will not make an addition thereto equal to what the amount of finecare places would make to the penfion lift in Great-Britain; yet men of character and abilities are not wanting to fill its respective offices; but on the contrary, while the fpirit of the government, by opening the channel of promotion to every individual, is truly favourable to the growth of genius, a virtuous ambition to be inftrumental in promoting the happiness of mankind, always enfures a fufficient number of candidates for public confidence.

IN RESPECT OF NATIONAL DEBT.

The debt of the United States is divided into two claffes, foreign and domeftic. The foreign debt is compofed, in capital, of a loan made in France of twenty-four millions of livres at five per cent.; another made in Holland, under the guarantee of France, of ten millions

at four per cent. both amounting in dollars to

Spain at five per cent.

In Holland, in four different loans.

dolls.

6,296,246

174,011 3,600,000

Domestic debt liquidated, capital and intereft, to the

31ft of December, 1790

Not liquidated, estimated at

Total, foreign and domestic

In the profecution of the war each individual state had occafion to contract a debt of its own, which, for a variety of reasons, it was thought beft that the Congrefs fhould affume and add to the general mafs of the debt of the United States.

The fums thus affumed, which are supposed to

absorb nearly the whole of all the state debts, amount in the whole to

So that the total amount of the present debt of the

ހ

25,000,000

79,124,464

4,5 7,444 Thus

Thus we fee that the Americans pay less than a million sterling a year, including the expenfes of their government for having maintained their liberty; while Great-Britain pays more than four millions fterling additional annual expenfe for having attempted to deprive them of it; and by the measures taken by the new government, the Americans are in a fair way not only to pay their intereft, but to fink the principal of their debt, and that without direct taxation.

Thus while the European governments draw annually from their fubjects at least one fourth of their bona fide property to defray the interest of their public debt, the citizens of the United States are scarce fenfible of any burthen arifing therefrom; nay, on the contrary, in its present state, it is to them a real national advantage.*

EQUALITY OF SITUATION.

This is far from being the leaft of the advantages which America poffeffes over European nations. In the greater part of Europe the

*If the fecret history of the debt contracted in France were published, it would difcover the origin of many fortunes which have astonished us. It is certain, for instance, that M. de Vergennes disposed of these loans at pleasure, caufed military stores and merchandise to be furnished by perfons attached to him, and fuffered not their accounts to be difputed. It is a fact, that in his accounts with Congrefs, there was one million of livres that he never accounted for, after all the demands that were made to him. It is likewife a fact, that out of the forty-feven millions pretended to be furnished in the above articles by France to Congress, the employment of twenty-one millions is without vouchers.

M. Beaumarchais, in a memoir published fome years ago, pretends to be the creditor of Congress for millions. There is a report made to Congress by two refpectable members, in which they prove, that he now owes Congress seven hundred and forty-two thousand four hundred and thirteen livres, and a million more, if the wandering milLion above mentioned has fallen into his hands. These reporters make a ftriking picture of the manœuvres practised to deceive the Americans.

Scarce a doubt, we think, can be entertained, but when the government of France fhall be fecured by external and internal tranquillity, it will caufe fome account to be rendered of the fums squandered in the part which France took in the American war; or rather the fums which, instead of going to fuccour those brave ftrugglers for liberty, went to adorn the bed-chambers of an actref? Adeline did more mifchief to the Americans than a regiment of Heffians.

distance

distance between the higher and lower claffes of fociety is fo great, as to beget on the part of the former a fupercilious haughtiness, and almost total neglect of all the focial virtues. The fituations in which the privileged ariftocracy of Europe are placed, may be confidered as hotbeds of vice, ignorance, and folly-nurfed in principles of tyranny and fuperftition-born, as many of them are, to the enjoyment of unearned honours, and riches derived from plunder-placed in fituations where they can gratify every luft and every brutal appetite, almoft without controul-and enjoy every advantage that ought only to be the reward of virtue, without application to honest industry, it is not to be wondered at that they are funk in the scale of rational beings, and degraded below the level of virtuous fociety. Perhaps a more contemptible figure cannot be imagined, if properly confidered, than what this clafs of men in the general present to our view throughout Europe. Often without a fingle virtue, rolling at ease in splendor and profufion, preying upon the fruits of honeft industry, and devouring the hard-earned morfel of the virtuous peasant. But this is not all, their depravity of manners and boundless courfe of diffipation and debauchery, extend their baneful influence through all the lower claffes of fociety, and poifon all the channels of human happiness. In America, this clafs of men are unknown, the mass of inhabitants, exclufive of fervants, confifts of those who poffefs in fee fimple from one Lundred to five hundred acres of land, actually in cultivation, together with the tradefmen immediately dependent on agriculture, most of whom are likewife farmers, with the storekeepers and mechanics in the different towns; no part of fociety preys on the other, but all contribute to the general good. A mediocrity of fituation is common throughout the American States; there are few, indeed, whofe incomes will reach two thoufand pounds sterling per ann. and the number nearly as fmall, and perhaps fmaller, who are reduced to a dependent fituation. This happy medium is productive of the most beneficial confequences to their morals and their happiness; it supports that spirit of independence and love of liberty which laid the foundation of their government; it keeps far diftant that fervility fo common to the lower orders of Europeans, and preferves them from the mifery and wretchednefs attendant on following the vices of the privileged orders.

