1792. statistical notices of N. America, 224 
“the merchant, and too ready to run that credit beyond 
their means. Our merchants, themselves, however, 
are much more generally in debt to foreigners than 
the people are to them. Our cities and towns are 
filled with merchandise, as if we were a wealthy and 
commercial people. We are not a commercial 
people ; and we ought not as yet to attempt to be- 
come so. We may have trade to the value of our 
bulky exports ; but this will not be great. An ex~ 
tensive commerce can be supported in a country like 
this, only by manufactures ; and it is’ too early to 
introduce them with succefs in America. The ease 
with which the poor can procure lands in the back 
country, will, by taking off the hands, necefsarily 
make the price of labour too high to render manu- 
factures practicable, for at least a century to come. 
We ought then to have but few merchants, and like 
many of the ancient republics, to turn our attention 
chiefly to,the culture of the soil. We ought to live 
in that frugal way that is proper for hufbandmen, and 
safest for republicans. But .our fathers, coming 
from a commercial country, have introduced ideas 
different from those that would perhaps best suit our 
real state of society. Whatever estimation, however, 
may be made of these reflections, certain it is oir 
merchants have imported beyond their abilities; and. 
foreigners, deceived with regard both to our pover- 
ty and wealth, have poured in upon us such a de- 
luge of merchandise, as must necefsarily multiply 
bankruptcies, and make our own traders appear more 
difhonest than they are. Deceived, I say, with re- 
gard both to our poverty and wealth; for while some 
