wealbk05-第59章

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gold　and　silver　from　the　domestic　transactions　of　the　colonies；

for　the　same　reason　that　it　has　banished　those　metals　from　the

greater　part　of　the　domestic　transactions　in　Scotland；　and　in

both　countries　it　is　not　the　poverty；　but　the　enterprising　and

projecting　spirit　of　the　people；　their　desire　of　employing　all

the　stock　which　they　can　get　as　active　and　productive　stock；

which　has　occasioned　this　redundancy　of　paper…money。　　　In　the

exterior　commerce　which　the　different　colonies　carry　on　with

Great　Britain；　gold　and　silver　are　more　or　less　employed　exactly

in　proportion　as　they　are　more　or　less　necessary。　Where　those

metals　are　not　necessary　they　seldom　appear。　Where　they　are

necessary　they　are　generally　found。

　　　　　In　the　commerce　between　Great　Britain　and　the　tobacco

colonies　the　British　goods　are　generally　advanced　to　the

colonists　at　a　pretty　long　credit；　and　are　afterwards　paid　for　in

tobacco；　rated　at　a　certain　price。　It　is　more　convenient　for　the

colonists　to　pay　in　tobacco　than　in　gold　and　silver。　It　would　be

more　convenient　for　any　merchant　to　pay　for　the　goods　which　his

correspondents　had　sold　to　him　in　some　other　sort　of　goods　which

he　might　happen　to　deal　in　than　in　money。　Such　a　merchant　would

have　no　occasion　to　keep　any　part　of　his　stock　by　him　unemployed；

and　in　ready　money；　for　answering　occasional　demands。　He　could

have；　at　all　times；　a　larger　quantity　of　goods　in　his　shop　or

warehouse；　and　he　could　deal　to　a　greater　extent。　But　it　seldom

happens　to　be　convenient　for　all　the　correspondents　of　a　merchant

to　receive　payment　for　the　goods　which　they　sell　to　him　in　goods

of　some　other　kind　which　he　happens　to　deal　in。　The　British

merchants　who　trade　to　Virginia　and　Maryland　happen　to　be　a

particular　set　of　correspondents；　to　whom　it　is　more　convenient

to　receive　payment　for　the　goods　which　they　sell　to　those

colonies　in　tobacco　than　in　gold　and　silver。　They　expect　to　make

a　profit　by　the　sale　of　the　tobacco。　They　could　make　none　by　that

of　the　gold　and　silver。　Gold　and　silver；　therefore；　very　seldom

appear　in　the　commerce　between　Great　Britain　and　the　tobacco

colonies。　Maryland　and　Virginia　have　as　little　occasion　for　those

metals　in　their　foreign　as　in　their　domestic　commerce。　They　are

said；　accordingly；　to　have　less　gold　and　silver　money　than　any

other　colonies　in　America。　They　are　reckoned；　however；　as

thriving；　and　consequently　as　rich；　as　any　of　their　neighbours。

　　　　　In　the　northern　colonies；　Pennsylvania；　New　York；　New

Jersey；　the　four　governments　of　New　England；　etc。；　the　value　of

their　own　produce　which　they　export　to　Great　Britain　is　not　equal

to　that　of　the　manufactures　which　they　import　for　their　own　use；

and　for　that　of　some　of　the　other　colonies　to　which　they　are　the

carriers。　A　balance；　therefore；　must　be　paid　to　the　mother

country　in　gold　and　silver；　and　this　balance　they　generally　find。

　　　　　In　the　sugar　colonies　the　value　of　the　produce　annually

exported　to　Great　Britain　is　much　greater　than　that　of　all　the

goods　imported　from　thence。　If　the　sugar　and　rum　annually　sent　to

the　mother　country　were　paid　for　in　those　colonies；　Great　Britain

would　be　obliged　to　send　out　every　year　a　very　large　balance　in

money；　and　the　trade　to　the　West　Indies　would；　by　a　certain

species　of　politicians；　be　considered　as　extremely

disadvantageous。　But　it　so　happens　that　many　of　the　principal

proprietors　of　the　sugar　plantations　reside　in　Great　Britain。

Their　rents　are　remitted　to　them　in　sugar　and　rum；　the　produce　of

their　estates。　The　sugar　and　rum　which　the　West　India　merchants

