The New-Jersey journal — Chatham, N.J., 1783-03-12 00:00:00, page 2

To tie E DETOR.
ESSAYon HUMAN VANITY,
Honours are men's religion, ^wer. their laws;
Their thoughts confufion,and their wealth their cause.
SIR,
VANITY is so natural to the heart of man, and
so feebly are the wisest of us guarded against it,
that 1 almoftdread the thought of taking up the pen
to censure the world in general, while nature, reason,
and experience seem to admonish me to correct my
own errors before 1 presume to preach reformation to
others. If we mix in the circle of a large company,
where all are speakers and aXors, we shall nut per
haps find one who will not fancy he perceives fome
thingamifs in the conversation, conduct, or behaviour
of every one but himfelf; and yet it is not impossible,
may, it is frequently the case, that the very person who
is so fond censuring others is himfelf the private ridi
cule of the whole company. Such are the imperfec
tions of human nature! such the confined limits of
our ideas! Yet, sensible as I am of all this, I cannot
forbear troubling you with some general reflexions
on the conduX of mankind in their secular pursuits.
. When I fee men whom Fortune has enabled to be
happy, making themselves miserable in the pursuit of
honours and empty titles; or griping and oppreffiog
those with whom they have connexions, in order to
add one mite more to their riches; 1 cannot but with
Solomon confider it as a vanity. Will honours or
titles case the excruciating pangs ofa fit of sickness?
Or will accumulated riches give aXivit, to those
limbs which the age of grey hairs has ftiffened and
contraXed?
The inordinate thirst of fuperfluous riches carries
with it many evilsin its train. fealoufy, which is the
canker of the foul, and which makes us confider every
one difhonelt but ourfeives ; Envy, which hurries us
on to imagine that the happiness, fortune, and pros
perity of another diminish our own ; Pride, which
will not fuffer us to refleX that we are all mortal, and
that, like the meanest wretch, we shall at last have but
an equal portion of earth; Revenge, which facrifices
truth, reason, and justice, to power, .obftinancy and
falfe ambition ; which permits no repose to its votaries,
and which renders the bosom that harbours it, like the
troubled waves Of the ocean when agitated by boifte
xous blasts, bewildered and confufed.
Permit me, Sir, to quit these faperior beings of
the creation, and view mankind in the humbler
class. I fear the thirst of power and ambition is a
vice as often found in the bosom of the pauper, as
in that of the rich man. Human Nature is perhaps
more on the level, and more confident in its opera
tions, than we ae generally apt to imagine. The
glare of that title, Patriot, often conceals from our
view the falfe heart, through which secretly circu
lates the boiling fluid that generates jealousy and en
vy, and which gives birth to a desire to supplant
others, not to do better than they, but to enjoy the
honours and emoluments they pofl'efs. The wretch,
who once aXed in the most mean and servile condi
tion, who exclaimed against the oppressions of the
great, and bewailed the degeneracy of the human
heart, has himfelf, when fortune has fhifted the
feene, proved to be the very tyrant. These are not
arguments founded merely on imagination, since
every one who looks at all round him must fee them
daily confirmed by that unerring guide—Experience.
In the early ages of the world, when mankind
lived in perfetl harmony with each other, and ac
knowledged no superior but their parent, Envy and
Jealousy were unheard of and unknown; but no
sooner had Ambition found a feat in the human
heart, than adventurous individuals ploughed the
dangerous main to explore new regions. Hence
arose those baneful words (baneful at lead to society)
1 rade and Commerce. From that moment Sincerity
gradually loft ground, and Self interest usurped her
iacred feat ; parents, brethren, and family connec
tions, were all given up to that tyrant, Intend, which
mow Items to prevail over every thing, and is reli
giously considered as the firft article in the creed of
every commercial individual.
In what region shall we seek for that happy man,
who still pursues the track which nature has pointed
out ? We must not expeX to find him in Courts or
Palaces, in populous or trading cities, or even in
large country towns, where the luxury of the metro
polis has found admittance: We mutt look for him
only in the village.