VARIETY

VARIETY OF CLIMATE, SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.

The United States poffefs in this refpect an advantage over most of the European kingdoms, for they are not only fubject to the gradations from almost extreme heat to extreme cold, but feem capable of fupplying almoft all the productions of the earth. Situated in the northern divifion of that extenfive portion of the globe, between the thirty-first and forty-fixth degrees of northern latitude; the extreme length of their territory is about one thousand two hundred and fifty miles, the breadth about one thousand and forty. The fuperficies are computed to be fix hundred and forty million acres of land and water after deducting the space occupied by the capacious lakes and mighty rivers, which fertilize and accommodate this country, and Occupy above a seventh part of its furface, there remain about five hundred and ninety millions of acres of faft land.

:

In fo very extended a fcene as might be naturally expected, the fruits of the earth are many and various we find even in the prefent half-tried state of the capacities of the different foils and climates, a lift of invaluable productions, fome found by the first discoverers of the country, others introduced by mere accident, and others tranfported from Europe, during the fimple state of agriculture in the last century. In the fouthern latitudes, particularly the States of Georgia, South-Carolina, and North-Carolina, rice, much fuperior to that of Italy or the Levant, is raised in very great quantities. The comparative value of this grain is twenty-five per cent. in the English markets for the American, more than the Italian or Levant rice and from the ample quantity and goodness of American rice, it appears that little, if any, Mediterranean rice is now imported into England, as it has for fome time been omitted in the general account of prices. The South-Carolina crop alone, of 1789, appears to have been above one hundred thousand tierces, weighing fixty millions of pounds. It is expected that Virginia will add this article to her lift of exports, as it is fuppofed a large body of fwamp in her most eastern counties is capable of producing it; and mountain rice has been raised by way of experiment in the new country near the head of the Ohio.

Tobacco is a ftaple article of all the Sates, from Georgia as far north as Maryland, including both. Virginia alone, generally exported before the revolution, fifty-five thoufand hogfheads, weighing fifty-five millions of pounds; Maryland thirty thousand hogfheads. The Carolinas and Georgia, which raised but little of this article be

fore

fore the revolution, have, of late years, produced very large quantities and as Virginia and Maryland are turning more of their attention to the cultivation of wheat, Indian corn, flax, and hemp, the Carolinas and Georgia will probably extend the cultivation of this plant, to which their foil and climate are well suited. The foil of Kentucky and the Cumberland and Tenneffee country seems also to be eminently calculated for the culture of this plant.

Indigo, of an excellent quality, is produced by North-Carolina, South-Carolina, and Georgia. Of this valuable commodity, one million three hundred thoufand pounds weight have been fhipped from the city of Charleston alone in one year: but this, and the other two articles before mentioned, are raised in much lefs proportions in North-Carolina than in South-Carolina and Georgia. The uniform of the national troops has been heretofore of blue cloth, as also of the militia in general. Their clergy alfo by their cuftoms wear this colour, and it is generally liked among the most frugal and most expenfive people. These circumstances will no doubt be duly attended to in future laws and regulations, and will operate very favourably for the indigo planters, without any expenfe to the country.

Cotton has been lately adopted as an article of culture in the fouthern States; and as the prices of rice, tobacco, and indigo decline, it must be very beneficial to the owners and purchafers of lands in that part of the Union. This article is raised with case in Spain, every part of which kingdom lies further north than the Carolinas, and in the fame latitudes as Virginia, M, vland, and the Delaware States. It is also raised in that part of Afiatic Turkey which lies between Scanderoon and Smyrna, which are in the latitudes of the three laft States. As the inhabitants increase very rapidly by emigration and the courfe of nature, it is certain they cannot procure wool from their own internal refources in fufficient quantities. owners of cotton plantations may therefore expect a conftant and great demand for this article, as a fubftitute for wool, befides its ordinary ufes for light goods.

The

Tar, pitch, and turpentine are produced in immense quantities in North-Carolina, which State flips more of these articles, particu larly the last, than all the rest of the Union. Tar and pitch are also produced in the fouthern parts of Jerfey, and more or lefs in all the States fouthward of that.

Befides thefe, myrtle wax, and those two invaluable timbers, the live oak and red cedar, are peculiar to the Carolinas and Georgia;

and