Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

A comparative view of the debt of Great-Britain, and the United States of America, and of their national justice.

GREAT-BRITAIN owes two hundred and eighty millions of pounds sterling; the United States about nine millions sterling. The subjects of the English crown in Great-Britain, Ireland and other isles, are not quite four times as numerous as the Americans; but for the sake of a round number, we will admit them to be twelve millions, and the latter only three millions: The property of the Americans is undoubtedly equal to one fourth of the property of the aforesaid subjects of the British crown; (for I do not include their slaves of the East Indies, who serve no other end than to enrich the demagogues of the India company) If this be true, then every American is able to pay as large a tax annually as an Englishman. But admit that a citizen of the United States is able to pay only two thirds as much as a Briton--the latter being four to one of the former, America can pay one million pounds with the same ease that Great-Britain can four millions. Upon this proportion America can discharge a debt of 46,000,000 sterling with the same facility, as the crown of England can one of 280,000,000. Suppose then the citizens of these States were just as willing to pay 46,000,000 pounds, as the Britons are 280,000,000 we should manifest the same honesty and justice that they do. But suppose we are willing to pay only 9,000,000 when we owed the above sum of 46,000,000, every Briton would possess as much justice as five Americans, and a little more; for five times 9 is only 45, and to preserve the proportion should be 46. What shall we say then if the Americans be found unwilling to pay the 9,000,000, which they justly owe? It is a notorious truth, that they are not willing to pay more than two millions; and there are too many reasons to believe they would be glad to shuffle off the whole. Admitting we should be found willing to pay two millions (which is probably doing no more justice than we deserve) while Britons are shewing their willingness to discharge a debt of 280,000,000, by punctually paying the interest, it will be found necessary to extract all the honesty and justice out of twenty three Americans, to equal the sum of honesty and justice contained in one Briton. If then the Britons are as bad as the devil, as we have been made to believe they were, the Americans are twenty three times worse than the devil.--There is an old proverb, "Speak the truth and shame the devil," but by speaking the truth now, I shall make the devil proud, and shame the Americans, if they have any senses left.

LOVER OF EQUITY.