The American herald of liberty — Exeter, N.H., 1795-06-25 00:00:00, page 1

not be answered by the argument, thitfuf
feient for to-c&y it the evil thereof, bir,
this is not the answer of a Leginsto l -, and
ought not to be the answer of a British
House of Commons. We ought to look to
the probability of future taxes and future
burthtns—we are in a fixation in which
we ought to inquire into the state of the
Country ; and as we have not {pared either
the blood Or treasures df the people, we
ought not to (pare our own labour—we
Ought to coofider both our meana, and our
fend, to decide whether the end can be ob
tained, and whether the means that are a
dopted are likely to obtain it. Our pecu
niary refourcei are fopported by oor trade
and manufaftutes. Ou the fubjed of the
trade and msnufa&ures, of the country, 1
ihould wife to have the testimony of gen
tlemen conversant on the fubjed, I wifn to
fenow from them, whether it be not true
that our manufadures are injured,and whe*
ther the circumflahces of the injury being
less lift year than the precedrng, is not to
be esfily accounted for, by the temporary
poffeflion of the Weft Indies, an event that
Cannot be looked to with much confidence
in future. Kwego into this Com mi-tee
we (hall have the accounts that were allud
ed to the other day. . When the accounts of
Exports was given, it was ft i ted, the Ex
ports of 1795 were less by four millions
than in 179 k ; but that in 1794, »he Ex
ports exceeded ihofe of 1793. two millions*
To lose in one year two ninths of 61) our
Export Trade, must strike at the root of our
Commerce; and though this decrease wa«
lessened a^ewards, I appeal to gentlemens
whether thia circutnftance was not occafion
edby the temporary pofleffion of the Wefl-
Indies, and by many sanguine (peculations.
J ai gentlemen acquainted With Lines*
(hire, whether h be not true that the dim
sei nit ion of our manufactures, is not to a
degree that would aftomfh many gentle*
men r I have papers which I would pro.
dace to the Committe on the subj a, and
which would afford the dearest and most
Criking convi^ion; In this country we
have no accuse mod ? of afeeruifting the
popuhninn o£any places but bv the nurfi
her of births and marriages. In and near
Manchefler the Papers Rate, the birhl
and marriages have, in feme places,
tfhed one half—ii> others a third and the
X fourth : but io th. !•’«*» P«i<b >be
diminution is one half. The decrease of
the inh.Wt.nts of M.ncheßet... tn mv
count, fitted * twelve iboulsnd. Test
decrease of popuhtion <« the tsme of w.r
is natural. lam «•’» •« »Uow. But f
mod .fk the Hsufe, whether, when the
existence of the country i % a: flake, is i. not
proper to know wh.t out nrfpuW«»• '" d
not remain conten-ed w"h the ,' d '
mation of their being mexh.ufiib.e . Ano
ther part of our resources is trade, fep«'a.e
from oor manuf.aurei. On the fame fob
tea of tr.de Iwn told when I moved .»
year for an enquiry ini# the coru^« o* t« e
if gentlemen have considered what mult
be the burthens of the next year ? Let me
Mr. F 0 X’s Speech.
—•—a— 1 -
[CONCLUHD FROM OUk LAS!.]
c> ■ ■
1 HE n?xt view of the/hue of the na
tion vof a pecuniary ait'ure. We have a’-
teady fooded fifty millions, & when we add
the increase of the unfunded debt, 1 believe
it will be found that thi» counity has engag
ed in an expenee of between fitly & (even
ly millions. We have railed taxes little
fhart of three million!, it has been said
that though the taxes have been incrcafed,
that they have nut been oppressive to the
people. That rhe taxei are necessary, no
body will depute, and they must be borne
tantill better are substituted : bat to fay that
they do not press with terrible weight on
the middling class of the people, is to speak
without any knowledge of the fu^jed.
We (peek of the propriety of taxing luxury
and vanity, but the taxes of Juxry mutt fall
on the middlicg rank and therefore^juft
F*U heavily on the poor. AU ideas o^on
fining taxes to one class, ate peuriie and
absurd, and you can lay no tax that will
not fall on the poor. We h re, therefore,
imposed three millions in t^xes, and have
incurred a debt of heariy seventy millions.
Mut admitting for a moment, that the taxes
will not fall heavily on the people, and that
the war is to be continued, let me then alk,
Volume IX.]
