Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-03-27
PLEADING that sort Of life to which they

IL 10 Ciedr, nOWeYtTS tHdt w w uR3 Ha"e
in the way of paying of must be work of
some little time. place great depen-
dehcc on the produce of some literary la
bous Of great aud general utility ; and it is
Of these that am now about more particu-
larry Ia speak, and 70 make you, Sir, dis
tinct propositions
The remainder Of the letter is occupied
in explanations relative to two works, the
materials of which were to be transmitted
in two months from the date of the, letter.
The first is an improved edition Of LIE
Mache Anglois," or teaching Frenchmen
English the second new work, called
/" The French Master" for teaching En-
glishmen French.
TO s,RFRANcIs BURDETT. BART,
North Hampstead. L. l. .NoU, 60, 1917
Sir-l enclose you the copy of letter
to Mr.. Upper, which | beg you to have
the goodness to read, and 10 consider the
contents of it Gas far as they relate TO the
liquidation of my debts generality as ad-
dressed to yourself In addition you will
be pleased TO understand that as TO the
debt due to you. no pains Shall be spared
by me to obtain the means of paying il as
soon as possible and beg that you will
furnish Mr.. White,my Attorney, with your
charge against me, including interest, that
be may transmit it to me.
Inow transmit to Mr. White, Wrsghts
note of hand. 1t must be endorsed by you
before / can proceed against Wright. This
rascal always contended that he borrowed
this money on his o1pn account. Your word
was quite sufficient TO rove the contrary
ana though no part of it was ever made use
of for me, and though the arbitrator de-
termined against my being at all response
BILE, Thought myself, and still ihink my
self, bound to pay you, you putting me in
condition to recover the money from him,
which you can at once do by endorsing
the note of hand am well aware the
grounds OF complaint and reproach 10
which debtors always expose themselves,
and Tam not vain enoug b 10 expect to Is
cape consequences 10 which all others are
liable but if finally pay 10 the last far
thing, those grounds will be all swept away
and as | ain in no doubt Of being able, in
short space of time, to pay every one
fully. Anticipate with great satisfaction
the day OF my de!iverance from this sort OF
thraldom. II am, sir, your most obedient
and most humble servant,
HIM. COBBETT.
REPLY OF SIR r. BuRpETT TO MR.. WIN. COB
Ret.
St. james, -palace, Jan. 81, 1878.
Sir have just received yours OF the
Goth of November, and carefully and oc-
cording to your desire, perused the enclo-
ssd 10 MIR. Upper.
II is not my intention to enter into any
controversy respecting the honesty or dis
honesty of pa, ing or not paying debts, ac-
cordiugto the convenience, of the party ow-
Ing. |. seems that if ii should ever suit
your convenience, and take nothing from
the comforts and enjoymcnts of yourself,
aud family, such comforts and enjoyments,
and means too Of distinguishing themselves,
as you think they are entitled TO, all this
being previousl y secured, then you think
yourself bound to pay your debts il, on the
contrary, that cannot lie effected without
sacrifices on your and their part, in that
case your creditors have no claim to pre-.
fer, and you no duty to perform. You then
stand absolved, rectus intoro conscientiG,
and for this singular reason, because those
who lent you their money when you were
in difficulty and distress, in order to save
you and your family from ruin, were and
are unable to protect you either against
your own fears, or the power OF an arbtra-
ry government, under which they have the
misfortune to live, and to which they are
equally exposed. These principles which
are IaughabIe in theory, are detestable in
practice. That you should not only enter
tain and act upon, but openly avow them.
and blind your own understanding or think
to blind that of others, by such flimsy pre-
fences, is one more melancholy proof of
tn. f'cility with which self interest can as
sumo the mask of hypocrisy, and by means
of the weakest sophis,ry, oyerpower The
strongest understanding. How true is our