The Newhampshire gazetteer — Exeter, N.H., 1790-08-13 00:00:00, page 4

•• To His Excellency Geo. Washington, Esq.
captain-general and commander in chief in and
ever the U. States of America, and PreEdtent of
the fame.
•• WHAT befog or potentate under heaven has
3 GREATER TITLE than this? NOT ONE=
Therefore I dedicate dbeft Remarks to you, Sir.=
tyot that I expert an, favor, for that is not my lot.
S But if I can contribute one mite towards the relief
of the fufferings of the poor soldiers, who fought&
Bled for their country— and for whose fufferings I
have often seen a tear of pity steal down thy cheek
towards their relief, and feem'd to utter in gentle
silence, These brave men of m, arm, defer™ a better
to— further, if I can contribute any thing towards
the interest of my country, I art amply pai& And
Sir, at your military atchievements have
from every quarter of the world, so may
_,OTefidency (while equated for the public good)
^^^fr^
" it. it b (viz. giving his opinion) Which
'?^Q,^%^ f. %
MF. PRINTER,,V
IN a country wherefo many new publications are
daily issuing from the press, it is matter<of
great regret that some gentlemen of ingenuity and
leisure have not undertaken the Obliging talk of
Introducing them to the world by judicious criti
cisms and pertinent quotations^ The fefvice done
the public, in this way, by the critical reviewers
of Great-BritAiri is very essential. They are in
deed sometimes, like all other men, actuated by
partiality and prejudice $ but they judge, in gene
ral, with so much candor, and so well support their
criticisms by fair extracts, that, in most instances,
they direct the public opinion. By this means
works of merit, under whatever department of lit
erature they fall, seldom lie long unnoticed. Were
there some few men of good critical talents; iri ev-
Try state, who would kiridly undertake the business
Os reviewing, in our magazines and most refpe&a
ble newspapers, such American publications, as
are worthy of notice, we should not find so many
Valuable works incumbering the printer's office and
bookseller's (helves, while others of little merit
pass thro' several editions. ~
These ideas Occurred to my mind on reading a
pamphlet, that lately fell into my hands, entitled
Remarks on the Report of the Secretary of the Treasury.
The work contains many sentiments on fubjeds of
great national importance, which will undoubtedly
be new to bur most enlightened politicians. It ap
pears tinder two circumstances peculiarly unfavora
ble, arid which will probably prevent its being so
ufeful as the author intended. In the firft place; it
is to be feared,that in regard to the most interesting
points difeuffed, it is too late in the day. This,
however, is probably no fault of the author. He
did not chufe, like the Secretary of the Tredfury,
to obtrude on the public the undigested plans and
crude ideas of a few weeks' labor—Bering determin
ed that nothing should proceed from his pen but
what would bear the ffrideft scrutiny, he took the
neceffar, time for the business ; and he is by no
means to blame, if Congress, ignorant of his patri
otic intentions to honour them with his sage poli
tical directions, difrityded and unpentioned as he
il, have proceeded too 'far on the secretary's plan,
to recede and adopt his-- The second circumstance
is that the work has crept into the world like a
N foundling, without the ri, me Os parent-author, or
midwife-printer. Had it been ushered into light
under the influence ,of sortie name, 'to which Har
vard, Tale, or Dartmouth hid, in gratitude for ho
mors reflected on them, added L. L. D. it would
fan penetrate the extreme parts of the United
States; and the politician, who had not perused
it, woqld hardly be thought qualified to bear a part
in converfatioo. It must now be indebted, for its
progress thro' the country, and its influence on the
minds of its readers, to its intrinfie merit alone :
and every one knows that this is generally difcov
ared, in this country; Only by time.
As I pretend to no talents for criticism, I (hall
not attempt any upon the „ork now before me:
But that the public ritay form some proper judg
ment of its merits themselves, and know how much
they arc indebted to the author for his good inten
tions, I shall lay before them a few extracts from it.
In doing this, I (hall endeavor to exemplify such
important qualifications of a political writer as
I meet with in the book. As a specimen of his
COmpofition and a proof of the decent refpea he feels
for titles of fa, re^ mdgifrac, ; take Bis dedica
tion. == =
FOR TrtZ NtWHAMPSHIRB CAZITT^^
MISCELLANY.
