Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-06-08
From the London Globe OF the evening OF the 18th May
American gepudlalion.

American EcpudlaliOn.
The following petition is to be presented
to Congress by the Rev. Sydney Smith, DeIp
OF ST. Paul.
The humble petition Of the Rev. Sydney
Smith, to the House OF Congress at Wash
ngtoD.
pe,ition your honorable house to insll-
tute some measures for the restoration OF
American credit, and for the repayment OF
debts incurred and repudated by several oi
lihe States. Your petitioner lent to the state
of PENNSYLVANIA sum Of money, for the pur
pose of some public improvement The
amount, thoagh small, is to him important.
and is a saving from life income, made with
difficulty and prlvation.
If their refusal to pay from which a very
large number of English families are suffer
ing) had been the result of war, produc ed by
the unjust aggression Of powerfu' enemies
if il had arisen from civil discord it 1t had
proceeded from an lmprovdent application oi
means in the frs, years of self government =
If il were the ac, ofa poor state struggling
against The barreDness OF naturc-cVery
friend Of America would have been content
ed to wait for better times but the fraud Is
committed in the profound peace OF Pennsyi-
vunia, by the richest state IN the Union, a'ter
the wise investment Of the borrowed money
in roads and canals. of which the rePudiators
are every day repcaring the advantage. II
s an act of bad faith which (all its clTcum-
stances considered) has no parallel, and 10
excuse.
i Nor is il only the loss Of property which
| your pe,lioner laments (; he lamcnts still
| more that immense power which the bad faith
of America has given to aristocratcal opln-
/ ions. and to the enemies of free institutions
4 in the world. 1t is in vain any longer to ap-
| peal to history, and to point out the wrongs
! which the many have received from the few.
\ The Americans who boast to have improved
| the institutions Of the old world, have at least
! cqualed its crime. A great nation, after
! ltraInpling under foot all earthly tyranny, has
/ been guilty of fraud as enormous as ever
! disgraced the worst king Of the most degra'
ded nation Of Europe.
H 1t is most painful to your petitioner 10 see
/ that American citizens excite, whatcver lhey
! nav 90, the recollection that they belong to
| a dishonest people who pride themselves on
having tricked and pilaged Europe and
this mark is fixed, by their iailhless lcgisla-
tors. on some of the best and most honorable
men 10 the world, whom every Englishman
has been eager to see and proud to receive.
It's subject Of serious concern TO your
petitioner that YOU are losing all that power
which the friends Of freedom rejolced that
you possessed, looking upon you as the ark
of human happiness, and the most splendid
Il picture Of Justice and of wisdom that the
world had vet seen. Little did the friends
of America expect it, and sad is the specia
Gle, to see you rejected by every state IN i.u'
rome. ms n nation with whom no contract cai
be made, because none will be kept unsla
bic in the very foundations of social life, dei
cicnt in the clements of good faith, men wl''
prefer anv load OF infamy, however great, t.
any pressure Of taxation however light.
N Nor is it only lhis gigantic bankruptcy tot
so many degrees Of longitude anu latitude
which your petitioner deplores, but he u
alarmed also by that total want OF shame wIil
which these things hnve been done, the cal
lous Immortality with which Europe has bcc'
plundered, that deadness of,he moral SENSE
which sccms to preclude all return to homes
ny, to perpetua,e. this new lRiany, ana u
threaten It's extension over every state OF th'
:, Union.
TO any man of real philanthropy, who re
ceivcs pleasure from the improvements oi III
world, the reputation OF the public debts u
America, aud the shameless manner IN wlilcl
it has been talked uf and done, Is the mos
:, 3 melancholy event which has happened dur
;, ing the existence of the present generation
!, Your petitioner sincerely prays Mat the grea
y and good men still existing among you may
y by teaching to the United States The dee
o disgrace they have incurred 10 the Who'll
world restore them to morai health, to tha
4 high position they have lost, and which, 70
. The happiness Of mankind, it is so impor'an
;, 1 they should ever maintain for the Unite
States ore now working ont the greatest G
;. all political problems. aud upon that conede
racy the eyes of thinking men are lntensel!
= fixed, To see how for the mass of nankln
!, can be trusted with the management Of lhci
;, own ail',irs. and the eslablishg.cnt OF the
:. own happiness.