September;
r>
I
THE
No. eo
NORTH CAROLINy^
G A
T
h
JL ^ ^
O R
IMPARTIAL INTELLIGENCER,
A n'
A P
WEEKLY GE ERAL ADVE R-T I S E R.
Among the ufrful Inventions of Man, there is none more to be a.ImirAI than the Art ^Printing; by Me.ns of which, ufeful Knowledge is commnnic .t^ 1 -non . li'. a , i
txpeditioufly, th>n in any other Way j therefore the Prefs ought ever to be encourage! fupported, parti
I encourage! fup^orted, particularly by Frik Citizens, and Professino Chris tian..
1784.
THURSDAY, Svpttmbcr 2.
Price P'i'. iir-penre.
Mr. printer.
T H B cordiiion of pablic credit ia ihie
Ita-e, claims the attcniion of every ciii-
xen. The creditois compUio that hard
mouev certiScales d.. not pafs at their
nominal value, while the mafs of onr
fellow citizens complain that ihofe errtiicatsi are
valued as hard money in pasment of taxes, when it
it certain that rhe public has never received a valaa*
ble copfideration for the.o. When parties differ lb
mneh we are apt to fuppof>' that the truth lies between
|h»m and it is certainly th« duty of every honeft man
to examine this cafe very attentively. If the holders
cl hard money certificates have done perfunal fer.
vices, >. r given property to the public, to^ the full
value of thofe certificates, as they are ra ed io lilver,
then it will fallow that the ftate is b- and to call in
the whole of thofe ceriificatrs, by a ba-d money tax,
at their nominal value. But il >t is 'rue, that hard
money cartificaiev haJ dr;, reciaf-d be ore they wera
iflued, and that the Mupraif’rs »l h -rfrs, .csttl>, dec.
furnilhed forrhe ufe of th' fta-e, made dllowa:cvs in
their ewn minds for fnch d' p eciatioi., and v.i]ued
the articles higher in prnp'.>rao, ibe.i it will that
4M'ew fack c—ai^nata Jkr.ald be crnSdclcd as contla
acnial or Kate money, aad ihou d be ra ed acc-d
ing to fume fcale of dep-rciatton. 7 h-' fi il of ihefe
pofr.ions will certainly de admitted h 'Ut any dif.
pute, for no man will fay that we oug t nO‘ to pay
the value of what we nave nerived. But the cth r
pofition ought to palt with the fame cur ency, for
no man, or at leaft no honed man, w>ll fay that we
ought to pay mere than the value ol what we hive
received. Is it true, that bard money certificates
like other public paper, had depreciated g'caily be>
fore the end ■ f ths war. In anfwer to this quillii.n,
it will be generally admitted that the man who had
n hard money certificate lor one hundred dollars,
could not fell it towaids iha end ol the war, for more
than fifteen or twenty dollars; and it iafaid that the
appraifeis in feme pans of the cr untry, had icfptA
to this rate of exchange, and that thc-y va.ncd pro
perty fo high that the ceruficaies might fell f ir as
much hard money, at toe property was worth ; for
inftance, a hnrfe which might have been pnrebafed
far twenty five or thirty poundi in hivrr, when taken
into the lervice, was valued at one hundred and twen
ty, or one hundred and fifty pounds. And moft
other valuations were mi-dr in the fame manner;
this might have been well enough for the time pad,
becaufe it enabled the party to negotiate his certi
ficate for tke value of his property, but it cannot
be proper for the prefenc time, becaufe we are now i
going to call in thofe certificates, and it isnotjud
that we Ihauld firk them at their nominal value,
while other paper is futile according to its depreciat
ed value. If any perfon Oiould ulk what are we to
doin this cafe: we thall.reply in a few words, let
Ol try to do jullice. And while we give the public
creditor the fall value of hit property, let us n.s not
npprrfs the pe'p1e. Let certificates which have been
in circulation, and have changed their owners, be
valued like paper money, according to the average
va ue at which hey have palTed through the country;
which mat pcflibly be at five or fix for one. As for
thofe certificates, which remain in the hands of the
origikxl owners, they may be treated differently, but
in fuch a ma.mer as to a^iree with the med per.'cdh
judce. I'wri ccromidionert may be appointed for
each didrid, to be fent from a didani part of the
Rite, ihrfc commiilioners may review the charges,
Conipating the fums mentioned in each certificate,
with hr articles for which the certificate was grant
ed, by which they may find whot was the general
dcprecialioa of hard money certificates, in d/lfereiit
counties, for i varyed g eatly li diffe-en par s of
the date. The true value of certifi ates which havu
not changed their owners, may thus be fixed, and
new certificates be granted. It being provided that
every certificate which it not reexamined, (hail be
deemed fubjed to the general depreciation.
