Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-02-27

lNOStiy llNlnS is generally great way aheaC
OF their profits, and is an actual fer cen
gum consumed ia adUGnce-their failure
ioniy shows the immense gap in their for
tunes, at the moment of their greatest cx,
ltravagance, and which has fallen on some
honest farmers and mechanics, and not tina,
their failure hasincreased the price ofpro-
duce.
Let 1t here be recollectcd that all wealth
comes from the labor of man bestowed on
the earth and its produce. And that the
merchant who merely buys and sells art-
cles the fruit of such labor, does not add a
cent to the national wealth. Now should
merchant eXpend in his living, the amount
! OF MS 20 per cent. on all the business he
Goes within the year; that merchant has
got his profits as fully as he who by econo-
my has 1t in the bank. Hence as before
SAID, failures arc no evidence OF not having
bought and sold Oh a calculated profit And
hence IS before observed, all the sums ac-
tHdAy consumed by such Iai!ing merchant,
Is dead loss on society, and rs the 7Veaith
| q society, comes from the labor ofman, it
rs consequently a loss on that part either
directly or indirectly, HroGuced the zvealth,
Tor as they by their united labor support
not only themselves who labor, but all the
/ laie ones too, every loss falls back on them
more labor to supply the deficiency
| Whoever is idle in society is so far
from helper with its burdens or taxes,
that he is burden or tax on that society
himself for every thing he cats, drinks,
( wears or consumes.
Il 10 Illustrate this subject little farther
we will settle the case of England-shc
mas some on the ground of supporting COM
merce by taxes. But in order to case la
Dor, or because the labor was unequal to
the supply for the last century, she has
anticipated the tax by loans the conse
| quence of which is the deficiency between
the fruits of the united labor of the people
/ OF Great Britain, and the support of her
inhabitants in all their avocations, of near
three thousand millions Of dollars That
is, the laboring class is indebted to the l.
ole class of her own citizens s 100000
900. 1t is true that the continual revolu-
TONS In the state of ii society by death and
Succession; by the poor becoming rich and
the rich becoming poor, by removals, and
mterchanges, hinders the effects of such a
state of things being fully seen or felt; but
let us Just suppose a possibility, that all
things and persons i'll England, should stand
still for a century to come, and the debtors
could be distinguished from the creditors,
and see themselves bound by their labor to
raise the necessary food, raiment and sup
ples OF their creditors, or To pay them
their annual interest, what might be sup
posed the reflections of the debtors would
1t be cursings or blessings, on the govern
ors who thus mortgaged their labor before
) they were born, for the sake of an empty
commerce?
! Let those who admire the commerce, and
navles which support that commerce in En-
gland, show US that we shall not involve
ourselves III equal evils by pursuing an c.
quail Course; before they expect us to con-
sent to any expenses for commerce. And
let every legislator and every clector reflect
well ON such q scene as that supposed a.
bove, before they give their consent to mea.
sures so visibly ruinous to a nation.
When we say the merchant who buy,
and sells, adds nothing to the wealth of The
nation, we do not mean to say, that they
are OF no use to the nation they are al
carriers for the farmer and manufacture,
so TAR useful, as 90 save these classes 81
much time, which time they can bestov
on their business, and thereby increase thu
iquantity made, but we say the barrel OF
bale receives no addition by passing thro
the hands of merchants-the intrinsic va
lue is the same Hence it follows they ar,
useful as carriers of our home trade ant
no further.
To prove this let us suppose our cXport
worth one hundred millions of dollars
20,000,000 of this is deducted for carrying
account. But says the merchant, give u
a navy to protect us in forcing trade L
the ports and colonies of belligercnts an,
we will be able to give 10000, 900 dollar
for your pToduce-here the farmer shoul,
ask "and how much will this navy cost =
l. it will cost the 20 millions advance price
then there is no advantage in the navy
but If it costs so millions then they are 81
millions loscrs.-The same thing is mani
fest IN letting commerce protect itself
a merchant ships, arms, and mans, so as t
cost the value other cargo extra, and there
by IS able to run to a port where she get
double the value Of her cargo, she is still
no gamer But there is much to fear be
sides a loss-if these measures involve us il
war as they have done England, then ther,
Is no calculating the effects nor costs, no
any security even for our constitutions
rights Neither can any of these peopl,
who arc so anxious FOR navy and for wa
pretend TO tell wha a war will cost No
impossible. Can they tell whether such
war would make US better or worsc--whe
Their such nation must lose or that we mus
lose the object Contended for No, impos
sible. Yet these people want war, undo
tho pretence that war would assist our com
/, MERGE. Whereas the fact is, that sucl
yya, Guild ctcr, all cr,,r,ov~o 90 Iov,, ~