The Royal Georgia gazette. (Savannah, Ga.) 1779-1782, December 16, 1779, Image 1

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The Royal Georgia gazette., December 16, 1779, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextT H E * V (j@orgia MR. PRINTER, . , I’N the State Gazette of Soutb-Carolina of OAo ber xoth there it a large circular letter from £ the Pitfident of the Congref* to their confti tuentr, which, ay tfee State Printer observes, > fi is “well •worth their attention .*’ Till yeu may be at leisure to. give this truly original piece at length I mu ft bespeak room in your paper for a few detached obfervatious on fome remarkable pnfiages which it coatains. It aflerts t * The independence of America it now as fixed-as .* fate, and the petulant efforts of Britain to break f* it down are as vain and fruitlefs as the raging of *c the waves which beat against her clifts. v * This it high language indeed I Is not this the great Babylon Which I have built ? That the raging waves have pre- ailed nothing against the -clifts of Great-Britain ages have proved, and is as certain as the connexion in which it it alerted is impertinent; her recks ftaad at firm ea they did at their fi ft creation. We know who fixed them, aad we know who have fixed Ame rican independence and alfcrt it immoveable. In the manner they express it God had no band in it, and even fate has not fixed it, if, it is as fixed as fate; fate and independence roust be coeval, aad the per* manency of ihe one and the other rest upon the fame befit. The truth ie, the American Congrcfa de clared and fixed it; perhaps they meant to make it at wife, unalterable, and lading, at fate itfelf, but time only can (hew whether they will succeed in what “tin mortals before ever attempted, to be fixed like fate. Moft probably this will be fatal, if by fate Something it meant diftinA from the providence of God which ruleth over all, it ii worse than an un meaning word. Fate bat no connexion with pm dence or jufticc; to be irrevocable, unavoidable, and unalterable, are its only attributes; but to ftv that any thing Human is immoveably fixed is speaking a* gainfl the very nature of things, and a daring insult to him who changeth timet and feafor.S, who putteth down and fettetb up, whefit power none can re sass, and in whose presence ths proudest of the earth arc no more than the fmal! dull of the balance. Here is the word of all the Representatives of America f->r it that their ftafes are fixed, and fixed as fate. I be lieve the Congress are the only set of men under the Cbriftian name who, in a f lemn publick aA, bave authentically claimed an. equality with fate, and aa exemption from the casualties es n-.tu’e. Ni wonder they think themfclve* 1 above EngUnJ who afort claims superior te every nation, a- i plnoe tiiemfelvet above nature itfelf. By this very cx/reffien thry re nounce all dependence upon G and, sll reed of his prettAion or trust in his provide* ce. What need they fear, or what can they hope from a wife and righteous P.ovidence, who are as fixed as fate? They may set nature at defiance, and, if an unalter able fateexifts, laugh at the and ead of changes;’ they may he equally indifferent to trust orduty, for what can Providence do f-r or agairft. tbofe who are fix-d as fate ? They expeA no doubt that what they so au thoritatively affirm all America is iiftpliciily to be lieve; but tbe more univerfidly fuck language is be lieved the mere uaiverfally the feotiment becemes ex preffiveof the national charaAer; and the more Uni. yrerfally a reliance ppon fate, and being fixed •< fate, becomes prevalent, the greater the irfult to him whom fate denies or fete aside. I repeat it, whenever fupe riort formally aflTot, and inferiors.blindly believe,* that their condition is unalterably fixed, and cannot be aflfe&ed by the common accidents of life, or cafu . allies es nature, the juflice and honour cf the Su preme Ruler is. thereby provoked and interested to make them feel tbe greatnds of their miftike, the’ clergy and laity onanimnufly concur to avow it. ’ A more powerful state than America once made use of language somewhat liunlar. yet ft mewhat mere ynodeft: “ I shall he a lady forever, I (hall not know the loft cf children but he that is higher fhan fate told her : * These two thing* (hall come upon thee at eece, in one day they (hall come upon thee in their perjA A'on and all the earth is witness that Babylon is fallen, is fallen, to one hear (he was made desolate; remarkable it the reason ed as the immediate cnife of her fall, “ because (he laid in her heart, I am a queen, and (hall not fee sorrow, therefore (hall her plagues came in one day.'