In a few werka the c mmiffiemets might finilh
their feratiejy, it wnnld be attended with fome ex-
pence, bnt It would be folh-wcd ky great favings,
and by the general regulatians on thr head of hard
money Certificates, the public w :uli) kereltived from
very large laiet, which yre now going to be paid
lor (he f le em lument ''I'fycalat -rt; perhaps fime
pcifon whj is Let'.er ofethio public accounts, msy
prnpofe a more cafv m de af .‘^ulating thofe certi
ficates: it is to be wiftiad that (erne plain, honed le-
gnlationi may ha made, fince it is generally admit-
l.'d {bat fome thing oeght mbe done.
Orie c f the people.
Ftr the North - AKSLiNA Gazette.
Rtt'd Mr. MtiRRAr, in hishidory of
I thu war in jimeriea. ipcaking of the war
* the /«(M^(in 1638) and theCa/t-
MJft, fays " Tim pitSiitr ^ srtbis tern*
Hi-d.. aa oblervatien with rega 4 10 the ftate of their
aff i’S, which perhaps will hold in general with re
ga ■! to all ceaatT'es in the fame iicuation. They
t- k notice, that till once they began to ref >rm their
m.nnLia, and i bferve the indituiions of the gofpel
with I* r# cxsClccfs. that they never profpered in
pi.rfuing 'hia war; but alter they began in earned to
r-tb-m abufes, and obferve the moral inlliiuiions
«'I Ge^ ta fi. verity, theii affairs took quite a differ
ent tu n, and they profpered in tncir undeicak-
ings.”
This abfe'vstion, or the doftrine it teaches, is
fupported by th'.'ulai ds of indances recorded in hif-
tury : And that, “ before a people can rationally
expeA to be profperous and happy, they mud firft
become virtuous,’* hath been, time immemorial, the
remark of everv rooralid.
Such refpefi have we for the Antients, that wn
give implicit affent to molt of their adages ; but
this, though amon^ft the mod important, we unhap
pily d'fregard. Yet perhaps there never was a time,
when (politically fpeaking) a reformation cf man
ners was more effentiaiiy neceflary than at this event
ful period.
My obfervation is general, and not aimed at any
individuals, rr particular clafs of men. But yet if
the cap diould fit any one, let him wear it, and
much good may it do him.
C.
To the PRINTER of the North-Carolina
GAZETTE.
S I R,
Yrur publijhing tht fiUttuing may he iffernict te feme
cf ycur nwiers, and fulfill my fremijt to the Captain
of a Sloop of War.
J am Sir,
Your moft obedient
John Alderson.
July \itb 1784.
