Collected Political Writings of James Otis. Otis James

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СКАЧАТЬ or a Locke in metaphysicks.

      His Honor is of opinion that gold and silver cannot both be kept here without “lessening our imports,” that “plenty of money has produced luxury, luxury tends to poverty” “poverty to industry and frugality” “these bring money again.” I am no merchant, but have been informed that increasing the

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      exports is more advantageous to a country than lessening their imports. As to the revolution or wheel of fortune which his honor has described, luxury is a very vague & loose term, if by it is meant the importation of many foreign commodities, the more we have the better, if we can export enough to pay for them; poverty is so far from being the basis of industry and frugality that it is too often the occasion of vices directly opposite. Poverty can no more produce riches than it can furnish a man with the secret of the philosopher’s stone. I know it is the maxim of some, that the common people in this town and country live too well; however I am of a quite different opinion, I do not think they live half well enough. I should be glad to see here as in England, tradesmen and yeomen worth their tens and their hundreds of thousand pounds, for then and not till then we shall see gentlemen and merchants worth their hundreds and their millions. The tradesman and the husbandman would do well to consider that when they are for cramping trade, they are for killing a faithful servant, who is toiling day and night, and eating the bread of care for their good as well as his own; the merchant & other gentlemen would do well to reflect that the hand of the tradesman and husbandman are their employers, and that unless they multiply and increase in their commodities and riches, the merchant will never flourish: The merchant, manufacturer, and freeholder should consider themselves as the most immediate and natural brothers in the community, that God and nature have made their interest inseparable: and when they will agree conjointly to pursue it, no mortal hand can ever prevail against them.

      Nature has been as kind to this province as to most in the world. This is demonstrable from its increase in people, and trade, from its settlement to the year 1749; & yet we never raised our own bread. The balance yearly sent out in cash for wheat and flour, which we might raise as easily as the other colonies, has been often mentioned to our shame; and yet nothing has been done to encourage the raising of one, or manufacturing the other. It is said we pay two thousand pounds sterling a year, only for flour barrels. It is humbly submitted, whether it is not highly incumbent upon the government, to take this affair into their consideration, and grant a bounty for raising wheat; the saving between raising and paying the other colonies for our bread, would in two years furnish a sufficient medium for all our other trade.

      Thus I have endeavoured according to my poor capacity to answer his Honor’s reasons for lowering the price of gold, to prove the necessity of making gold expresly a tender, and have pointed out the only possible method of keeping gold and silver in plenty amongst us. Every political writer is allowed to lament the decay of public spirit: It is certain that in proportion to this

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      decay, calamities of every kind will invade a community: And amidst all our disquisitions, could we hit upon any method for reviving this spirit among us, public embarrasments that appear insuperable, would vanish before it.

      I am the humble servant of my Country, and a hearty Well Wisher to all men,

      James Otis, junr.

      P.S. Very soon after his Honor published his thoughts, he told me “he had been cuting out work for me in the paper,” as near as I can recollect the words, which I took as a personal challenge to answer him; if they were not so intended, I was mistaken: However, read in the preface challenge to answer; and those who can think it will make any difference in the sense, may for Cooke the Cobler, read all mankind.

      J.O.

      Column 2d. l. 9. of this paper, for never was, r. has not been lately.

January 11, 1762

      Messieurs EDES and GILL,

      THE following is not intended for a regular Return to his Honor’s Piece of the 4th; that can’t come ’till he has finished and then he may be unanswerable. My Apology for this, is the Extract from Mr. Locke, published the same Day with my Answer.

      I know not of the least offence that has been given by his Honor’s inquiries; nor have I ever heard him charged, with any view in publishing his thoughts, but to the publick good; sure I am, that I never charged him with the contrary.

      If Mr. Lowndes imagined that increasing the denomination of a piece of silver, would increase its real value; I happened to be more fortunate than to think so, as is evident from this assertion in your gazette of the 21st of Dec. “It is not of a farthing consequence, (i.e. as to the value) whether the ounce be called 5s or 6s 8d.”

      I shall not compare myself to either of those great men, Mr. Locke, or Mr. Lowndes. But with regard to the terms Delicacy and Politeness, it may not be amiss to observe, that they are relative, and admit of no invariable standard. The present humour of a court, the prevalent fashion of the age,

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      and a thousand other accidents and circumstances, concur to vary the idea annexed to those words. The delicacy and politeness of the Russian court, would perhaps appear boorish in the present refinements at St. James’s. The British courtier at Versailles may be looked upon with as much pity and contempt, as the true plain hearted Old Briton would be by a modern politician. In the days of our fore-fathers, power put on the grim visage of open force and violence. In this more delicate age, soft words; a smiling countenance, fair promises, and other tickling blandishments, are the only sure means of obtaining those enormous degrees of power, which mankind are so fond of: Whatever delicacy and politeness may dictate, good sense and good nature require that great allowances be made for the different ages, nations, education, advantages and natural tempers of men. In one word, I am no courtier; I know not to give flattering titles to men, nor have I the least desire to offend them. If plain english and freedom of speech are too hard for the digestion of any stomacks, those who labour under this infirmity, have a right to please their own palates, and will of course seek elsewhere for entertainment.

      Mr. Locke informs us, that Mr. Lowndes was “no otherwise known to him than by his civilities,” and adds, that he had “a very great esteem for him”; and so have I for his Honor, tho’ no part of my respect arises from civilities I have received, but purely from his Honor’s rank and merit. Mr. Locke in his disputes uses greater freedoms by fifty times, than I ever desired to use with his Honor, and it would be no difficult task to point out some in his controversy with his friend Lowndes. However, this might not serve me, as it may be said, that greater freedoms are excuseable between friends. The bishop of Worcester was greatly Mr. Locke’s superior in rank, tho’ I confess not so much as his Honor is mine in abilities. But it must be remembered, that no man carries the atmosphere of his commission or public character into a disputation; if there was any rule of logic in favour of that, the very name of a justice of the quorum would be as effectual to strike a poor plebeian dumb, as the ratio ultima regum³ of Lewis the XIV. Most men had rather be silent all their days, than run the risque of being thought worthy of hard names, bonds and stripes for every word that may happen to displease the delicate ears of a superior.

      I return my most humble and hearty thanks to his Honor for his history of our currency, and should promise myself great entertainment, if he would gratify the public with a more general history of the province. His Honor’s

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