Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-06-08

From the Boston GaztHe.
THE CASUAL REMARkER.
This tale Sybn nurse AIRED,
She softly stroked my youngling head,
And when the tale was done,
Thus some are born, my son, she cries.
With base impedimenis TO rise,
And some are born with none:
But virtue can itself advance
To what the favorite fools Of chance
BY fortune seemed designed
Virtue can gain the odds of fate
And from itself shake offthe weight,
Upon the unworthy mind.
The moral contained 10 these coucMd-
ing lines of Parnell's Fairy Tale, de
serves more than common attention 10
times of great scarcity OF money. The
fpecuniary embarrassments in Europe and
America have had aud still have, a ten
denCy 10 shake commercial confidence.
which now ought to be upheld by strict
+er regard to virtue aud honour. In such
times, those born without capital (wbo
are the majority in this country (haye
: impedime3ts" to overcome, which re-
guire more than common fortitude aud
skill to surmount. The great fault 10 our
merchants is over trading ambition car.
ries them too far; they draw too largely
upon hope, and experience, like an un-
welcome Notary, records with appalling
hand the dismaying protests. Another
fault is that men trading on credit live
too we'll, are too extravagant 10 their IA
miles and indulgencies, and are deficient
in prudence and preparation for the pay.
ment of their debts, trusting TO chance OF
miracles for funds. Few persons are sai-
isfed with decent competence, with mod
crate gains, and small though sure iu-
come.
All ranks Of our citizens are necessarily
pressing upwards TO higher stations than
their circumstances and property justify !;
aud this ambition never ceases to torment
its victims until it turns over the ladder
upon which they are climbing,and wounds
and criPpies them by the fall. A third
fault is, too readily taking credit for large
sums, without feeling an anxiety about
the day Of payment, which like the king
of terrors, comes sooner or later, and
often with as awful an aspect and as per-
emptory requirement. The period be-
tween the origin Of debt aud its extinc-
ton is like the time between the birth and
the decease of man, period of proba-
ton: and disgrace and punishment, con-
tempt aud misery are the portion OF those
who g do not work out their salvation. p
A man who takes credit is the servant Of
the creditor until payment is made be
sells his liberty, and his industry, and
mortgages his property aud honour until
the debt is cancelled.
Now the Poet says, &c Virtue can gain
the odds of fate" and this is no poetical
/ fiction. -Virtue has an extensive signifi
cation il includes action. foresight, tenn.
| perance, Judgment, industry, strict integ.
riiy, self-denial, frugality, punctuality
honour lit detests extravaganza, heed.
iessness, dissipation, gambling, over
reaching, embarrassing credits, deception
hazardous enterprises, and temporary ex.
lpedients. Whoever therefore has virtue
commonly puts his bankruptcy beyond
the ordinary operations OF chance; j
must be az extraordinary occurrence
which subjects him to the power of cred
itors and the sacrifice Of his property,
But should he, subdued by inevitable
lnisiortunes, fail to pay his debts, virtue
animpaired, will soon restore him.--Iftht
aw will not preserve the equitable rights
Of foreign or distant, or unsuspicious cred
TORS, he will if be can, and he will con
sent TO TO arrangement which pays on'
man (perhaps the least deserving, as mos
ripping and severe men commonly are) thu
| whole amount Of his claim, aud leave
7othing TO more confding aud honorable
creditors; a practice sometimes prevalent
always upjust-against the policy OF !
commercial Dstion--and furnishing one o
~ the strongest arguments in favor Of ma