purchase　in　those　colonies　upon　their　own　account　are　not　equal

in　value　to　the　goods　which　they　annually　sell　there。　A　balance；

therefore；　must　necessarily　be　paid　to　them　in　gold　and　silver；

and　this　balance；　too；　is　generally　found。

　　　　　The　difficulty　and　irregularity　of　payment　from　the

different　colonies　to　Great　Britain　have　not　been　at　all　in

proportion　to　the　greatness　or　smallness　of　the　balances　which

were　respectively　due　from　them。　Payments　have　in　general　been

more　regular　from　the　northern　than　from　the　tobacco　colonies；

though　the　former　have　generally　paid　a　pretty　large　balance　in

money；　while　the　latter　have　either　paid　no　balance；　or　a　much

smaller　one。　The　difficulty　of　getting　payment　from　our　different

sugar　colonies　has　been　greater　or　less　in　proportion；　not　so

much　to　the　extent　of　the　balances　respectively　due　from　them；　as

to　the　quantity　of　uncultivated　land　which　they　contained；　that

is；　to　the　greater　or　smaller　temptation　which　the　planters　have

been　under　of　overtrading；　or　of　undertaking　the　settlement　and

plantation　of　greater　quantities　of　waste　land　than　suited　the

extent　of　their　capitals。　The　returns　from　the　great　island　of

Jamaica；　where　there　is　still　much　uncultivated　land；　have；　upon

this　account；　been　in　general　more　irregular　and　uncertain　than

those　from　the　smaller　islands　of　Barbadoes；　Antigua；　and　St。

Christophers；　which　have　for　these　many　years　been　completely

cultivated；　and　have；　upon　that　account；　afforded　less　field　for

the　speculations　of　the　planter。　The　new　acquisitions　of　Grenada；

Tobago；　St。　Vincents；　and　Dominica　have　opened　a　new　field　for

speculations　of　this　kind；　and　the　returns　from　those　islands

have　of　late　been　as　irregular　and　uncertain　as　those　from　the

great　island　of　Jamaica。

　　　　　It　is　not；　therefore；　the　poverty　of　the　colonies　which

occasions；　in　the　greater　part　of　them；　the　present　scarcity　of

gold　and　silver　money。　Their　great　demand　for　active　and

productive　stock　makes　it　convenient　for　them　to　have　as　little

dead　stock　as　possible；　and　disposes　them　upon　that　account　to

content　themselves　with　a　cheaper　though　less　commodious

instrument　of　commerce　than　gold　and　silver。　They　are　thereby

enabled　to　convert　the　value　of　that　gold　and　silver　into　the

instruments　of　trade；　into　the　materials　of　clothing；　into

household　furniture；　and　into　the　ironwork　necessary　for　building

and　extending　their　settlements　and　plantations。　In　those

branches　of　business　which　cannot　be　transacted　without　gold　and

silver　money；　it　appears　that　they　can　always　find　the　necessary

quantity　of　those　metals；　and　if　they　frequently　do　not　find　it；

their　failure　is　generally　the　effect；　not　of　their　necessary

poverty；　but　of　their　unnecessary　and　excessive　enterprise。　It　is

not　because　they　are　poor　that　their　payments　are　irregular　and

uncertain；　but　because　they　are　too　eager　to　become　excessively

rich。　Though　all　that　part　of　the　produce　of　the　colony　taxes

which　was　over　and　above　what　was　necessary　for　defraying　the

expense　of　their　own　civil　and　military　establishments　were　to　be

remitted　to　Great　Britain　in　gold　and　silver；　the　colonies　have

abundantly　wherewithal　to　purchase　the　requisite　quantity　of

those　metals。　They　would　in　this　case　be　obliged；　indeed；　to

exchange　a　part　of　their　surplus　produce；　with　which　they　now

purchase　active　and　productive　stock；　for　dead　stock。　In

transacting　their　domestic　business　they　would　be　obliged　to

employ　a　costly　instead　of　a　cheap　instrument　of　commerce；　and

the　expense　of　purchasing　this　costly　instrument　might　damp

somewhat　the　vivacity　and　ardour　of　their　excessive　enterprise　in