* Even Babylon and her monarch did not boast: lam fixed-at fate. Surely recent events in bnth ex ■tremities of North-America might teach Americara that whatever may befall other! may alfe befall them • (elves. Some bate been hea.d to fry in a late ex • peditios, “ they had men enough, aad had nothing to do with Oed Almightr,” and yet the event has proved very contrary to their boatts and expeAati one. Lift not up tour horne on high, fpcak not >vttk n tiff neck, talk not To exceeding proudly, let net nvrognncy come out of your mouth, for the Lord ft a Gad of knowledge, and by him aAioas arc SAVANNAH: THURSDAY, DECEMBER (6, 1779. weighed. Ido not know when dr where the authors of Htis affection have read the Book es Decrees, nor indued whether they have part of it at ail j but if they mean to ground their assertions upou the progress of their arms, iCcreafc of their trade and tithes, the growing opulence of their -inhabitants, the benefits received’ from their connexions, the fplendotsr of their rife, “ which naked then aimed adored by all the nations of !the earth,” they might however remember it is a truth aa fixed as fate, and verified by inftancee es every age, telluntur in alfum ut lapfu graviore ruant. ‘ If American independency however ia as fixed at fate,, it appears from their own account that fide baa not fettled it without a cenfiderable incurubnMee, nd thus the grant appears like the donation fome P*pes made of certain kiagdem-, who gave these to fume Princes cf their dependence upon condition they ftiould go and conquer them 5 for, inviolably as the rftablifhment is (aid to be fixed, it appears nevertheless that the ate to bave the fame trouble audcxpencecf fightirgforit es tho’thetmt •ter bad never been fettled. No f.uall difficulties ere pointed out in this very letter* and which might in duce a man far from being timorcus to admit fome doubt whether the Americana are the only people not liable to raifearriage, or who are eftabliflted beyond the reach of disappointments. Hear tbeotfelves : “ A national debt was unavoidably created, and tbe amonnl of it is as follows: “ Bills emitted and in circulation, Ic, 94.8.880 “ Monies borrowed before the firft ■ March, 1778, the inter est of which is payable in France, 7,see, 106 * Monies borrowed ftnee the firft , *f March, 1778, the inter est of which is payable here, 26,188,000 ‘* Money, due abroad not exaftly known, tbe balances not having been tranfnitud, fuppofedto bo a bout 4,000,000 From this account, at fated by Cong.efa them ****** the hand of ll eir P.efideisn and pub lifhpd by |heir unanimous order, many important conclusions naturally refult,* few of which I wtuld lay bas .re my reads. 1, and wi h a wife that those whom they chiefly concern might give them a fair heating and feiious corfiieration. The different articles in this account are not summed up, but amount Which being reduced to Sterling, and a Spa. .d-.llar rated at 51. the American national debt tn September loft >vas, 49,918,*7i> Now it 11 to be cbferved that all this ie only national or continental debt, in which the money emitted or borrowed by tbe thirteen re- fta es individually is not included, and it will be found a very moderate calculation if all tbefe emilfiona and J oans are rated at an ‘dual Ami, viz. This will make the Aims total.of the debt due by the Bates jointly , ar.d severally to ameunt to £. 99,836,54s This ie a round sum, about two thirds of the na tioral debt of Great-Britain, ell contraAed in the (hort space of four years; while the debt of Oreat Brfc tain did not advance to its present I,eighth in much I it than a centuiy, tbe jntereft of tbe American debt, at 5 per cent, only, ([thcugkfix and seven are paid and mote) detrunds -n annual sum of about twenty million*, a turn greater thao Great-Britain, or probably any nation, expended in any one year in all the difburf mentt of war and governmest. It will poffibty be urged, that, for the far greater part pf thp bills ia circulation, there ie no interest at al| paid ; but this will only prove that continental bills, not exchangeable for gold and fitver on demand, are left valuable than common promifTary notes, and that the credit andcapi(al cf fee States is upheld and supported at the expence of every individual. Large as this debt may Teem to those who think of a day cf payment, it probably (liH falls fcoyt of tbe sum total; let tbe following fatlt be considered in fuppert of this corjrAure. It contains ho account at all of two emiffiona es *7.77 •"! V77* which before September iaft were uken out of circulation, -and ordered to be brought into the Tieafury to be tX:hanged for other billa or Loan Office certificates, and these could pot be-left tfaaj 25,000,000; neither docs does any charge of ia tereft appear oa the 33 millions (kid to be borrowed . npem interest, partly payable ia France and partly ia Philadelphia, though tbe interest from, before, acd-fir.ee March.l, 177*, “till September 1779, can not be a trifiling matter. V -^-~v ■, ... ‘ ft O V A fc Gazettfe la this