Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-05-03

~ kindly save them the trouble OF acting
or think ing Tor themselves, and make them
pay usurious interest indeed, tor the care
they take OF their property, their body.
and their souls. Free governments leave
individuals. as much as possible. TO them
selves; indeed, freedom OF aetion,s& tIee-
dom of contract. abstsining" always from
iDiuring others by tnrce or fraud, is the
very definition Of personal iberty---oi that
liberty which it is the duty OF governments
10 respect. The citizens of our Republic
are not minors in state of pupilage; they
have not constituted their public servants.
their masters and guardians; they are not
so modest as to deem themselves incompe.
tent to attend 10 their own business, and
they know very well that agents and ma
nagers do not take better view S than their
principals, of transactions on which their
property depends.
The act under consideration does not
appear to me to have been demanded by
the community: that part OF our society
in this city, whose interests are particu.
larly concerned, and whose opinions de-
serve great weight. object to the measure
as mischevious in ITS tendency. TO the
citizens OF the country il is probably as
unWeicome as unexpected. During the
last summer and fall travelled over the
greater portion of the state; heard COM
plants of the want OF an organize ed militia
of the situation of the public lands-of
the defenceless state Of the marine IRON
tier-I heard nothing said OF usury. If
the evil exists, it is brought on individuals
voluntarily and mankind ordinarily are
ashamed of denouncing their own follies,
Of vHinlng over their own grievances.
That there is want of money. am not
disposed to deny; but tina: it can be made
by legislation more abundant and cheap,
cannot admit 1t is not wonderful that
there should be scarcity Of specie, and
of course any valuable representative OF
it, when we reflect on the falling off OF the
produce OF the state, both as it respects
quantity and price-on the need and oc-
casion for funds always felt by an enter
prising, hourishing, and industrious peo-
ple-on the expectation from the U. 5. in
the last eighteen months OF upwards OF
100000 of dollars. In Boston alone, in
few months nearly 100000 were Ia.
ken out of the accustomed range OF it's cir
culation-the pressure was great indeed.
but that intelligent people resorted 10 no
unusual eGpedienls, neither 10 usury laws
nor stop laws, nor an increase ct banks
and consequent inundation Of paper-they
knew very we'll that the movement OF spe-
Gle and its price were as independent OF
human ordinances as the currents oil the
ocean, which, ebbing and flowing, seek
,.~,.Iloes rs ba nho,no NJ a
Xerxes, or the mandates of Canuie. No
individual. no community that has any
thing of equal value to give for morQ,
need be apprebensive of not obtaining 1t
Ii goes where 1t is wanted. andca be pur
chased with more Certainty and more ce-
ltrity, than corn, cloth, or any article
whatever-we as surely get money for
produce, as produce for money-we as
readily procure >panih dollars tor flour,
cotton, &c. as in Spain they obtain these
articles for their dollars: there is no danger
of their being enabled TO prevent their
exportation-this experiment has been
sufficiently tried in Spain, Portugal, and
other countries. Money escapes in spite
ri every effort to contiDe 1.-THE attempt
TO do so is as futile as an effort to stop up
the pores of The skin.
am opposed, for my part, TO regulate
the price of any thIsg-the bread OF the
baker. The meat of the butcher, the mo
Dey of those who have it, is their own
property, as much so as their houses or
goods-they have perfect right TO part
with them on not on such terms, and on
such alone as they may choose. oils at
bridges, ferries, loans by chartered COM
panles; these are privileges conferred by
government, and, of course, subject TO
such conditions as government may I'M
pose; hut the property Of Individuals, &C
CURED by their skill and labor, stands on
a widely different footing; its worth de-
ponds on the market price, much better
criterion of its value than any other by
which it can be determined.
Such are the views OF general nature
which have occurred to me in The hasty
examination OF the act now under cOnsi-
deraton; but object to it more particu-
Iarly because il holds out inducements to
individuals of full age, in the complete
possession OF their understanding, to vio-
late contracts and promises which they
have deliberately and voluntarily made,
whereas The laws should never interfere
but for the purpose OF enforcing agree
ments fairly entered into
TIL. b ROBERTSON.
CUBA.
Aletter published in the Charleston c.
Z 4 4