Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-09-23

loving fsienss-he was struck with d
|mazement. and addressing himself to the
said third person, remarked: " That
neighbour Of mine, sir, / must need say,
lis worthy man in the main, but after
TALL, heis an oddly. The triffing debt,
do you see, is an old affair, an affair Of
several years. standing, and yet he dams
|me as hard as if bad borrowed the mo-
|ney but a month agoe'
It is curiou. fact, Of no very auspi-
cious omen, that while most other things
have been growing dearer, promises have
been growing cheaper. They are come
ito be like that kind Of drug that operates
speedily or not at all. They become
stale as it were ny time; so that the long
er the exaction of performance is for
borne, the more difficult it is to obtain il.
Hence small debts that are waxen old
are as bad as lost, being scarcely worth
the trouble of collecting.
Nor is it among the baser sort that this
delinquency is found. You may find it
among men Of high standing, and Of hon.
orable feelings in most other respects
They would scorn the imputation of
meanness, or falsehood, 81. roguery but
nevertheless, permit themselves to forget
their promises, especially in little mat
tiers, and the rather, perhaps. from think.
ing that their creditors, out OF respect or
fear, would as lief lose the debts as TO
urge for payment in good earnest. 1t is
found, often found, among men mild in
temper, courteous in their manners, kind
and neighbourly, hospitable in their houses
and, in short, excellent rsputatisns, save
this "dead fly in the precious ointment"
II you are in distress and need their
charity, they will give /; but if they owe|
you, they will shuttle off payment with.
out any regard to your interest or feel
ings.
Marvellous inconsistency! Are They'll
30 blind as not to see that withholding
just dues of however small amount, isl
positive injustice , That it scarce makes
any difference, on the moral scale, wheth-
err one flches from his neighbour, or in
teptionaljy withhoids what belongs to
him Are they unaware that it destroys
their credit and blots their regulations !!
That it attaches 10 them general sus
picion of want Of principle, or rather of
Sllful falsehood and dishonestyi Are,
hey unaware Of the smothered indigna-
ton that burns in the bosoms of those
they so lightly dlsappsint; OF the hard
bitter things Glat are privately said of
hem on this account even by their friends!
DR., finally, are they unaware that the
public interest suffers more from this
species Of evil than from all the theft and
'obbery that is committed in the land :;
md that if all men acted, in this respect
Ike themselves, there would be AN end
o private credit and mutual con6dencel
Small debts are entitled to be regard
d as debts of honour. A man OF strict no.
lour and competent means, will be par
lcnlarly carefulto discharge, spontaneous
y and punctually, those trif1ing debts, ,
which it is SO unpleasant even to ask for,
nd much more to dun for over and over
gain. A man of strict honesty will say
ot to his neighbour, /" Go. and come "a r
ain, and to morrow will pay )" when I
e has it by him instead of which it is
is settled rule as far as his circumstance
'ill permit, to pay without delay, with
ut hesitation, without grudging, without
living his neighbour the trouble and pain
{ repeated requisition and importunate
olictations. l.