" nuatt, annexed tri the author, nor even a door
" keeper's pay. On which, by the by, I may fay as
" Yorick said in afimilarcafe, If it fhculd rain
'' down salaries from heaven; as thick as hail, not
", one of them would fait me.'? His bonfy appears
evident in the reason he afiigris for it. '' For he
" has been so pelted, abused, bedelvil'd, puk'd and
" purg'd, by falfe and stale drugs, for befng an an
“ tifederalift, that one would even think that by
" this time he was a Mere faletod; Note—This
" alludes to a dispute between the author and a
" certain apothecary, who drove the quill, and
" emptied his (hop of drugs even to a gally-pot—
'f and finally left the author mhfter of the field."
—The next sentence does honor to him as a man
by deffionftrating his magnanimity in submitting to
this severe chaftjfement. " But the philosophy of
" the author has taught him better ; for why (hould
" a than repine, fays he, so long as he has no Dice
" for which he need either blulh or grow pale ? If
'' he is flander'd, altho' on one hand it is abusive,
" yet on the other it may be Occasion of joy, since
“ it ranks him among the firft class Os citizens,
“ who could never escape the calumnies of the en
" vious/' Fortunate mari (f cannot help exclaim
ing) who have at least one unequevocal mark of ju
perior Excellence—His liberality appears in this
sentence, " Upon the whole, I think there ma, be
“ credit due to the Secretary, tho' his plan may be
" altered for the better,''—and his gene/ofty in the
following—" The next thing is to do justice to
" your army-=and l would propose that whatever
" there might be found due to officers and soldiers,
" after deducing the price securities were gene^
" rally fold for, the balance to be paid in lands at
" a rEafonable price. This I would do without
" any diferimination ; for 'thofe, who fought up
" under every difficulty to keep their fecuri ies,
" have loft by the delay of payment as much as
" those who fold them/' This may perhaps ap
pear a little furprizing that the mast, who loses 17s.
6d. once fuffers as much as he, who loses it t^vice :
for it is to be considered that the man, who has fold
his securities, fuffered as much by the delay of pay
ment as the other-^But the author undoubtedly
made the calculation, and we may confide in his
accuracy. Or if he miffed a figure it was not
with defiga.—His boldneje in speaking his mind,
without reserve, of men and measures is confpicaOHs
iri the following paragraph.
'' The next thing I ihall confider is the affum,-
'* tion of the State debts by the U. States. This
" idea ought to be damn'd in its bud—it is big
'' with every kind of mifchief. If adopted the
" commoffioners and salary-men would be as thick
'' afrthe locusts and devour like the caterpillars of
'' Egypt, and throw such a burden on the liberties
'' of the U. States as they never will rife. Again,
<' has not each State been employing men from the
" commencement of the war down to the prefect
<* day,fifteeen years, <6 fix & fettle their accounts ?
•' And has not Congress been paying men in every
•• State at the rate of „o® dollars per year & the
<' accounts to appearance are no nearer closing than
'' when they begun ?If this fr ldis open,the mines
<' of Peru would hardly be fu fficiem to fopport the
" brats that would be created—/ I fay brats becapfe
" they would steal upon us without right or service.
<' Has not Congress as much now as they cap mar
-6< nage? Yes, I think full to the brim. Why then
<' fhculd they wish to take more on their ffioulders,
'' & injure part of their conftitucrits to aggrandize
'' others? But it w not Congress— The State of
•' New-York wants to make money by the bargain
« —ln short they are the true sons of mother Hol
“ land with Hamilton and Lawrence at their head
<6 —one with all the fagac ty of Old England,
•' the other the pertness of a Weftindian. Wher
'' ever they turn themselves money gathers into
'' their coffres like the rowling of a snow-ball.—
'• They are the true genuine politicians ; for they
'' do not difeover the pill to be gilt till two
66 late for those who deal with them." This
paragraft affo discovers how cautiously he a
voids asserting falfhoods, by throwing them into
queries. In this case it is he; who answers them
tyong, that is guilty of a falfhood; not the author.
And if, in one passage, he roundly asserts, in ap
pearance, that seven eights of the tax now collected
by the government of Newhampfhire is from towns,
that zfyears ago had not an inhabitant in them,
it must either be set down as a row, g,efo or pass
for an Error of the printer, mistaking the figure if
for 7. The latter is most probable, because one
eighth would be near the truth.
Take the following instance of liberal polity.=
“ Let the United State, dispose es the excise by
" diftrias to those, who would pay the largest sum
1 in France or Holland, where the money is due,
"in a given time : Or let the d/cife be colleded
" in the fame way and by the fame hands, that
', the impoff now is—either will answer—then loan
" the money to our merchants and enterpriz:ng
" men, with good security WITHOUT INTER
^BST for TWQ YEARS, they paying the mo-
I" ney abroad where we owe it, Within that time;
" with a drawback, if they did not colled the mo
" ney" (by the sale of vessels and cargoes)" in
"Other countries ; and if they did, with propef
'* certificates, they Jhould have a premium of 6 per
" cent, for all monies so colle&ed and,paid as a
" forefaid. This will put money into the hands of
" individuals to do business with." By this plan
the public will ive the contra&ors from 15 to 18
per cent, barely for receiving the money of thd
collectors and paying it in Europe. If this be not
liberal policy what is ?
