The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-11-29


bour, your condition is very extraordinary
one-you have every thing you want, peace
OF mind, tranquility in your house, your
helds and gardens, your granaries and barns,
all productive and overAowing with abun.
dance your children arc growing up in in-
noccncc and virtue [; the rational goods of life,
and even supcrlluities, arc at your command
and you live in a country blessed beyond am
example by an exemption from the internal
horrours of war, while all the other nations
OF the world arc suffering from the desolas
ton of ruinous poverty, which L. produced by
taxes to support hostility this, neighbour,
is your condition, but don't think it is good
enough for you to be content with this, you
ought to go to the West Indies and bring
home some rum, some coffee, and some su-
gar you may live happy without the one or
the other, TO be sure, but then you could
sell these articles, and as you could profit
by the sale, think you may as well do it,
for this happiness which you possess you cam
not enjoy sufficiently, unless you obtain a lit
tie more money than you want and you cans
know the value of what you have, unless you
+ experience a little danger and trouble in get
ting more.
If a person were to address man Of sense
in this language, what would man OF sense
say to such Pcrson-hc would reply, "you
speak very strangely, sir, but when you admit
that have peace, competency, and even SUI
perfuity, which is true when you acknow,-
edge that live in country exempted frcrn
the seyerest Affections that man can be sub
jectcd to-and cndeavour to persuade me to
loose sight of this, and GO in search of arti-
cles which do not want, Of rum, of sugar,
and of coffee, and tell me that though may
have some trouble in obtaining these things,
which are not nee essary, yet that in order to
enjoy what have, SHOULD get myself intor
this trouble permit me to say that you
must either be ignorant of the true end Of
civi! society, or your mind must be corrupted
f! or aepraved. What can man Covct more
| than We possess is not happiness the very
aim and object proposed by all people what
| are governments and laws formed for, bet to,
| promote or to secure the happiness of man
possess 1t, and you propose that In order to-
be happy should involve myself; and with
abundance, that should 60 into hazards and
| perils to obtain more than, enough; let me
repeat, sir, that you are either ignorant of the
| sole end OF society, or unworthy of enjoying
| the blessings which perfect fulflment of
! the ends OF society assures TO mankind hap
| piness is my only wish, and enjoy it !; the
! misery OF other men and other nations is
| warning, not an example of imitation, Tor
l me do not wish to embark in adventures
| after ram, sagar, or eoLte, which may cot on
l ly be fatal to my health or personal comfort,
but which may besides destroying my health,
| place what now possess in situation never
| to be enjoyed again which may not merely
| ruin me, but ruin all that is dear to me.
am content, and will stay at homc.S
| Such would be the reasoning of an individ-
Il A. - sIz
| an avaricious speculator Such, ina more
enlarged sense is the reply that the yeoman-
| ry, the farmers of America, would make TO
the covetous spirit of the mercantile body,
| who would involve the American nation, near
seven millions OF people, in the vortex Of war,
| in order that the rapacious covetousness of
about 100000 persons engaged in mercantile
| spcculations On the ocean, snouid be able to
carry sugar and coffee to Europe.
1t is 4 question which we must discuss, or
which we snail be forced to act upon without
| discussion whether the American pecple
| will undertake a war which must involve scr-
en- muGcns of people in all the consequences
Of wsr aud heavy taxation, merely to ena-
| bic 100000 men, who pay no taxes, who III
| fact froduce nothing, unless it be the vices Of
| luxury, deprayity, and the corruption OF NOR
! al sentiment and patriotisni-is the seven
| millions innocent and Inconcerned, are to be
accursed with excessive taxes, in order that
these 100000 mercantile spectators may be.
enabled to amass vast wealth, with which they
oicbauch the morals of society Sf.....G
1t is not i'm our power to avoid this discus-
sion, it comes upon us, and we must meet It
one way or the other ; and the only alterna-
tive we have, is to abandon it voluntarily, OF
to be deprived of it, whether We will or.
| not. ss ffRlt
The operation of the commercial body act
ing upon society, has in various ways produc>
ed very general contamination of the hu-
man faculty in the United States the eastern
Ststcs are this moment resoivfrg, BY . gene
raj BANKRUPTCY, the causes w.iich produced