The Freeman's Journal, Or, New Hampshire Gazette

TO THE PRINTER.

GREAT disputes have arisen of late between the town and country, relating to the prices of articles each has to dispose of; the blame is laid by each party on each other—disputes of this nature may perhaps be attended with very disagreeable consequences, if they are suffered long to remain.—We should endeavour to search the original cause of this uneasiness. and candidly examine without prejudice. or self-interest—the merchant is condemned for his extravagant profits, and great advance of his articles of trade, this charge is become very popular, owing to a contractedness of mind : and those the most ignorant are the most violent accusers.—I will be bold to assert, that the mercantile part of the community, considered collectively, have not been any way benefitted by the trade carried on for this two years past, but have sunk in a great measure their former stock—examine the large trading towns, what trifle of business compared with what they formerly had, instead of enriching themselves, as many ignorantly imagine, out of twenty merchants, who formerly lived in affluence, fifteen are now living upon the small remains of their shattered fortune—Our navigation suffers from every quarter; out of twenty vessels sailing not a quarter returns, and considering the high insurance. sailors wages, and the great rise of every kind of stores, the merchant does not in the course of twelve months, make such large profits as he formerly did—nothing can be more disingenuous than the many reflections on our mercantile brethren ; when it cannot but be acknowledged by every candid person, that to them is owing the credit of our currency, for by their thus hazarding their interest to foreign ports, the returns have kept our money from totally depreciating—we can now turn our paper into the most valuable commodities, and instead of our money laying useless in our chests, we can lay it out to advantage by purchasing staple articles of merchandize—if these articles of Commerce were not among us, of what real use would our money be ? if nothing was to be purchased, to what end is money ?—we should be like men cast on a desolate island, a pocket full of money, but alas, they must perish unless they can feed on their riches—and we all know our paper, without something more staple, would be but poor nourishment.

I will venture to affirm, that it is greatly owing to the mercantile part of the community,that our army subsists, that our money remains a currency, and that we are not a conquered people ; for these foreign imports. gives our money a real value; but stop them, our money would in a little while be depreciated almost to cyphers, having no staple articles, to support the value, of consequence our army disbanded, and we a conquered people.

But the great charge is yet unanswered, " the prices are too high. and the merchant is undervaluing the currency by his extravagant demands."we judge of this extravagance by comparing them with what they were formerly, when every article was sold at the most trifling profit, the quantity alone enabled the merchant to maintain his credit—large sales & small profits was then the maxim—from thus judging by what things were formerly sold, leads us into our error of extravagant profits—many articles have been sold for even less than they cost. but now they are considerably raised, all are alarmed, and think the merchants are making their fortunes in the lump: but let any of these violent accusers fit out a few vessels under all the inconveniencys and expence attending them : let them stand the hazard of Enemies &c. &c. let them carry on this trade for twelve months, and they will find their imports, tho sold at these high prices, will not more than maintain their family, pay their taxes, and make good all their losses—

can we be so lost to all reason as to suppose that in our present situation, we can have these foreign necessaries at near the low prices we formerly had ; are not our demands double what they were ? our maintaining such large armies,and the long contest we are engaged in, besides the great hazard, and expence of importing every article, these things considered, can we any longer wonder at their enhanced prices?—I am certain, it is for want of consideration, that we hear of so many complaints of the merchants—for if we examine the case as it really stands, we cannot but acknowledge, that they dispose of their articles at as low advance as the hazardous state of trade will allow—and that their neat profits at the year's end are no way so great as they formerly were, when prices were not half so high.

I will now take the liberty to make a few remarks on the prices of our country produce—I do not mean to offer any thing to offend, but as the country fall so unmercifully on the merchants. a few hints by way of retaliation, will not. I hope, be amiss—The extravagant rise of every article which is bro't to the market, is a matter of great complaint; every necessary is raised a third, some double Our market is become a seat of oppression and extortion—but every countryman thinks he has a full answer to satisfy every one, viz. " Your merchants have got their articles to such high prices, and we are determined to raise ours as high"—This answer is thought fully justifiable for any demands—but how ungenerous & inconsiderate ! can any man, who is endowed with reason, seriously say, that the cases are any way parallel ? I am convinced there is none—In our present state, can the produce of the Farm be any way in proportion so that of our imports ?—Our navigation labours under all the vengeance of Great-Britain ; but wherein does an act of parliament affect our Farms ? The produce is the same this year as the last,and will remain so, unless blasted by the Hand of the ALMIGHTY.—

Since the commencement of this war,the Farms and our commerce have been upon a quite different footing ; the first has received all benefits, while the latter has been severely hackled- The country interest has been promoted, while that of the sea-ports has been decaying— Free from danger, the husbandman can behold his land flourishing with a valuable produce ; can hoard it in his barns with safety, can deal it out with security ; and the present great demand of the country gives him a speedy and certain sale—It must be acknowledged, that great part of the profits of the Army are divided among the country—Every Farmer knows, that since the war, his farm produce is much more profitable than ever, and tho' he gives something higher for what few things he may purchase, yet at the year's end he has more money than he had when goods were much cheaper—which shows the advance of goods is not so great as the benefit he receives from the war— but how different is each of these circumstances from the merchants ? in every particular the reverse—From these considerations, the complaints of the sea-ports are much more reasonable than those of the country, as it has been proved, we do not get such profits as they imagine, though our goods are much higher than formerly : ---- but the charge cannot be got over so clearly on their side.- It must therefore be very ungenerous for to exact such high prices for their produce, when we can prove to demonstration, that we are not taking any undue advantage of them— We generously lay the state of our affairs before them, we ask no further indulgence, than that they would candidly examine our reasons,and give them that weight our unhappy situation requires—Let us not be looked on by our country brethren as men raising our interest on their ruin, neither give us occasion to have the same severe sentiments respecting them.

CANDIDUS.