第93章
加入书架 A- A+

  Thesearemyviewsofthewar。Theyembraceagreatdealofsufferance,tryingprivations,andnobenefitbutthatofteachingourenemythatheisnevertogainbywantoninjuriesonus。Tomethisstateofthingsbringsasacrificeofalltranquillityandcomfortthroughtheresidueoflife。Foralthoughthedebilityofagedisablesmefromtheservicesandsufferingsofthefield,yet,bythetotalannihilationinvalueoftheproducewhichwastogivemesubsistenceandindependence,IshallbelikeTantalus,uptotheshouldersinwater,yetdyingwiththirst。Wecanmakeindeedenoughtoeat,drinkandclotheourselves;butnothingforoursalt,iron,groceriesandtaxes,whichmustbepaidinmoney。Forwhatcanweraiseforthemarket?Wheat?wecanonlygiveittoourhorses,aswehavebeendoingeversinceharvest。Tobacco?itisnotworththepipeitissmokedin。SomesayWhiskey;butallmankindmustbecomedrunkardstoconsumeit。Butalthoughwefeel,weshallnotflinch。

  Wemustconsidernow,asintherevolutionarywar,thatalthoughtheevilsofresistancearegreat,thoseofsubmissionwouldbegreater。

  Wemustmeet,therefore,theformerasthecasualtiesoftempestsandearthquakes,andlikethemnecessarilyresultingfromtheconstitutionoftheworld。Yoursituation,mydearfriend,ismuchbetter。For,althoughIdonotknowwithcertaintythenatureofyourinvestments,yetIpresumetheyarenotinbanks,insurancecompanies,oranyotherofthosegossamercastles。Ifinground-rents,theyaresolid;ifinstockoftheUnitedStates,theyareequallyso。Ioncethoughtthatintheeventofawarweshouldbeobligedtosuspendpayingtheinterestofthepublicdebt。Butadozenyearsmoreofexperienceandobservationonourpeopleandgovernment,havesatisfiedmeitwillneverbedone。Thesenseofthenecessityofpubliccreditissouniversalandsodeeplyrooted,thatnoothernecessitywillprevailagainstit;andIamgladtoseethatwhiletheformereightmillionsaresteadfastlyappliedtothesinkingoftheolddebt,theSenatehavelatelyinsistedonasinkingfundforthenew。ThisisthedawnofthatimprovementinthemanagementofourfinanceswhichIlooktoforsalvation;andItrustthatthelightwillcontinuetoadvance,andpointouttheirwaytoourlegislators。Theywillsoonseethatinsteadoftaxesforthewholeyear’sexpenses,whichthepeoplecannotpay,ataxtotheamountoftheinterestandareasonableportionoftheprincipalwillcommandthewholesum,andthrowapartoftheburthensofwarontimesofpeaceandprosperity。Asacredpaymentofinterestistheonlywaytomakethemostoftheirresources,andasenseofthatrendersyourincomefromourfundsmorecertainthanminefromlands。

  SomeapprehenddangerfromthedefectionofMassachusetts。Itisadisagreeablecircumstance,butnotadangerousone。Iftheybecomeneutral,wearesufficientforoneenemywithoutthem,andinfactwegetnoaidfromthemnow。Iftheiradministrationdeterminestojointheenemy,theirforcewillbeannihilatedbyequalityofdivisionamongthemselves。TheirfederalistswillthencallintheEnglisharmy,therepublicansours,anditwillonlybeatransferofthesceneofwarfromCanadatoMassachusetts;andwecangettenmentogotoMassachusettsforonewhowillgotoCanada。Everyone,too,mustknowthatwecanatanymomentmakepeacewithEnglandattheexpenseofthenavigationandfisheriesofMassachusetts。Butitwillnotcometothis。Theirownpeoplewillputdownthesefactionistsassoonastheyseetherealobjectoftheiropposition;

  andofthisVermont,NewHampshire,andevenConnecticutitself,furnishproofs。

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