Published on Thursdays, by Samuel Winslow, in Main-Street, Exeter, (New-Hampshire} at i Doll- & 25 Cents per annum.
American Herald of Liberty.
। Admiralty, that no answer was to be given
to my q^effions, and that the price Os in
surance wab a fufficient answer to me. I
have made feme inquiry in O the price of
inference, and I find that it was lower
last year, on nccount of an idea, that, Ow
ing to fume observations made in the
Hiufe, the Admiralty would be more vig
ilant in future. The fail. now is, that
from :h»t period, inference has been riling,
and that it is now at a price which gentle
men will hardly credit. The H>ufe will
find that with refped to the Weft-Indies,
insurance was not higher when this country
had to contend wi h France, Spain, HP
hnd and America, than it is now when we
have to contend with France only^ With
regard to the Mediterranean trade, flrange
to tell ! noiwithftanding all bur expedi
tions in that part of the world, 2nd not
withstanding that we have a fhet there, yet
insurance to the Medite ranenn is nearly
as high as it was la ft war. With resp ft
to the trade to Spain, it is totally ftopt at
fame places, on account of the high price
of insurance. To Barcelona and Bilbos,
the insurance is from 25 to Jo guineas per
cent.—And as pefons must now nb: only
insure the capital but the prmium, the in
ferance is between j 5 and 37 per cent.
When trade can feblift wish iuch a premi
um, I leave gentlemen more converfaiit on
the fubj.ft to explaioi On accoi nt of tie
high price of infu ance to Spain, the man
ufadurCs of this country have lately not
been knt dreft to Sprin, but firft to Hsm
burgh, and thence to Spiin by neotri^
fh : ps. At firft. the insurance was not
higher than on% or one & a hah per centi
It has now, however, incrcafed to 10 per
cent. These Lils I have Hated, as if in
ference were as good as at for ner periods:
but the truth is, it is no: so good. Some
Gentlemen have ftsted, that the Under*
writers have been gainers ; but are they
gainers now ? Is it not true thit their losses
have been Io great, as to impair toe credit
of the Underwriters, and that to hoafe' of
Confirmed credit, many perlon* are willing
to pay to per cent, rather than 7 percent,
to individual Underwriters ? 1 have not
entered into this (Ute mens for the purpose
of (hewing that cur trade has bee i badly
protidied, but o‘ proving that it is not on
ly eff^ed by the diminution of popula
lion, but by the priefe of infuraoce.
And now, Sir, 1 come to thatm>ft im
portant point of difeufli in, our connexion
with foreign nations. Purely, fu ely it is
hardly credible, that the Hmfe will vote
larger fems than ever were Voted before,
without inquiring whether we have Aides
or not—what their fixation is, and what
their incline ions. It is particularly mare
ria! to know who are our Allies. 1 have
frequently sited q reftionS oh this febjedt,
snd never received a fatidaftory answer —
bthe K’ng of Pruflta an Ally or not? —
He is our Ally by the Trea y of 1788, by
the Treaty of 179 L by a iubfdary
Treaty of 1f94. But is he now our Ally ?
1 a(k,has he fulfilled the Treaty of subsidy ?
Is this House so to surrender all conrrou),
as not to demind f on the Executive G jv
ernment an account whe her he has or not.
If it be found that he has kept h»s ergage
mentt, and that we nave not. then the en
quiry will enable c« to do him jiftice; but
it, as I frfpsft, the contrary is the cale —
if he has (ailed in the performance of hi*
dngagemets. then it is material (or the
Houle to be a.quainred with the fsfl, io
order they msy declare their indignation at
such a conduct, and prove that they are not
to be so da ped by any Treaty, or by any
Fringe । but if the K ng of Prussia be no
huger our Ally under ihe T^eaiy 1794,
what h»s become cf the other Treaties.
By the Treaty 1788, he was oblig’d to
furntfh this country with 30,000 men ; and
on this fubjed, Miniftcrs a’low they efted
fairly, when they fla ed that this num
ber was due withpeft any addi’lonal subsidy.
Bjt what is become of this T.eaty ? The
King of Prussia was firft obliged to furnifh
30,000 med for nothing—We give him
two or three millions, and the effeft that
ac not only do not have the 6o»oco men,
but that we lose the firft 30,000. h this
to be borne, and Ure we told of regular gov
ernments ? Are we to fee all this, and yet
is the Mmifter not to be called upon <0
give feme account of this fragrant b eicb
of Trtaty. 1 re*d in feme ptpera that h;s
THURSDAY, June 25, 1795.