O N the 17 th day of May lad T pot into Bajfittere,
St. Kitts, in the Brig Catherine, being in
great want of water, to get a fmall fupply ; and took
that opportunity of going on Ihora to negotiate a bill
of exchan-*; the Brig lying rff sn^ rn f r f me
hr.u's, I did not wilh tr c me t an tnclifi ,h't»
ing juil rt'.'jnmri on bi ard m vpITrl, in rh 'eve.-n j
■her Head ft di r.*. at leal! a mi.e wi-h lU. he :Ii.,.
ing. I dife ve ed a b‘ia. a llern ri.wtng low-.ru*
lb.- . p, eared to beb ng to a d.ip rf war ; on fiij I
Ih ricned lail ur t 1 -Ilf bo't came al ng fide, si.d n
offi' «t came or b ard, when the » llowing dial, gua
enfued h tween tl"' flierr ar.d msfelf.
0^ What velfel it his? A. The Catherine (rc tn
Guadalvup. Qj_ Are you the Cafiain ? A. In place
of a beicrr. Sir. Q. What cob ur$ are ym under?
A. French col urs. Sir. Q_ What is your bu.
finrfs here ?. A. Being in diilrefs for water, 1 put
in here to get a fupply, and have taken thi.s oppor.
tunity to regulate a bill of exchange with Mr. S».
merfall. I {ropc fc to water at old R ad in the morn,
ing, and dial I depart immediately,
W'hat colours do you lay you are under ? A.
French colours. Sir. Ofticer a rebel more likdv.
A. Sir 1 wear Ficncb colours, and have a French
Regider.
Oificer, a pretty rafeal fo be a French man ; I
know, or at lead I beleive, you to be a darn’d Yan
kee rafcal. Well Sir, ycu fay you are under French
colours, and, as a French maa, by Gud yon ihall
not lye in this bay. ,
Aorwe^ Sir I kow Prenek coloere, and howonr
the nation ; you may confidcr me what you pleafe-
but I am in didrefs f-r water, and wilh to be per-
micted to water at the ufual place, old Road.
Officer, by God you Ihall not lye in this bay,
either as a French man, or as a Yankee, therefore
immediately make fail, or I will anchor your veflel
under the floop of war’s d-rn, and caufe you to un
dergo the operation of a court cf vice admiralty.
Aafwer, Sir I am in diilrefs for water, it is for
that and that only I wait, here I fhew my colours,
which a-e thofe of a civiliz d nation, and as luch I
hope to be treated ; if it is contrary to any Britidi
law to aff.ird water to a ftreignJr in diftrefs, I am
not apprifed cf fuch law; but whether or not, 1 can
not go to fra without water.
Officer, You fay yon are in didrrfs for water.
Heave about, dand clofe in with the dm p of war,
and I will fend you two puncheons between the hours
of eight and nine, which when you have received,
make fail immediately. On faying this the officer
went into hit boat and left us. Agreeable to his
dirediions I lay clofe in with the flojp of war until
9 o’cloak, no water was fent, I lay until pad ten,
no water ; all lights out in the harbour. 1 then
Arecched to fea, taking fuch meafuris at to be in
with the diiping by funrifein the morning. Still no
appearance of the fli op of wars boat. I went on
board to enquire whether I might ezpedl the water,
or not; and if not, to adt permilfion to get water at
old Road. On my geting on board the fljop of
war, I found chat the officer who boarded me, iha
preceeding evening, was the Captain. I immedi
ately told him my bulinefs ; upo- which, the follow
ing conveifation enfuid.
Captain, Pray why did not you lay near the fhip,
at 1 dirtdled you lad night?
Anfwer, Sir you t Id me that between the houra
of eight and nine the uater (liould be fent on board.
] lay almnft wi.hin hale, my lanthorn hoided until
after 10 o’clock, and until all ligliis were dowfed in
the harbour; then dood off, judging that you ckofe
to fend in the morning.
Csptain, 1 believe you are a darn’d Yankee raf
cal, and y u Ihall have no water Lora my (hip.
Anfwer, Sir it was your own offer; though you
do not ch. ofe to fupply me, I hope 1 may be permit-
led to water at the ufua' watering place.
C a; tain. No by Oodyou dial) not but if you arn
in dilltcfs, you may anchor under my ticin, which