The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1780-12-05 00:00:00, page 1

A Fifth ESSAY on FREE TRADE and
FINANCE.
[Continued from our laft.} j #
IMPENDING deftru&ion is nolong,
er a matter of empty declamation. All
occupations of town and country are em
barrassed and near toa full flop. Our pub
lic debts are every where increasing, and
supplies failing, Famine, want and total
enervation of all firength and effort must
be the speedy consequence. When the,
springs, .the fountains, the resources are
dryea up, 'tis not possible but the streams
must fail foon.l We are in every refped
welland fafe, except in the article of finan
ces. Were they reflored, every thing else
would immediately flourish and gain vig our
fufficient for every purpose of fafety and
happiness. There is in nature but one
way to restore these, viz. by immediate re
courje to our solid Jutfiance, by taxing equal to
our expenditures This I have often urged
in vain ; whenever incomes in view eve
,ry countenance gathers paleness. True,
but 'tis impoffibre, is the cry. Had it
been a fpe&re, or goblin of terror, it could
not have been darted from, and avoided
with more precipitation. People will even
take fatal leaps into certain deftrudion, to
get away from it. Pray, my countrymen,
let us muster up a little courage and firm
nefs of mind, and not, like a distempered
imagination or guilty conference, Hart
with terror at a distant movement of we
know net what. Let us compose our
selves, and take a little nearer view of this
dreadful expedient ; it is net so frightful
in near view as in distant apprehension.
There is such a thing as being penny wife
and pound foolifh- We may lose the ship
for fear of hurting the fails.
Preface of mind and courage in distress,
Are more than armies to procure fuccejs.
A cool and careful examination of the
fubjed will at leaft'let us into the truth
of it ; and be that truth ever so hard and
dreadful, our knowing the worst of it is
preferable to fufpence. Many things
which firikes us at firft as intolerable or
impcffible, lose much of their difficulty
and terror by growing familiar to us.
Could we have thought it possible to sup
port the dreadful war which we have hi
therto fuflained, had it been held up to our
view five years ago ? The remedy now
proposed is but trifling in comparison of
what we have Suffered. A?d (hall we
fink disheartened in fight of a desirable
ihore, after we have surpassed the tempers
and billows of the ocean through the
voyage ? The remedy I propose, is allow
ed by all to be effectual ar # d fufficient, if
it can be pta&ifed ; and we fall find it
.the only one that can save us from ruin,at
leagues h my opinion, after more than
TU&3 DA Y, DE c %^ BER 5, 1780. T HE NUMBER 828.
CONNECTICUT COURANT,
ANBTMI
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER.
HARTFORDi Friwtib by HUDSON ,#» GOODWIN, mrak the Great.Br^gi.
fix months close attention to the fubjed,
and viewing it in every light in which I
can confider it.^ I conceive, if it Should
appear that each induftfous individual
lories more for want of the tax; than his
tax would amount to, that every doubt of
the expediency of the tax would inflantly
be removed, and vanish at once ; and I
think this may be made very clear and
plain. I shall attempt to prove this. #
1. The tax demanded, will amount to
about four hard dollars to each person in
the thirteen Rates, or, twenty such dollars,
or the value of them, to 3 middling fami,
Iy„pf five persons; and this will, by the,
due apportionment cf the tax, be lessened
tb the poor and ir.creafed on the rich, in
proportion to their abilities. This is the
height cf it , this is she worst that can
happen ; this is the dreadful price demand,
cd fir our salvation, to save us from fuse
deftrudion, and which the thirteen ftatei
ire deeply hesitating - and contemplating
whether they wilt pay or no ; at leaftthis
tax is what the Congress are hesitating so
recommend, and the flutesto levy and cel
led, though I doubt if the people would
hesitate a moment to pay it, if it was put
under collection, especially if it was de
manded in monthly .rates, whi^h would
render the payment much more pra&ica
ble than it would be, if. it was all called
for at one payment. Now we will confi
der what is left for want of this tax.
1. Every industrious man loses his bu
siness, his occupation, or at least finds it
greatly embarrassed, and Subjected to great
difficulty and di(couragemerit : for, I sub
mit it to every man to judge, whether, in
the prefect fluauating state of the curren
cy and mode <f procuring the public fup
pl^ , whether, 1 fay, it can be fafe or pru
dent for any man to lay out any business
of husbandry, mechanic arts, or merchant
dize on any large scale, whilst he knows
not what he must fell his proceeds for
when he has got them, or whether he may
have the felling of them at all or no ?
These embarrassments are very sensibly
felt through the Rates, but would all va
nish, if our finances were restored. A.dl
think it very plain, that a man's occupa
tion must be very poor indeed, if these
embarrassments are not more damage to
him than his whole tax would amount to.
2. For want of the tax, the supplies of
the country are daily lessening, our plenty
waives away faft, and scarcity and want
are succeeding in the place of them. This
makes e ery man's estate in the country
less valuable, as it is apparent that an eftafe
in a country of poverty and want, is; not
so good, ^r worth so much money, as the
fame r efate would be in a country full of
riches and plentiful supplies All mea%
of living 'will of coorfe become harder and
more difficult, as it is more difficult pro
curing fupphes in a country where they
are scarce, than,in one where they are
plenty. What may be the amount of loss
to each individual from these caule-, is
not easy to calculate; but as they affc<ft
the whole bulk of estates, and operate on
the whole means of livelihood, they can't
be supposed small, and I think will rea
dily be allowed toexceed any man's (bare
of the tax necessary to prevent them
g, For want of the tax, the morality
and industry of the people is greatly di
minished .Frauds, cheats and gro s dis
honesty are introduced, and a thousand
idle ways of : liv n^ are attempted
in the room of that toned indufirv, cecono
my and diligence which heretofore bieffed
and inriched this country. And as an
estate in a country of honefl induftrmus
people is better than in die fill'd with
idle rogues, and as alt property is hereby
rendered more unfafe and less valuable,
'tis very easy to fee. that the loss of each
individual in this reaped, must be very
considerably, and must, on a very moder
ate ec mputaticn, much exceed the tax re
quired to remedy .the whole mites es.
4. For want of the tax, our trade is de
caying faft # ; and this not only ruins the
merchant, and renders the procurement of
such necessaries as are ufaally Supplied by
our trade, more dear and difficult, but it
enervates the whole fyfem both of huf
&ndry and mechanic arts, as these can
never fleurifh without a market, where
the produce of the farmer and the fabrics
cf tile maehanic may be fold, when ready
for file. This must effe& every individu.
al in a most material manner, and must at
least involve each individual in a loss of
more than his tax would amount to, Ef
ficient to give a fixed value and use to our
currency, and thereby restore our trade
and husbandry to then former vigour.
5 For want of the tax our defence
must cease, and we must lie open to the
ravages and plunders f cnr enemes^
the very r 5; and danger cf which involves
many distresses that must eccafion loss to
every individual, far greater than the
whole amount cf hie tax woud be to
wards such defence as would render the
country quite fafe and secure. Add to
this, the danger of beiag fi k ally overrun
ar d conquered by cur er^mre,, and fal
ling under their unreftraiced power, in
which case they would d übtlefs extort
per„:ual faxes from u^ to as great amount
as are now required sos afart time to se
cure us against then power.
6. The want of this rax eneryates our
laws, renders their fines, penalties, and
forfeitures uncertain and inetic&ual , de-