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ing in the fame degree the great bleffing of political liberty.

::Some indeed among us are not fo much grieved for the prefent ftate of our affairs, as apprehenfive for the future. The growth of luxury alarms them, and they think we are from that alone in the high road to ruin. They obferve, that no revenue is fufficient without economy, and that the moft plentiful income of a whole people from the natural productions of their country may be diffipated in in vain and needlefs expences, and poverty be introduced in the place of affluence. This may be poffible. It however rarely happens: for there feems to be in every nation a greater proportion of industry and frugality, which tend to enrich, than of idlenefs and prodigality, which occafion poverty; fo that upon the whole there is a continual accumulation, Reflect what Spain, Gaul,, Germany, and Britain were in the time of the Romans, inhabited by people little richer than our avages, and confider the wealth they at prefent poffefs, in numerous well-built cities, improved farms, rich moveables, magazines ftocked with valuable manufactures, to fay nothing of plate, jewels, and coined money; and all this, notwithstanding their bad, wafteful, plundering governments, and their mad deftructive wars; and yet luxury and extravagant living has never fuffered much restraint in thofe countries. Then confider the great proportion of induftrious frugal farmers inhabiting the interior parts of thefe A mercan states, and of whom the body of our nation confifts, and judge whether it is poffible that the luxury of our fea-ports can be fufficient to ruin fuch a country.-If the importation!! of foreign luxuries could ruin a people, we fhould it

probably have been ruined long ago; for the British nation claimed a right, and practifed it, of im porting among us not only the fuperfluities of their own production, but thofe of every nation under heaven; we bought and confumed them, and yet we flourished and grew rich. At prefent our independent governments may do what we could not then do, difcourage by heavy duties, or prevent by heavy probibitions, fuch importations, and thereby grow richer;-If, indeed, which may admit of difpute, the defire of adorning ourfelves with fine cloathes, poffefling fine furniture, with elegant houfes, &c. is not, by ftrongly inciting to labour and industry, the occafion of producing a greater value than is confumed in the gratification of that defire.

The agriculture and fisheries of the United States are the great fources of our increafing wealth. He that puts a feed into the earth is recompenfed, perhaps by receiving forty out of it; and he who draws a fish out of our water, draws up a piece of filver.

Let us (and there is no doubt but we fhall) be attentive to thefe, and then the power of rivals, with all their reftraining and prohibiting acts, cannot much hurt us. We are fons of the earth and feas, and, like Antæus in the fable, if in wrestling with a Hercules we now and then receive a fall, the touch of our parents will communicate to us fresh ftrength and vigour to renew the conteft.

INFORM

INFORMATION TO THOSE WHO WOULD REMOVE TO AMERICA.

ANY perfons in Europe having, directly or

M by letters, expreffed to the writer of this,

who is well acquainted with North America, their defire of transporting and establishing themfelves in that country; but who appear to him to have formed, through ignorance, miftaken ideas and expectations of what is to be obtained there ; he thinks it may be useful, and prevent inconvenient expenfive, and fruitless removals and voyages of improper perfons, if he gives fome clearer and truer notions of that part of the world, than have hitherto prevailed.

He finds it imagined by numbers, that the inhabitants of North America are rich, capable of rewarding, and difpofed to reward, all forts of ingenuity; that they are at the fame time ignorant of all the fciences, and confequently that ftrangers poffeffing talents in the belles-lettres, fine arts, &c. must be highly esteemed, and fo well paid as to become easily rich themfelves; that there are alfo abundance of profitable offices to be difpofed of, which the natives are not qualified to fill; and that having few perfons of family among them, ftrangers of birth must be greatly refpected, and of courfe eafily obtain the best of thofe offices, which will make all their fortunes; that the governments, to encourage emigration from Europe, not only pay the expence of their perfonal tranfportation, but give lands gratis to strangers,

with negroes to work for them, utenfils of hufbandry, and ftocks of cattle. Thefe are all wild imaginations; and thofe who go to America with expectations founded upon them, will furely find themselves disappointed.

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The truth is, that though there are in that coun. try few people fo miferable as the poor of Europe, there are alfo few that in Europe would be called rich it is rather a general happy mediocrity that prevails. There are few great proprietors of the foil, and few tenants; molt people cultivate their own lands, or follow fome hindicraft or merchandife; very few rich enough to live idly upon their rents or incomes, or to pay the high prices given in Europe, for painting, ftatues, architecture and the other works of art that are more curious, than ufeful. Hence the natural geniufes that have ari fen in America, with fuch talents, have uniformly quitted that country for Europe, where they can be more fuitably rewarded. It is true that letters and mathematical knowledge are in efteem there, but they are at the fame time more common than is apprehended; there being already existing nine colleges, or univerfities, viz. four in New-England, and one in each of the provinces of New-York, New-Jerfey, Pennfylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, all furnished with learned profeffors; befides a number of fmaller academies thefe educate many of their youth in the languages, and thofe fciences that qualify men for the profeflions of divinity, law, or phyfic. Strangers indeed are by no means excluded from exercifing thefe profeflions; and the quick increase of inhabitants every where gives them a chance of employ, which they have in common with the natives. Of civil offices, or

employments, there are few; no fuperfluous ones as in Europe; and it is a rule established in fome of the ftates, that no office fhould be fo profitable as to make it defirable. The 36th article of the conftitution of Pennsylvania runs exprefsly in these words: "As every freeman, to preserve his independence, (if he has not a fufficient eftate) ought to have fome profeffion, calling, trade, or farm, whereby he may honeftly fubfift, there can be no neceffity for, nor ufe in, eftablishing offices of profit; the ufual defects of which are dependence and fervility, unbecoming freemen, in the poffeffors and expectants; faction, contention, corruption, and diforder among the people. Wherefore, wherever an office, through increase of fees or otherwife, becomes fo profitable as to occafion many to apply for it, the profits ought to be leffered by the legiflature,"

Thefe ideas prevailing more or lefs in all the United States, it cannot be worth any man's while, who has a means of living at home, to expatriate himself in hopes of obtaining a profitable civil office in America; and as to military offices, they are at an end with the war, the armies being dif banded. Much lefs is it advifeable for a perfon to go thither, who has no other quality to recommend him but his birth. In Europe, it has indeed its value; but it is a commodity that cannot be carried to a worfe market than to that of America, where people do not enquire concerning a strangr, What is bé? but What can be do? If he has any useful art, he is welcome; and if he exercises it, and behaves well, he will be refpected by all that know him; but a mere man of quality, who on that account wants to live upon the public by fome office VOL. II. L

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