Book Description

Excerpt from Proceedings and Address of the Convention of Delegates, to the People of New-Jersey Our revenue from commerce, also was very great, equal, annually, to the payment of every expense of the navy, army, civil list, and other demands of government, beside discharging, each year, a portion of the old debt of the revo lution. The average of this revenue, not less than twelve millions of dollars, annually, relieving the people from any direct taxes payable to the United States. In these favoured circumstances of agriculture, foreign navigation, coasting trade and revenue, was war declared, and it necessarily shakes them to the foundation. In regard to' our political, moral, civil and religious bles sings and advantages, they were surely great and many. Peace itself, and Neutrality, at a time when all the Europe an world is convulsed and tending by wars and famine, to dissolution and the tyranny of one man, were to' us, who al most solely enjoyed them, inestimable blessings. How innu merable and vast they were, your own feelings, enjoyments, and reflections, fellow-citizens, can better determine than we describe. In great mercy also, We were removed 3900 miles from those scenes of violence and devastation - we had taken no part in them. Our pure and free and progressing coun try, had kept itself from the dangerous and deadly grasp of French connection. This was our fear and our danger. This war, if it is to be continued, deprives us of neutrality and peace - Ir makes this wide ocean no longer a barrier be tween America and the ambition and ruthless vengeance, which are scourging Europe - destroying republics - liberty and human happiness. We are brought, by it to touch the confines of a land steeped with blood, oppression and crimes. In a word, it brings to the people of these states, with all the rest of its actual and prospe tive evils, a co-operation in the war, if not a general alliance, with France against Eng land. With what anxious forebodings must every heart be torn, that thinks upon a war which not only cuts us off from so many positive blessings, but launches this safe and happy people into the vortex of European broils - into wars, which twenty years of blood and devastation, have but served to in} furiate, extend and perpetuate. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."