Pruflian Majesty is fending armies against
France; in others that he is making a
Treaty with France. Some aflert that he
is determined to ad »ith vigour agair.ft the
French ; o hetS that he is refolded and it is
not impofliole to aft wr:h energy against the
AUiei. Sat what I want is, to hear an
explicit account from the Minister, whether
he is to remain an a!|y^t * be an enamy or
in a ftateof neutrah^^-What reni inftrsn
cea hive been made, a d what reprefeata*
rions have biefi tranlmitted ? For the
Minister must have remonstrated, or he has
grof’ly negiefted his dory, Pruflii may
confide- the war as an aggrtflim on our part,
and may therefore fay that he was not ob
liged to furr.Tfh us with 30,0 >o men by rhe
Treaty of 1788. But iureiy the Minister
did not enter into the wsr whhoit having
fettled an opinion on the fubjeft.
There is aio.bef answer which Pruflia
may make. He may fay, that theebjeft of
the war wa* not to save this or that province
but to refill the torrent of Jacobin principles
which threatened the deftrnftion of all reg
ular g^vemmenrsi He may sty, it was of
mo e imoortance to c»u(h J icobin prmti*
pies inPiland, than to lave Hoftm L
You Hugh:, he m ; ght ft te :o us for the
order of focietv, 'or humaouy ; which
therefore was doing you thi molt ie vice,
taking a province or ex irpating principles
that threatened toraile sh ew oppefmon to
regular governments j fav-ng a town, or
destroying such men as Kofciufco. a man
whose name does honour to ths cause Os
Liberty, and whole animation and vigour
did credit to the principles which he iup
ported j to destroy such a man, he might
lay, wa* of more use to the rra/caufe of the
con ederacy, than any success that be might
gain in Brabant or on the Rhine. 1 repes-,
that it is material to knew fir what we
have (pent our blood and treasure- 1 know
th it we have given the King of P.cflia
twelve hundred thousand pound?, to subdue
Poland; inq lire and you will find that
this i’ so. The K ! ng of P.-uflia therefore,
1 conflder is no longer an ALy. But if he
is, let us look to bis ability, and here, if
wc may tak* hit wordj wc find that he has
stated to the Diet, and to individual Princes*
his utter incapacity to continue the war.
He cec’ared so above twelve months ago,
and be aftuAly »i hdrew his troops from
the Rhine on account of his inability to
support those armies. T, therefore, he is
considered as an Ally he must be consider
ed an Ally to bs Inbfirz^d ; and if ev
er he is to remain neutrr, we m.fl, ptr
haps, pay fx bis neutrality. And now
domes th<t great Ally the E npcror. He, if
I am to believe the Miniftrr’s account, and
) am to’d that it would be W ong to reason
from Pioffta tc Auft ia,i fnth^l and hon
ourab e; the Court of Vienna is a Court
rot cap-ib e o> violation ol public .a th.
But the Euperor ca'.not cmy on the war
without affllhoce. In ‘h* Priece cf Co
bourg’s ddara ion. we find that he lays h
the people of Gs many, you b«ve loft Bra
bant or account of the ingrautude of the
peopb 1 you must put your p ate and
v;Lables in a state of teq Jfition, or the
Empe’or wou’d not be ab e to defend
G >rmaay. lam here to’d, that we must
ray the Emperon Without making any
cbfervaiionton the loan, or on the probabi
lity of this country having to repay it, I
must obfeive, that we have not here the
miserable tie that we had on Pallia, of
being able to stop the subsidy. Tnc Em
peror fays, give me all at once, ano thus
deprives you of •’! controul ani power
ov« him. If a loan be sec^ry to cor
thue this campaign, it will be alunecfla
ry the next j and thus, within 74 mon'.hs
after receiving sffurances of toppjrt frem
every part of Europe, al! the burthen of
the <vsr falls upon u»- We have ether
Allies in l^ly. Spain, and Portugal. V» hat
good effefts have been derived from the
King of Sardinia’* diversions I am yet at a
loss to learn, Must we look to spun « •
powerful Ally, o’ must we not rather con
rider her as the weakest of the alliance . ft
has been said that the principle of b>g
cotrv would make the Spaniards rife against
the French. The faft has been, th-c mno
part have we so much reafdn to apprehend
that there has been individual treachery as
on the pan of the Spwilh Look
10 the fur render of Figueires I Have we
Dot ctufe w believe that that place was
I come now "o thecoudoft end fituat'on
cf this country. Sir, Ifi mly bel.-Ve feat
the greatest rcfoirce of vigour and power
js an B'tention to j slice: that the princi
ple ol justice being the best policy, is gen
eraby true if not always so, is principally
owing to cur narrow and Ihort-Cghted
policy. I therefore lay it down as a
ru'e, that if we have been d ficient in wif
don, a <d hive thereby enfeebled ourarmi,
and cripled our exertioni. 1 mean not
now to enter into a v ew of rhe conduft cf
the war, bit to allude to an affurahce field
t ouc at the commencement of the war, that
all Europe wbuld be on oir file- Whm
1 adverted to the absurd and chimerical i«
daa of ft irving France, and stated that <he
French wbuld draw (upolies from neut'al
nations 1 was tu:d, •* neutral nations ! We
Hope that there will be no n ’utral nanons
in Europe.” We hav^ however, lived co
fee neutral nations increase. It is a prin
ciple, that in all wars the right of neutral
nations ought .to be held facfed. What
has been our conduit to neutral mtiuns ?
