The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-11-23
from the London Morning Chronicle
The Rev. sydney smiths Letter 10 'ns
PenusylyantRna.

insert in your valuable journal petition oil mine
TO the American Congress for the repayment Oh d
| loan made by me- in common with many other un-
wise people, to the State OF Pennsylvania for
that petition have been abused III the grosSesl
manner by many of the American papers Aiter
some weeks reflection, see no reason 10 aieL my
opinions, or to retract my expressions What
then said was not wild defamation, but measured
truth Irepeat again, that no conduct was ever more
proflgate than that of the State OF pennsylvania
History cannot pattern 1t; and let no deuded pc
ing imagine that they will ever repay single tar
thing --their people have tasted OF the dangerous
luxury of dishonesty, and they Will never be Drought
back to the homey rule OF right; Inc money 'rahs
actions of the Americans are become py-woru
among the nations of Europe, In every gJammaI
school of the whole world ad GrGcas Cd1endds Is
translated---the American DIVIDENDS. Ii.
| am no enemy TO America. loVeq anu aulhii :
ed honest America when she respected the laws OF
pounds. shillings and pence and thought the
United States the most magnificent picture vi nu-
man happiness NEEDLE now IN these matleis DE
cause ! hate fraud---because pity the misery II mas
Observation-Disclosures | mourn over the haieu ~
has excited against free institutions NJ.
Among the discussions to which the moral luDri-
cities of this nsolvent people have gwen orth, hey
have arrogated 10 themselves the flgh Oh sil.s ~
Judgment upon the property OF their credltors-oi
deciding who among them Is rlch, ana VINO poor,
and who are proper objects OF compassionate pay,
ment; but in the name of Mercury, the great goa
of thieves, did any man ever hear OF debtors al
cging the wealth of the lender as reason &c, tor
eluding the payment of the loan' Is the Stock Ex-
change place for the tables OF the money lenders;
or is il a school of lists, who may amerce the
RICH eXalt the poor and correct the inequalities OF
fortune! Is Bldde an instrument IN the hand OF
Providence TO exalt the humble, and send the nch
empty away1 Does American Providence work
with such instruments as Bddle!
But the only good part OF this bad morality Is not
acted upon. The rich are robbed, but the poor are
not paid; they grow against the DIVIDENDS OF DIVES,
and don't lick the OF Lazarus. Ihey seize,
with loud acclamations, on the money bags OF Jones
Lloyd, Roth schd and Barring, but they, DO not
give back the pitance of the widow, and the bread
of the child Those knaves of the setting sun may
call me rich, for have twentieth part OF the IN
come of the Archbishop of Canterbury; but the
curate of the next parish is wretched soul bruised
by adversity and the three hundred pounds LOT MS
children, which it has taken his lite to save, IS
eaten and drunken by the mean men OF fennsyl-
vania--by men who are always talking OF the
virtue and honor of the United States-by men
who soar above others in what they say, and SINK
below all nations in what they do-who, after float
ing on the heaven of defamation, tall down ofeed
on the oial and garbage OF the earth =.
Persons who are not in the secret are inclined 10
consider the abomnable conduct of the repudiatlng
states to proceed from exhaustlon-"lhey dont
pay because they cannot pay, whereas, from estl-
mates which have Just now reached this country,
this is the picture of the finances OF the nsolvent
states Their debts may be about 2oo millions OF
dollars at an interest OF SIX per cent his makes an
annual charge of twelve millions OF dollars, which
is little more than per cent OF their income IN
1910, and may be presumed to be less than one per
cent of their present income; but II they We're all
TO provide funds for the punctua payment OF IN
terest, the debt could readily be converted into a
four or five per cent stock, and the excess, con-
vered into sinking fund, would discharge the
debt in less than thirty years. The debt CT Penn
syvania estimated at forty millions OF dollars pears
at five per cent an annual interest OF two millions
The income of this state was, IN io4o, lol Ilnons
OF dollars, and is probably at this time not less than
100 millions nett revenue OF only IL per cen.
| would produce the two millions required. SO that
the price of national character IN Pennsyivanla Is
l-2 per cent the nett income; ana II ms mar
ket price of morals were established mere, gente11
man of a thousand a year would deliberately and
publicly submit to infamy for El5 per annum; and
a poor man. who by aborlous industry had saved
one hundred IA year, would incur general disgrace
and opprobrium for thirty shilllngs by the year
There really should be unatlc asyluns for NATIONS
well as for individuals
But they begin to feel all this their tone is
changed they talk with baed breath and whls-
pering apology, and allay with some cold drops Oh
modesty their stripping spirit. They strutted into
this miserable history, and begin to THINK OF sneak
ing out $500.
And then the subdolus press of America contends
that the English under similar circumstances would
act with their own debt in the same manner; but
there are many English constituencies where are
thousands not worth shilling, and no suc idea has
been preached among them, nor has any petition
TO such effect been presented to the Legislature
But what If they did act IN such manner, would IL
be a conduct less wicked than that OF the Ameil-
cans! Is there not one lmmutable law OF justice
not written IN the DOCK! DOes IL lot pcdt III
the hearl are the great guide-marks OF lie to be
concealed by such nonsense as thlst deny the
fact on which the reasoning Is founded, and II the
facts were true, the reasoning would be false. :
| never meet Pennsylvania at a London am
ner without feeling disposition to seize and d.
vide him; to alot his beaver to one sufferer and his
coat to another-to appropriate his pocket handker-
chief to the orphan, and to comfort the WIDOW
with his silver watch, Broadway rings, and the
London Guide, which he always, carres In his poe
kets. How such man can set himself down at an
English table without feeling that he owes two or
three pounds to every man IN company am az a
loss to conceive /; he has no more right to eat with
honest men than leper has TO eat with clean
men. If he has particle of honour in his compo-
sitlon, he should shut himself up, and say, Il can
not mingle with you, belong to degraded people
Il must hide myself---I am punderer from Penn
sylvania." I-r
Figure to yourself Pennsylvania receiving TO.
regners in his own country, walking over inc pup
lie works with them, and showing them Larcen,
Gus Lake Swndling Swamp, Crafty Canal, and
Rogues Railway, and other dishonest works.
This swamp we gained (says the patriotic borrow
err by the repudiated loan Of 1923 Our canal rob-
berry was in 1880 we pocketed your gooo people
| money for the railroad only last year" All this
| NAV seem very smart TO the Americans; but 1t |
| had the misfortune to be born among such peo-
pie, the land of my fathers should not retain me
! single moment after me act OF repudria ,ha I
would fly to Newgate for greaterpurlty OF thought,
and seek in the prisons Of England for better rules
OF life.
This new and vain people can never forgive us
for having preceded them 800 years in civilization.
They are prepared to enter into the most bloody
wars with England, not on account OF Oregon, or
boundaries, or right OF search, but because our
clothes and carriages are better made, and because
Bond street beats Broadway. Wise Webster does
all he can to convince his people that these are not
lawful causes of but wars, and long wars, they
will one day another produce and this, perhaps
is the only advantage of reputation. The Ameri-
cans cannot crafty their avarlce and ambition at
once they cannot cheat and conquer at the same
time The warlke power OF every country de-
reappear upon EARTH Wettenhall's List would De
more important than his Commentaries; Rothsehlld
would open and shut the Temple OF Janus mo no
the Tenth Legion, and the soldiers would march to
battle with loud cries Of Scrip and Omnium Re
duced Consols, and Caesar! Now, the Amencans