the　improvement　of　land。　It　might　not；　however；　be　necessary　to

remit　any　part　of　the　American　revenue　in　gold　and　silver。　It

might　be　remitted　in　bills　drawn　upon　and　accepted　by　particular

merchants　or　companies　in　Great　Britain　to　whom　a　part　of　the

surplus　produce　of　America　had　been　consigned；　who　would　pay　into

the　treasury　the　American　revenue　in　money；　after　having

themselves　received　the　value　of　it　in　goods；　and　the　whole

business　might　frequently　be　transacted　without　exporting　a

single　ounce　of　gold　or　silver　from　America。

　　　　　It　is　not　contrary　to　justice　that　both　Ireland　and　America

should　contribute　towards　the　discharge　of　the　public　debt　of

Great　Britain。　That　debt　has　been　contracted　in　support　of　the

government　established　by　the　Revolution；　a　government　to　which

the　Protestants　of　Ireland　owe；　not　only　the　whole　authority

which　they　at　present　enjoy　in　their　own　country；　but　every

security　which　they　possess　for　their　liberty；　their　property；

and　their　religion；　a　government　to　which　several　of　the　colonies

of　America　owe　their　present　charters；　and　consequently　their

present　constitution；　and　to　which　all　the　colonies　of　America

owe　the　liberty；　security；　and　property　which　they　have　ever

since　enjoyed。　That　public　debt　has　been　contracted　in　the

defence；　not　of　Great　Britain　alone；　but　of　all　the　different

provinces　of　the　empire；　the　immense　debt　contracted　in　the　late

war　in　particular；　and　a　great　part　of　that　contracted　in　the　war

before；　were　both　properly　contracted　in　defence　of　America。

　　　　　By　a　union　with　Great　Britain；　Ireland　would　gain；　besides

the　freedom　of　trade；　other　advantages　much　more　important；　and

which　would　much　more　than　compensate　any　increase　of　taxes　that

might　accompany　that　union。　By　the　union　with　England　the

middling　and　inferior　ranks　of　people　in　Scotland　gained　a

complete　deliverance　from　the　power　of　an　aristocracy　which　had

always　before　oppressed　them。　By　a　union　with　Great　Britain　the

greater　part　of　the　people　of　all　ranks　in　Ireland　would　gain　an

equally　complete　deliverance　from　a　much　more　oppressive

aristocracy；　an　aristocracy　not　founded；　like　that　of　Scotland；

in　the　natural　and　respectable　distinctions　of　birth　and　fortune；

but　in　the　most　odious　of　all　distinctions；　those　of　religious

and　political　prejudices；　distinctions　which；　more　than　any

other；　animate　both　the　insolence　of　the　oppressors　and　the

hatred　and　indignation　of　the　oppressed；　and　which　commonly

render　the　inhabitants　of　the　same　country　more　hostile　to　one

another　than　those　of　different　countries　ever　are。　Without　a

union　with　Great　Britain　the　inhabitants　of　Ireland　are　not

likely　for　many　ages　to　consider　themselves　as　one　people。

　　　　　No　oppressive　aristocracy　has　ever　prevailed　in　the

colonies。　Even　they；　however；　would；　in　point　of　happiness　and

tranquility；　gain　considerably　by　a　union　with　Great　Britain。　It

would；　at　least；　deliver　them　from　those　rancorous　and　virulent

factions　which　are　inseparable　from　small　democracies；　and　which

have　so　frequently　divided　the　affections　of　their　people；　and

disturbed　the　tranquillity　of　their　governments；　in　their　form　so

nearly　democratical。　In　the　case　of　a　total　separation　from　Great

Britain；　which；　unless　prevented　by　a　union　of　this　kind；　seems

very　likely　to　take　place；　those　factions　would　be　ten　times　more

virulent　than　ever。　Before　the　commencement　of　the　present

disturbances；　the　coercive　power　of　the　mother　country　had　always

been　able　to　restrain　those　factions　from　breaking　out　into

anything　worse　than　gross　brutality　and　insult。　If　that　coercive

power　were　entirely　taken　a