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Letter to Editor
October 27, 1769
The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle
Portsmouth, Greenland, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
What is this article about?
Extract of a letter from Scotland on American affairs, advising colonists to remain steadfast in economic self-sufficiency and non-importation of British goods to achieve their goals, while criticizing British duties and military presence as ineffective and infatuated measures that benefit America.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Extract of a Letter from Scotland, by the last Vessel.
You desire to have my Thoughts on American Affairs. It seems to me you have only to be quiet and steady, and if your public Virtue is staunch enough to keep you in your Scheme of Oeconomy, and the Prosecution of Manufactures among yourselves you must certainly gain your Point, yea I imagine you will in a great Degree draw off the Labourers and Artificers from hence, the most useful Members of the Community. Duties were imposed to be paid in America upon certain British Manufactures, Consequences prove this to have been an ill-judged Measure.; and the Colonies have greatly defeated it by their Combination not to import these Manufactures. Your Commissioners complained they were not in Safety to levy these Duties, without being supported by a military Force : Troops are sent, but they serve only to circulate Money in Boston, and by their Desertion to people your Country : There seems Infatuation, rather than Judgment in these Measures: You say your Friends in England increase : No Wonder, there seems nothing wanting but more Knowledge of the Matter, to make every Man a Friend to America, or more properly speaking, to the common Interest of the Mother Country and her Colonies:
You desire to have my Thoughts on American Affairs. It seems to me you have only to be quiet and steady, and if your public Virtue is staunch enough to keep you in your Scheme of Oeconomy, and the Prosecution of Manufactures among yourselves you must certainly gain your Point, yea I imagine you will in a great Degree draw off the Labourers and Artificers from hence, the most useful Members of the Community. Duties were imposed to be paid in America upon certain British Manufactures, Consequences prove this to have been an ill-judged Measure.; and the Colonies have greatly defeated it by their Combination not to import these Manufactures. Your Commissioners complained they were not in Safety to levy these Duties, without being supported by a military Force : Troops are sent, but they serve only to circulate Money in Boston, and by their Desertion to people your Country : There seems Infatuation, rather than Judgment in these Measures: You say your Friends in England increase : No Wonder, there seems nothing wanting but more Knowledge of the Matter, to make every Man a Friend to America, or more properly speaking, to the common Interest of the Mother Country and her Colonies:
What sub-type of article is it?
Persuasive
Political
Informative
What themes does it cover?
Economic Policy
Politics
What keywords are associated?
American Affairs
British Manufactures
Non Importation
Colonial Economy
Troops Boston
Economic Self Sufficiency
Letter to Editor Details
Main Argument
americans should remain quiet and steady, maintaining economic schemes and domestic manufactures to succeed and draw british laborers; british impositions of duties and troops are ill-judged and counterproductive, fostering more support for the colonies' common interest with the mother country.
Notable Details
Duties On British Manufactures Defeated By Colonial Non Importation
Commissioners Unsafe Without Military Support
Troops In Boston Circulate Money And Desert To Colonies
Infatuation In British Measures
Increasing Friends In England Due To Lack Of Knowledge