The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

From the Pennsylvania Journal, of June 28, 1764.

"Industry doth exalteth a nation: and the hand of the diligent maketh rich."

At a time when our mother country is loading us with taxes and reducing our commerce within narrow limits, it becomes the duty of every lover of his country, to consider how, and by what means we may be able to support ourselves: For as our paper money, the medium by which we carry on trade, will be totally sunk and destroyed in a few years, and the late act of parliament absolutely prohibits us from making any more, there will be a real necessity to have recourse to domestic oeconomy, as the only means of discharging the debts we have already contracted; and as this will likewise prevent us from making more debts, so it will also save us from the necessity of parting with our bullion in the destructive way we have done for some time past.* Nor can an internal police, replete with so many obvious advantages, as that of striving to live within ourselves, fail of being encouraged by the patriot spirits of Pennsylvania; particularly when we are told that the people of a neighbouring government are setting us the example, having in bodies declared against wearing or consuming any thing but what is manufactured in America. And indeed when we consider how we are circumstanced, in respect to all the necessaries of life, and that the produce and manufactories of our own country when properly encouraged and promoted, are sufficient of themselves to support us, even in elegance and luxury, we shall have little reason to continue any trade that has hitherto brought poverty and a scourge upon us. The trade we carry on with the West-India planters may be instanced as one that is clearly against us. And yet it is to those very men, and their interest, that we owe the many oppressive calamities we now feel; for by the steps they have taken, not only the profits of our industry are subjected to their arbitrary will and pleasure, but in fact they have brought us into a state of vassalage. And while our states, our constitutions and our morals are debauched by their unwholesome, pernicious, and inflaming spirits, the salutary manufactures of our own country, such as beer, spirits of properly fermented honey and Indian corn, a liquor distilled from rye, peaches &c. together with many valuable wines, which our industry and genius might lead us to make at a small expence, are most lamentably neglected. Our Pennsylvania beer however, as it begins to vie with the English, is in a way of being more generally encouraged; and as it is a liquor perfectly agreeable to an American climate and constitution, while the times are such that private oeconomy is necessary it cannot be doubted, that the lovers of America will give it the preference: from whence we may find the happy effects of a spirit of emulation generously taking place amongst the brewers.--We need not say that the cheapness of beer, well manufactured among ourselves, compared with that imported from England, ought, as it will be a great saving to us, to be considered as an inducement to prefer it; nor need we advance more arguments to assist the desirable purpose.

* We have been credibly informed by some who have kept an exact account, That not less than 1,800,000 dollars have been exported from this single province, in these two years, which may account for the present scarcity of money among us.

But if arguments were necessary, we might produce a very substantial one, to which every lover of his country will attend: It appears that the quantity of English beer and cyder, for some time imported into this province, has yearly amounted to about ten thousand pounds: A large sum, whether we consider it as so much saved, or so much sent out of the province. The English proverb says, "A penny saved is a penny got". Let us then consider the matter in this light, and try to gain wisdom from our Mother Country, for, says she, "A penny worth of mother wit is worth a pound of clergy"; and whatever we save, in the difference of price between the things manufactured in this country and those of England, will be so much to be added to the credit of our industry; for oeconomy, in this instance, may be properly class'd under this appellation. Nor is it the difference of price alone, between these two articles, that we are to consider in our saving scheme, but in fact it is the whole sum of ten thousand pounds per annum, which we shall save for .and preserve among the good people of this province, by laying it out amongst ourselves; and as we learn that Virginia alone remits to England not less than fifteen thousand pounds per an. for beer, would it not be truly worth our ambition, to divert the current of such a sum to this province, securing their custom by the price and quality of our beer. It is a maxim well known, that all states and empires have been raised and have flourished by their oeconomy and industry: but have declined and sunk into poverty and contempt by indolence and luxury. May it then be the business of America, to raise herself to opulence and wealth by the internal power she has of doing it. As one step towards bringing about this valuable end, it may be justly hoped that every lover of his country will aim at inculcating the principles of oeconomy and industry; while he will endeavour to discourage every thing that may tend to impair our health, debauch our morals, or reduce us to a state of poverty; in particular, that he will by every means discourage the use of a spirit, that costs us so many thousands per annum, and is at the same time so noxious and baneful as RUM; by substituting in its place the salutary liquors of our own country: amongst those we cannot help recommending Humphry Robinson and company's bottled beer, as much superior in wholesomeness to our punch or the fashionable toddy, and nearly equal in goodness and flavour to that imported from England. Or if beer does not suit the taste of some, what luxury can exceed the cyder made in the county of Berks, or that of Hughes's Virginia crab apple? Both of which are equal in goodness to the best Herefordshire that can be imported. I cannot conclude without mentioning some other manufactures, which in their kind equal those of our mother-country; as the snuff made by Gilpin and Fisher; when kept some time, is equal to that of Weston: While William Richards's tobacco equals any importation. Were it not for tiring the reader I should mention fifty other articles in which we either do at present, or soon may equal what we import from England, to the discouragement of industry and beggaring of our province. But I shall just observe upon the whole, that America, tho' burdened with duties and embarrassed in her trade, yet has reason to rejoice that the tribulation rod cannot affect her; for being possessed in herself of all the elegances and comforts of life, she has it in her power to educate her sons in the habits of Industry, oeconomy and temperance, the sure presages of all that is great, virtuous and happy.

THE above piece, though calculated for the meridian of Philadelphia, may, without insensible error, be applied to other Governments, and may induce some able pen to recommend the introduction of the woolen and linen manufactures, as it is high time for us to retrench all superfluous expences, and promote industry, since the heavy duties laid upon all commodities brought into this country are nearly equal to a Prohibition of our importing British manufactures, as the source of our making remittance to Britain are almost entirely cut off.