account alio no notice ie taken of the cm** jent and the debt* daily incurred by army, navy'Contingencies, Sec. When itisconfilered that Congress has iaade a reqnifition of 60 million! off dollare, to be paid within the year for that purpofip the current expence te thinking men mall bave • very terrifying afpefl j far that any money was provided beforehand for the feryice will net be pretended. . In the American debt mull alfe bo Included all counterfeits, prqjwbly to no fmail amount; for, al though the praAtce be detestable, yet when once hath’ taken place, and numbers . cannot diftinguifit between tha; and the genuine, it mull materially af>, fees the original, bring on heavy loflea on individuals and help to fink the Credit of the whole. V: There may be many items, bat these are obviouft omifiions, and mull convince every man tfayt 10,000,000 fiprling cannot be betrly the sum total of what is now due from the continent, and eadi refpef tiye date of America j one particular mere mull not be.omitted. * In the general account the debt due abroad {• supposed so be about 4,000,000. I fhoold have beets left furpiited if it bad been dated at forty. It will be idmittcd, I suppose, that contiafntal bills do nut pars for money in Europe, and that temitttncei can not be made in produce, or produce turned into case, Now, let the expencet of embassies and -mbafiadart, ageots, fa&ors, of all contraAa and purebafes made/ and of all insurances upon cargoes, be considered; let it also be considered that, if the interest of 7,545,196- is te be paid in France, tha money, or what wifi fetch money, must be sent there for that purpose, and that the annual amount only of tbit interest la not Iris than 375,000 dollars, to which the expenco of remitting, iufurnnee, and loss upon remittance*, must be adoed, and the credit and purchase of Ame rica must either bave been very (hort, or the bnlanco upon exports and return! exceedingly In her favour, (for almaft every thing file had from abroad) if, whib Am cotmaAed a debt of j j millions in Amc tmn, over and above the monies emitted, only 4,000,000 are due from her abroad. Whether these ♦,oo,•<?© duw jntereft or not dees not appear, buts will NMK* to prediA, whenever this.article come* to be ** uoQlj known,” it mull prove amazingly larger. x T ’ ; In accounts in which it ia toieant-te given trueaa£ exaA date of receipt* and disbursements, what fume have been received, and hew and for what purport expended, with a cleat balance of debit, credit, or cash in band, ia always given. In the account given by Congress this usual method of prpeifien ip in nine lacked for. To give an account of the national debt feeths ail thry aim this (with What ex aAneft let others dete mint)they fix at aboutaoomil lions, for which all tha fubftaace of the continent is pledged in payment. t Thus Hands the debit in the account, let ua now take a view of the credits, end here it must ftrik* every man of thought that, against this immense sum of debit, not a fiegle (hilling appears ia |ha credit on the face of the account.* What would one think of any accounts where a million Iheuld appear to be tbe debt, and the credit fide a mere blank f Read and view the account es dated by the reprefen *%M*es of all America, and you-will fee that under that rubrick not only ail ia bjaok, but that n credit fide is not so much aa opened. Americana! Is this poflible, can it be tree, that no money at all has as yet been paid in part of this imtnenfe debt so quickly centraAed ? Perhaps, for prudential reasons, the Cungreiii might not judge if necelitry to inform Ihe publick of the monies they have received, but they have done it, read, fpeil, and pore over the account, bow much do you think all the payments in four years amounted to t Hear and believe your condiments, and doubt it, if you can believe your eyes. The Congress declares : . ** Tbe taxes bave as yet brought into tie treasury no more than 3,027,960.” Could you have believed thfs had any but your own Reprefentttives told you fe ? And this ia a truth which nothing but dire ne celiity.could pcffibly oblige them, to tell. Has the virtue, the spirit, the patrietifm, the ncceffity aoct exertions of all America, produced no more than 3 millions io four years time ? What must become 06 a people who pay only 3-million* while they run id’ debt two hundred ? How liulo way will this go to wards paying only the interest ? Is it, to be wondered that the Cengrefs-did not bring ibis, paltry sum into the line of credit ? Talk of tbe finances of America, tbe infinite relources of the dates, their amazjng abilities te raise aad fink money, Anile or grin at the man’s ignorance who *■ harbours the least doubt “ whether the natural wealth, value, and refourcei “ of the country, will he equal te the payment of the “ debts ; ” appop>£ and keep days es foiemn thank(gir 4*.]