While the anxious merchant is all day thinking,
and dreams at night when deeping, of the hasty in
crease of his riches—while the ambitious courtier is
contriving schemes to raise his own grandeur and
power on the ruins of the reputation of another—
while these, and a thousand other disconsolate inha
bitants of populous cities are starving amidst plenty,
aiemiferabfe amidst affluence, the humble and in
duftrious ploughman enjoys all the blessings of na
ture. and paysihe sincere tribute of a grateful heai t
tothe beneficent Author of his happiness and con
tentment.
Contentment ! thou parent of Felicity ! thou faith
ful companion of Hope ! ifthou shouldest take thy
. abode in my bosom, in vain may Fortune wreck me
on inhospitable Shores.—While I possess thee, I Shall
not envy the great and powerful, but rather pity
the Crown and the Scepter?— Possessed of thee, my
mind will ever be ferine,and peaceful, and my con
duXjuft, Steady, and uniform; and when nature
Shall call me to my awful home, 1 shall quit this Be
ing, clear of the horrors of a guilty conscience ; and
in full hope of something greater hereafter.
Diogenes.
PHILADELPHIA, March §.
Saturday morning a refugee galley, called the La
dy's Revenge, arrived here. She mounts along eigh
teen pounder and two large carronTOes,&c. was taken
Dear Duck creek by B Captain Snyder, commanding
an armed fchoontr belonging to this Slate. The
galley was chafed alhore, and the crew escaped, to
gether with the crew ofa small boat called the Black
Duck which also came up on Saturday morning.
These boats have lately been very mischievous in
our bay.
The resignation of the fuperintendant of finance
having occasioned much conversation, the printers
are happy in being able to furnifh their customers
with copies of Mr. Morris's letters on that fubjed,
to Congress.
Office of Finance, January 24, 1783.
S I R,
As nothing but the public danger would have in
duced me to accept my office, so l was determined
to hold it until the danger was past, or else to meet
rayruin in the common wreck. Under greater dif
ficulties than were appended by the ^oft timid.
ExtraX of a letter from Montserrat, dated Jan. 26.
" A Portuguese brig arrived here, this morning,
from Basseterre, Gapdaloupe, and brings the follow
ing intelligence, that la Venus frigate had arrived,
the 23d inst. at. Martinique from Cadiz, which left
Count d'Ellaing 30 days after he had failed from Ca
diz, with from §2 to §5 fail of the line, and from
20 to 30,000 troops ; that the preliminaries of peace
had been Signed at Paris, and America acknowledged
independent ; but on account of some disagreement
between England and some of the belligerent powers,
in confequeoce of some demands of the former, the
preliminaries had been torn up, and the ambassadors
ordered to leave Paris immediately ; 'that the grena
diers of the regiment of Armaniac had arrived at
Basseterre, Gaudaloupe; they came out in the above
frigate; they were taken in the Ville de Paris. The
Venus had been detained several days at Cadiz, in
order to bring the news of a peace, but on the con
trary, brought out orders for the war to be prosecuted
with the utmost vigour.—The frigate failed about
the middle of December.
PROVIDENC E, February i.
Extract of a tetter from a gentleman in Philadelphia,
to his friend in this town, dated January 6.
" In order that the people at large may be ena
bled to form a proper idea of their reputation and
credit abroad, I have thought proper to fend you
the following extraXs of letters from Dr. Franklin,
which have been read in Congress.
," Paffy, Sept. 3, 1782. It affords me much fa
tisfaXion to find the cornua of Congress approv
ed by all that hear or Speak of it, and to fee all the
marks of a constantly growing regard for us, and
confidence in us, among those in whom such senti
ments are raoft to be desired."
" Paffy, April 8, i;Bz. Our public affairs go
on swimmingly in Holland."
" Although the letters from which these extraXs
are taken were not read in Congress till the 27th
of December last, they truly represent our affairs at
the time of their refpeaive dates; and ought to
prevent us from being terrified into measures of ex
tremity, from a groundless apprehension that our
foreign affairs are in a ruinous condition."
'' Paffy, August 11, 1782. All ranks of this
nation appear to be in good humour witli us, and
our reputation riles throughout Europe."
