The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

From the PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE.

Messieurs Hall, and Sellers, (the Printers)

The Impartiality of your Conduct, leaves the Author of the enclosed Paper no Doubt you will immediately insert the same in your useful Paper, which will oblige,

A Number of your Readers.

THE Importers of Dry Goods in this City have, for a considerable Time past, made a voluntary Sacrifice of their Commercial Interest, by suspending their Orders to Great-Britain; in Hopes thereby to obtain a Repeal of an Act of Parliament, considered by Americans not only as unconstitutional in itself, but introductory of further and greater Impositions --- and have had the Satisfaction to find, that their Efforts have not been altogether ineffectual --- an Act of Parliament having passed, repealing the Duties by the former Act imposed, that on Tea excepted. --- If this Commodity be indeed essential to the Well-being of America --- If the Colonies could not do without their Tea --- it might then be acknowledged, that retaining the Duty thereon, was of as evil a Tendency, as if the whole Act remained unrepealed! That this is not the Case, I conceive must be granted, and it will be no great Hardship to do without it. --- If then no Tea is imported, or any Article, paying a Duty for the Purpose of raising a Revenue in America -- I should be glad to be informed, how the Liberties of America can be affected by a partial Importation from Great-Britain. --- If it is found (as it will, if nothing is imported whereon a Duty is laid) that taxing particular Articles operates as a sumptuary Law; we may reasonably hope those Duties would soon be taken off as inexpedient also. -- Why would we make a real Evil of that which, by a prudent & steady Conduct may be turned to the Advantage of the Colonies? It is a strange Way of fighting an Enemy, to fire upon our Friends with relentless Fury! it shews at least Passion has got the better of Reason If it should be cooly asked those Gentlemen, who are most violent for the Continuance of the Non-Importation Scheme, who happen in general to be Men little or not at all interested in the Trade, & who are carrying on other Branches of Commerce, I am sorry to say it, as destructive to the Liberties of America, as the Importation of Tea, would be -- whether the parliamentary Right to tax the Colonies, is not as fully supported by the Duties paid on Wine, Molasses, foreign Sugar, Coffee, &c. as it could be, were the Dry-Goods Importers base enough to import Tea, whil'st it is subject to a Duty? -- And yet those zealous Patriots, where their Interest is not at Stake -- those Duty-article Importers and Dealers, confidently stand forth, and tell the Dry Goods Trader, that if he even imports Articles which pay no Duty, he is an Enemy to his Country! Does not this argue Blindness and Stupidity, or something worse, in those Men, who pretend to be all Eye for the Public Good? Ye, who want to lay Burthens too heavy to be borne! where are the Instances of your Self-denial, equally incumbent on you, but not equally attended to by you, as by your Fellow-Citizens, who deal in Dry Goods? Can you give a satisfactory Answer? If not, and you have remaining Modesty to produce a Blush, no Doubt your Prudence will induce you to hide it from your Friends, whom you have endeavoured to persuade, that you are the only Patriots? the Sons of Liberty! Affect not Surprize! this is no News to you, you have often been told of it, --- but the Love of private Interest has not yet suffered you to give up one commercial Advantage for the Public Good --- tho' you assume towards others a dictatorial Character. -- Are you in earnest to brand the Enemies to American Liberty, and to publish their Names, who have made the largest Strides towards its Destruction? --- Look into your own Waste-Books --- turn to your Ledgers -- and cast up the Amount each of you have paid towards the American Revenue! then, if your usual Effrontery fail not, stand forth, and claim the foremost Rank in the List of Patriots: and evince your Right thereto (by the principal Proofs you have yet exhibited) ungrenuously branding those who have strove hard to serve the Public -- with the odious Name of Enemies to their Country! a Charge as groundless, as it is from you, peculiarly base and ungrateful.

PHILADELPHIA, July 10. PHILO-VERITAS