The following passage displays his patriotifm.=:
" As to foreigners purchasing public securities, 1
'' would place them on a different footing front!
" what I would our own citizens ; for as fair pla,
• " is a jewel, or one good turn deserves another, I
'' would pay all their securities in lands at area
" fonable price. If they did not like that the,
'• might become citizens of the United States, and
" spend theif money here or fell out to our citi
" zens—they will make money enough by the
r " bargain."— This now is noble—l love
the man, who does not fear ftrikihg a bold stroke;
on occafibri, for the good of his country— This is
true patriotism. Foreigners ? What business have
they with our money ?
Tis a very great advantage to a work to have 1
gbod bold beginning and a pertinent, flriking cloje.=
This is possessed by the work before us in an eminent
degree. "We were told, when the Conflitution
'' of the United States was on the carpet, that it
" was replete with every thing good ; like the
" rays of the fun,, it was to extend equally to th*
"just and to the unjust. It was also said that it had
" the quintefeehce of bread, beef, foutton, custard
'' and plumb-pudding—also wine and brandy too— ■
" and under it our garments Should not wax old—
" and like the days of Solomon, our fade-board#
" Should groan under the weight of the silver and
" gold ,hat Should be upon chem—Perhaps these
" ideas were meant th extend rid further than to
# " those who were fortunate enough to get a good
" salary under the New Government. However;
" little did I think the firft dnfet from the Secreta^
" r J °f t^e Treafuh of the United States would be
" fraught with mifchief against the poor and dis
" tressed soldiers, who have fought; bled, fuffer'd
^ And received every hardship, that war and hu.
" mart nature (seemingly) could inherit. Is it
" nbt enough that you have compelled, by delay,
" many of your brave officers and soldiers to dfo
" pose of their heartfelt earnings, for two (hilling#
6 * and fix perice on the pound, who are now forced
“ to take refuge in the wild arid Weftern regions of
" this continent, there to encounter the hardship#
" and fatigues of fettling a new couritry, arid ter
" combat with runaway negroes, fcape-gallowrt
" tories, Indians, devils and allegators ? In fhort>
“ they seem to be delivered up to be buffered b,
" Satan., And to close the feene, you have made
<' them pa, five times as much for the lands;
" which they have gone to fettle, aS you did others
" who yty'J^ the sass in time of the war, and
"lodged in the lap of case arid pleafdre.
" Where I mentioned the reducing she president's
" salary, it wl snot from any ill towards him—All
" the harm I wifi him is that he would take one of
" those boys out of my way—the jogs they Lave gi
" ven my elbow have, in some measure, been the
' cause of the many digressions I have made. I will
" assure him they are full-blooded yankies, and of
" a fern republican breed —Stop=-will that do ?
^Yes—it must —But me thinks 1 hear the found of
< c KING=-Well, there it is in capitals. What
" then ? Why, I think Prelident is much the best
<< —for I have known many to assume the title of
" king, and they were generally bad members of
“ the community."
Should any gentleman, 0, perusing the Remark;
imagine he difeovered a few misrepresentations, I
think he ought to rest fetisfied with the ingenious
author's declaration that they have arisen cntrel^
from want of information.
A CERTAIN Dutch Justice of the Peace;
within this state (when an English province)
having issued a summons, by date returnable on
the sabbath day, the constable into whose hands it
was put to be served, being, a fellow of humor,re^
jurns the summons agreeably to date ; the jtiftice
expe&ing it to be of some other nature, perused
it, and finding what it was, said in a great passion,
Fat de demal,on brings dis to d, war ? Why, re.
plied the Constable, fee whether or no it is not re
turnable this day, and should I negtea my duty,
you would no doubt with great propriety report to
the grand jury and in all probability have me se
verely fined, upon which the Justice with a loud
voice proclaimed, I adjourns this courts till next W1
nejda, and calls to his son faying Hauns look off de
almanack audfaasdat mil be on tbi Sunbath fa
Qgndß MtiflnttfflftltaMßiitteimatateteiaiirfeQ^^ :
A FRIEND TO MODEST MERIT.
*° < ''°iF^e w y 0RK ANE^DOTj^°'