anon

“ The right of self-preservation, I imagined, had been unalienable in every individual, much more in every community, because it can never be supposed, that all the members of a community can give their consent to their own destruction: and if those, who are entrusted with the government of the state, should of themselves venture on so desperate a step, and be guilty of this worst kind of parricide, the people, I am satisfied, might, with great justice, make them the first victims of their temerity, and sacrifice them to the manes of their murdered country. ”

“ In as little stead, Sir, will it serve you to alledge, that it is absolutely impossible, with such a plan of œconomy, to maintain, in a due degree, the dignity of government. For, if the dignity of government consist, as it most certainly does, in the spirit, the integrity, and capacity of the governors, and in the happiness, the prosperity, and liberty of the governed, the dignity of government may be much better maintained with this plan of œconomy than without it. ”

“ The truth is, the national debt is a very ‘convenient engine for extracting the bread out of the mouths of the industrious poor to feed the dogs and horses of our great men. In sober sadness, Sir, we have too many great men; and some of these great men are by far too great. I am, I assure you, no leveller: I know there must be different ranks and orders in society for the preservation of peace and good government ”

“ For money, as you very justly observe, and as Montesquieu, Hume, and many other political writers, have observed before you, is merely a commodity, the value of which decreases in proportion to the increase of its quantity; so that the greater or less quantity of it in a kingdom is of no consequence, taking a state within itself: it only affects foreign commerce, and it has this peculiar property annexed to it, that the greater quantity of it a kingdom possesses, the greater risk does that kingdom run of losing its foreign commerce ”

“ It is only its sudden increase or sudden decrease that has any influence upon the internal state of a kingdom: the former, by raising the price of commodities, before the price of labour can be raised, naturally tends to quicken the industry of the people, and to make them active, alert, and vigorous; the latter, by lowering the price of commodities, before the price of labour can be lowered, as naturally tends to slacken their industry, and to make them lazy, indolent, and slothful. ”

“ Besides, Sir, you have of late, and with great propriety, abolished the vails of your servants: let them not have it to say, that you set them a bad example; and that while you take away their vails, you still keep your own; and your own too, they may add, which you squeeze out of their pockets; for, whatever ridiculous notions of independance your pride may suggest to you, the very shoe-black, that wipes your shoes, contributes to the payment of your salary and your perquisites. ”

“ Perhaps too it may be allowed, that our real wealth or specie has increased, in a degree beyond what ever happened in any former period of the same extent, by the rich captures made at sea, and by the treasures found at the Havannah and other places; but whatever wealth we gained by these means, has, it is to be presumed, long circulated through the state: and it is well known, that when any additional sum of money is once thoroughly digested and concocted through the whole mass of the people, it can have no influence in raising the price of Provisions so as to distress them. ”

“ That the quantity of money in the world is daily increasing, and of consequence its value decreasing, is a fact that will admit of no doubt, because there are fresh supplies daily coming from the mines, which are converted either into plate or specie. You cannot, however, possibly mean, that the sudden increase of our riches is owing to this general and slowly-operating cause, whose effects, tho' certain, are always insensible in heightening the price of Provisions. ”

“ Perhaps, too, you will say, Sir, that there never was any nation, possessed of such extensive dominions, whose government sat lighter upon the people; but this, I am afraid, is an assertion, which you will find it very difficult to prove, at least in every particular. Our army in Britain is maintained at as great expence as a French army three times as numerous; and the English fleet, during the late war, required more money to support it than all the Roman legions, which kept the whole world in subjection, during the time of the emperors. ”

“ And pray, Sir, where is the difference between the supposed case of your servant, and that of a minister or place-man extracting perquisites from the money of the public? The public are your masters, and it is with your master’s money that you thus make free ”

“ So that the sudden increase of money is advantageous, and its sudden decrease disadvantageous to a state, though the first certainly raises, and the last as certainly lowers the price of Provisions: but matters are best suffered to proceed in their natural course; for every thing violent is dangerous, as well to the political as to the animal body. ”

“ Nor let it be objected, (as I have sometimes heard objected) that, if the places under the government are rendered so little lucrative, no man of abilities will condescend to accept of them. Avarice is not the only passion that actuates the human breast: pride, vanity, ambition, (not to mention patriotism) have an equal share; and there will always be found men of distinguished parts and probity, who will be willing to engage in the service of the public, if not to increase, at least to preserve, their fortunes ”

“ Not to mention, that, with regard to government-contracts, the distinction beween a minister and a merchant is often a mere fallacy, as it is well known, that, in matters of this kind, many of our ministers have acted as merchants and contractors ”

“ Every thing in the hands of a courtier becomes a matter of party. S——me J——ns, Esq; is a lord of Tr——e and Pl——ns, and may be in danger of losing his place upon a change of ministry: Hinc illæ lacrymæ. I tell you, says he, the present ministry are doing every thing in their power to relieve your distresses; and if you will still complain, you are either a hungry retainer of the opposition, or, what is yet worse, an enemy of all government and subordination. ”

“ And this effect, most surely, it will ever produce, when we are sensible, that our disease is owing, not to our own folly or negligence, nor to the necessary course of human affairs, but to the ignorance, stupidity, or tr——y of those who are intrusted with our safety. ”