand
eth afar off? when truth is fallen in the Greet, and
equity cannot enter ?" Senex, if he pleafeth, may
accept of these questions as an answer to his third
inquiry. But I have yet more to propose. Is not
a breach of the laws of good faith and justice as im
politic as it is wicked ? Is it not impolitic to adopt
measures which will ruia our character abroad, a^
well as among ourfe]ves ? And can any individual
or community support a gbod character and obtain
credit with foreigners, when, it is known that they
neither keep faith, nor pra&ife righteousness at home ?
Will strangers be fend of connections with such
States ? Nay will they trust each other ? When they
have jointly violated faith and juflice and put their
fan&ion upon the gross infraction, will it be any con
fidefble advance in perfidy to violate the articles of
confederation, and cancel all engagements to each
other ? Is it politic to destroy the wealth, influence
and happiness of the friends cf our country, and to
give power and importance to our tory enemies 1
Would not this be the operation of such perfidious
and unrighteous measures, as the principal part of