Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-11-14

haD1tuai Otc OF many IOgelSh PiouuStiois,
thar If they are not articles OF the firit ne
ccAity, they are felt as fuch, and we are
now unwilling to forego them. 1t is i'm
poaible to ieciude our(elves, fince the
whole world has become commercial -
Merchants Of other nations would ira
fc with US, if we had nc merchants of our
own.
The cultivation Of the foil, is the nof
natural, the moG dignifed, and the mott
agreeable employment of man. And mo
nation will ever carry her manufactures,
Especially thoie of the more nice and lei.
necefary fort, TO any high degree of i'm
provement, until all her lands are frit oc-
cupied and well cultivated, and there re-
mains redundancy Of hands. So great
are the Improvements which the arts have
conferred on huibandry, that one tenth
part OF the men, as it is calculated, car
fupply the whole with food. And if the
uieiul arts wiIlnot occupy the ref, it would
be foolilhly cynical TO cry out againh the
elegancies and cenveniencies of life, as a
gainf luxury and effeminacy. A fate OF
employment is the only innocent and the
only happy fate of man; and when he
has taught hirnfelf eaGly to fupply all the
necefIaries of life the comforts and con.
veniencics mutt come next and even tho
elegancies and amuferents mutt follow.
@! If mankind would but ceale from their
vices--the deRruefion of war, and be wife,
what could they have to complain OF, hu,
that this happy life was too ihort, and
that they were too foon called away by
the overabounding goodnefs of God to
participate better? IF in the way in
which we choofe to employ ourielves, our
own country produces articles of the firit
necedity more than we want, it is beit to
traffic them away for thoie manufactures
OF other countries which at fome future
time may be made among ourielves. Be-
fldes, we ought TO take the community,
tuch as we found it at the time we enter
ed into the focial oompa6t. Many fea-
port towns then, as now, depended on
merchandise for fupport. Goyernmen,
ihould DC administered with a due regard
TO the happinefs OF the whole, fuch as il is.
Great and violent changes would be uniuit
and cruel.
In laying fome of thefe things, am
teniible | have fubjetted myfelf 10 charge
of digreiiing from my fubjett; yet have
thought IL neceaary to fay them that or
account of fome other things which | am
abou, to fay, | may not be fufpeetcd of a
blind, irteretted or local prejudice againit
the merchants or mercantile intereft of GU,
country.
Was not the practice of Banking intro
duced by the merchants? FirR, one bank
In our metropolis is incorporated and then
another. Soon after national bank with
It's brai.ches ovenpreads Tie whole union.
And this not being enough, every petty
port town in the fates mutt have its one
or more banks till the variety of bills
has become 10 great, that no man, not a
merchant, however careful he may be.
can expect to become 70 acquainted with
them all, as to be able to fecure himfelf
from the impohtion of counterfeits.
True theie bills are not made legal ten.
der: But where Is all the other circulating
medium OF our country i Who can buy or
iell, or nationally expect to take in his
due without receiving frequently the bills
OF all thete numerous bankss To the mer-
chants, | cannot fay that it may not be
convenient, to have a bank to which
they may reiort in cafes of emergency
10 the ftockhoiders no one doubts their
advantage; but do they not, in iome re-
tpetts give theie fockholders, in the uie
and Improvement of their money, unfair
and unequal advantages, at the eypence
OF the reit of tho community But theie
banks, while they have cauied 70 be fent
out or the country, or locked UP, almoft
all the iilycr and gold, have emitted their
gNxrtn y al IL C.,t. +