surrendered by treachery ? But what is the
flare of Spain ? There is no province in
which there is so miich spirit, enter prize,
atd elasticity as the province to which the
French have penetrated, the province of
Catalonia —When the French entered that
province* the inhabitants of Barcelona met
snd declared that they would defend the
town to t e last ex remity; hut they pre
faced their determination with a reqieft
to the King, that he would confide the de
fence of the town to them that be would
not fend troops into Catalonia, and chat he
would fuffer them to convoke the States
of rhe Province. Their request was for
feme time uhno iced—at length a pofirive
refusal was returned. Thus at the price
of feme liberies, or as many might call it*
the price cf an irregular gove nm.nt, the
Spanilh Court did not cho >le to purchase
the afliflance of the Catalonians. In the
view of the Spauilh finances, there are
some circumftanc-s that will doubdefs af
ford much aft milhment to fodhe gentlemen
oppofi.e <0 me. A motion was made by a
frliad of mine fir a small tax on pensions
and p’aces. and rhe motion was received
wth nu ked indignation. But what have
the S in ; lh governrtie t done. Imposed a
heavy jx of 2j per cent on a*l penfi ns.
1 do not lay this in aopr bation of thd
Xieaiore but iu proof ox the ruined state
of the Snan’lb fins .ces.
Mr. F 4 proceeded now to reprobate the
cnnduQ of t e Min fter to Sweeden and
Denmark, to Am rica, to the G and D ike
of Tuscany, Switzerland and G’ooa. He
fta>ed chat the conduit of Grea -Britain to
D nma k had been mean and pefillani
mous-s-that the Minister intuited America
as long a* he dared—that after having bu!*
lied the Grand D;ke be was forced to ac
cede to a peace be’ween that Piince and the
Republic o France—that he sttempted to
prevent all int rcourfe between Swi z rland
and France, but wis prevented by the wife
coduft of the Canton*. That while the Al
lies were fucccfsful, Genoa was blockaded *
but that as (bon as a reverse of fortune oc
curred h's behaviour to that R public was
as humble a' it had before been haugh.y
and insolent. Mr. Fox then proceeded to
state the ne-effi'y that ex ft« d o f defining
the objedt ol the war at the commencement.
There were, be said, not t^o such differ
ence* as fighutlg for a coun’ry and ?g inst
a country, if an explicit declare ion had
been made, that this country was fighting
for France, and, therefore, meant ti inter
fere in her internal government, many in-
C^Dveniences might have been avoided
which had b;-en occasioned by the want of
this declaration. In the 6ft infhnce ths
Allies would have received the steady sup
port of all the emig-ants ind royalists. and
would have been enabled to have advantage*
pull / availed themlelves ol >H inttirnal com*
motions} in the fecund inftante, they
would have fought France on e^,ujil terms,
and by not pre.endi g to interfere in her
inte-nal genernment, would have prevented
the Convention frem putting in .pridlsctf
that iyftemof tet’Or, emhuCa m. an^nqui
fr.ioo, which had produ- ed fuch* i'srming
eff-fb.—This was a fundamental and fatei
error. There we*e others which, meant
merely to fta'e—the abandoning of romon
for an expedition to the Weft-’ od e|r * n <i
the fending a Lice co tie Wcft-lnai«« in*
[Number 53.