" Paffy, Augoft 12, 1782. (To the fuperinten
dant of finance.) Yoar conduX, aXivity and ad
dreis, as financier, and provider for the public exi
gences of the States, is much admired and praised
here, its good conferences being so evident, par
ticularly with regard to the rising credit of our
country, and the value of bills."
BASSETERRE.
The surgeons, each ninety dollars pay and forty
dollars fubfiftance.
Apothecary and purveyor, each ninety-two dol
lars pay and thirty-two dollars fubfiftance.
Deputy apothecary and deputy purveyor, each
fifty-nine dollars pay and sixteen dollars fubfift
ance.
Many late circumstances have so far lessened out
apprehensions. .from the common enemy, that my
original motives have almost ceased to operate; but
other circumstances have postponed the effablifhment
of public credit in such a manner, that I fear it will
/never be made. To encreafe our debts while the
profpeX of paying them diminiflies, does not consist
with my ideas of integrity. I must therefore quit a
situation which becomes utterly infupporrable; but
left the public measures might be deranged by any
precipitation, I will continue to serve until the end
of May. If effeXuai measures are not taken, by that
period, to make permanent provision for the public
debts of every kind, Congress will be pleased co ap
point some other man to be the fu perintendant of
their finances. I should be unworthy of the confix
dence reposed in me by my fellow citizens, isl did
not explicitly declare, that 1 will never be the mini
ster of injustice. With perfeX esteem and refpeX, I
have the honour to be, fir, your Excellency's most
obedient and humble servant.
and with left fuppott than was expeßed by the feat
sanguine, the generous confidence of the public ac
complished mere than I presumed to hope.
Congress will recoiled, that I exprefly stipulated
to take no part in past tranfa&ions. My attention
to the public debts, therefore, arose from the con
viXion that funding them on solid revenues, was the
last essential work.of our glorious revolution. The;
accomplishment of this neceflary work is among the
objeXs nearest my heart, and to effeX it, 1 would
continue to facrifice time, property and domestic
bliss. ''
The following particular account of the capture
mentioned in our last, it is hoped will be agreeable
to our readers, and serve as a stimulus to others to
excite them to the like heroick aftion. On the
night of the 3d instant, Major William Crane,
Capt. Thomas Quigley, Capt. Samuel Harriman,
William Williamson, Malines Miller, Robert Spa
A number of these who have ContraXed engaged
ments with me, will, 1 know, place a personal reli
ance on me for the fulfilment of them. As the time
approaches very sass, when I am to quit this office,
it is proper for me to make the necessary preparati
tions. Among these I must place the due and sea
sonable information, which, as an honest man, I
must convey to those who have confided in me. I
am therefore to pray that the injunXion of ftcrecy
contained in the order of the 24th of January last,
may be taken off. At the fame time 1 take the li
berty to suggest to Congress, that the early appoint
ment of my fucceflor will give him opportunity to
take such measures as may prevent many inconvd
niencies that might otherwise happen. With perfect
refpeX, I have the honour to be, fir, your Excellen
cy's molt obedient and humble servant.
The direXor, one hundred and two dollars pay
and sixty dollars fubfiftance.
The deputy director and physician, each one
hundred dollars pay and and forty-eight dollars
fubfiftance.
Mates, each forty-two dollars pay and twelve
dollars fubfiftance.
Stewards, each thirty-one dollars pay and eight
dollars fubfiftance,:
Wardmailers, each twenty-one dcll.ro pay and
eight dollars fubfiftance.
Congress resolved. the 3d of December last.
That after the last day of said month, in lieu of
the rations hitherto allowed to the officers of the
army, including those for feivants, they Ihad be
allowed fubfiftance money at the rate of four dol
lars per month for each ration: Provided, that
where circumstances in any case shall not permit
the payment of such fubfiftance money, they Ihall
draw their rations as heretofore. That after
the forementioned period, in lieu of the pay and
rations allowed to the officers of the hospital de
partment, including rations for servant, they shall
be entitled to the following monthly pay and fub
fiftance.; provided, in like manner, that where the
said fubfiftance money shall not be paid, they shall
be entitled to draw an equivalent number of rati
ons, at the rate of four dollars for each ration per
month, viz.
His Excellency the President of Congress.
Office of Finance, February 26, 178%.
S IR,
CHATHA M, March 12.