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rally puts one in mind of a Newgate anecdote. One of the prifoners complained, that in the night fomebody had taken his buckles out of his fhoes. "What the devil!" fays another, "have "we then thieves amongst us? It must not be "fuffered. Let us fearch out the rogue, and pump him to death."

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There is, however, one late inftance of an English merchant who will not profit by fuch illgotten gain. He was, it feems, part-owner of a fhip, which the other owners thought fit to employ as a letter of marque, and which took a number of French prizes. The booty being fhared, he has now an agent here enquiring, by an advertisement in the Gazette, for those who fuffered the lofs, in order to make them, as far as in him lies, reftitution. This conscientious man is a quaker. The Scotch prefbyterians were formerly as tender; for there is ftill extant an ordinance of the town-council of Edinburgh, made foon after the Reformation, "forbidding the purchase of prize goods, under pain of lofing "the freedom of the burgh for ever, with other "punishment at the will of the magiftrate; the "practice of making prizes being contrary to

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good confcience, and the rule of treating Chrif"tian brethren as we would wifh to be treated; " and fuch goods are not to be fold by any godly men "within this burgh." The race of thefe godly men in Scotland is, probably extinct, or their principles are abandoned fince, as far as that nation had a hand in promoting the war against the colonies, prizes and confifcations are believed to have been a confiderable motive.

It has been for fome time a generally-received opinion, that a military man is not to enquire whether a war be juft or unjust; he is to execute his orders. All princes who are disposed to be

come

come tyrants, muft probably approve of this opinion, and be willing to eftablish it; but is it not a dangerous one? fince, on that principle, if the tyrant commands his army to attack and destroy, not only an unoffending neighbour nation, but even his own fubjects, the army is bound to obey. A negro flave, in our colonies, being commanded by his mafter to rob or murder a neighbour, or do any other immoral act, may refuse; and the magiftrate will protect him in his refufal. The flavery then of a foldier is worse than that of a negro! A conscientious officer, if not restrained by the apprehenfion of its being imputed to another caufe, may indeed refign, rather than be employed in an unjuft war; but the private men are flaves for life; and they are perhaps incapable of judging for themselves. We can only lament their fate, and still more that of a failor, who is often dragged by force from his honeft occupation, and compelled to imbrue his hands in perhaps innocent blood. But methinks it well behoves merchants (men more enlightened by their education, and perfectly free from any fuch force or obligation) to confider well of the juftice of a war, before they voluntarily engage a gang of ruffians to attack their fellow-merchants of a neighbouring nation, to plunder them of their property, and perhaps ruin them and their families, if they yield it; or to wound, maim, and murder them, if they endeavour to defend it. Yet these things are done by Chriftian merchants, whether a war be juft or unjuft; and it can hardly be juft on both fides. They are done by English and American merchants, who, nevertheless, complain of private theft, and hang by dozens the thieves they have taught by their own example.

It

It is high time, for the fake of humanity, that a ftop were put to this enormity. The United States of America, though better fituated than any European nation to make profit by privateering (most of the trade of Europe, with the Weft Indies, paffing before their doors), are, as far as in them lies, endeavouring to abolifh the practice, by offering, in all their treaties with other powers, an article, engaging folemnly, that, in cafe of future war, no privateer fhall be commiflioned on either fide; and that unarmed merchant-fhips, on both fides, fhall pursue their voyages unmolefted". This will be a happy improvement of the

law

* This offer having been accepted by the late king of Pruffia, a treaty of amity and commerce was concluded between that monarch and the United States, containing the following humane, philanthropic article; in the formation of which Dr. Franklin, as one of the American plenipotentiaries, was principally concerned, viz.

ART. XXIII.

If war fhould arife between the two contracting parties, the merchants of either country, then refiding in the other, fhall be allowed to remain nine months to collect their debts and fettle their affairs, and may depart freely, carrying off all their effects without moleftation or hindrance: and all women and children, fcholars of every faculty, cultivators of the earth, artifans, manufacturers, and fishermen, unarmed and inhabiting unfortified towns, villages, or places, and in general all others whofe occupations are for the common subsistence and benefit of mankind, fhall be allowed to continue their refpective employments, and fhall not be molested in their perfons, nor fhall their houses or goods be burnt, or otherwife destroyed, nor their fields wafted, by the armed force of the enemy into whofe power, by the events of war, they may happen to fall; but if any thing is necessary to be taken from them for the use of such armed force, the fame fhall be paid for at a reasonable price. And all merchant and trading veffels employed in exchanging the products of different places, and thereby rendering the neceffaries, conveniences, and com

forts

law of nations. The humane and the just cannot but wish general fuccefs to the propofition.

With unchangeable efteem and affection,

I am, my dear friend,

Ever yours.

forts of human life more eafy to be obtained, and more gene ral, fhall be allowed to pass free and unmolested; and neither of the contracting powers fhall grant or iffue any commiffion to any private armed veffels, empowering them to take or deftroy fuch trading veffels, or interrupt fuch commerce.

REMARKS

REMARKS CONCERNING THE SAVAGES OF

NORTH-AMERICA.

SAVAGES we call them, because their manners differ from ours, which we think the perfection of civility; they think the fame of theirs.

Perhaps, if we could examine the manners of different nations with impartiality, we should find no people fo rude as to be without any rules of politenefs; nor any fo polite as not to have fome remains of rudeness.

The Indian men, when young, are hunters and warriors; when old, counsellors; for all their government is by the counsel or advice of the fages; there is no force, there are no prifons, no officers to compel obedience, or inflict punishment. Hence they generally ftudy oratory; the best fpeaker having the moft influence. The Indian women till the ground, drefs the food, nurfe and bring up the children, and preferve and hand down to pofterity the memory of public tranfactions. These employments of men and women are accounted natural and honourable. Having few artificial wants, they have abundance of leifure for improvement by conversation. Our laborious manner of life, compared with theirs, they esteem flavish and base; and the learning on which we value ourselves, they regard as frivolous and useless. An inftance of this occurred at the treaty of Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, anno 1744, between the government of Virginia and the Six Nations. After the principal business was fettled, the commiffioners from Virginia acquainted the Indians by a speech, that there was at Williamsburg

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