1821.1 Notes on America. 
does, at no distant period she must in¬ 
evitably sink into her original insignifi¬ 
cance. Temporary greatness, resulting 
from the exercise of artificial powers, 
is not prosperity: a country may flou¬ 
rish, but not pi osper; a fact woefully ex¬ 
emplified in the case of our own, during 
the late successful, however ultimately 
ruinous war; when numerous indivi¬ 
duals by speculation suddenly amassed 
great wealth, but not indeed by the 
most desirable means, when it is known 
that the consumer during the war, from 
this very circumstance, paid from 
one to two hundred per cent, ad¬ 
ditional upon all commodities used; 
thus enriching a few at the expense 
of the many. A country to prosper, 
must rest for support upon its own re¬ 
sources; prosperity having no value 
without permanency , which can in no 
case result from foreign trade. 
A temporary and artificial benefit, 
however specious, is deceptive, and in 
reality valueless. Like the glaring me¬ 
teor, it excites only momentaiy admira¬ 
tion and astonishment, but is of no other 
use; or like the majestic, and seemingly 
glorious ascent of the balloon, raisedal- 
together by artificial powers, a mere 
spectacle to gaze at; but soon, very soon, 
it returns from the region of the skies 
to its native element without real be¬ 
nefit, without having effected any va¬ 
luable purpose whatever. 
Humbling, as is the consideration, to 
the aspirant after sudden wealth, to 
the would-be-great, nothing is more 
certain than that permanent prosperity 
is to be effected alone by every-day 
means; and that neither the sudden 
yreatness of states, nor sudden rise of 
individuals, is compatible with the or¬ 
dinary course of things, or, in general, 
with their own permanent prosperity. 
Agriculturists, manufacturers, mer¬ 
chants and traders of Great Britain, the 
cause of your sufferings is ascertained, 
the remedy in your power: simply re¬ 
gulate supply by demand : of yourselves 
unite to do it: or you must be compelled 
to do so by legislative enactments, 
otherwise your universal ruin must 
ensue. Advantageous commerce alone, 
is the only commerce desirable te you 
or to the nation; and no commerce 
can be beneficial, in a public or private 
sense, when the supply is greater than 
the demand, or when it can easily be 
made so by the avaricious and unre¬ 
strained competition of those who ma¬ 
nufacture by machinery. 
Tq the Editor of the Monthly Magazine . 
SIR, 
HERE appears to be a perverse 
disposition in many of the public 
writers of this country, and particular¬ 
ly in those connected with the periodi¬ 
cal press, to abuse the inhabitants and 
misrepiesent the present situation of 
the United States of America. This 
disposition is exceedingly to be deplored, 
because it tends to foment animosities 
between countries whose best interests 
depend upon the most amicable com¬ 
munication, and a reciprocal inter¬ 
change of commodities, scientific infor¬ 
mation, amUfriendly offices. 
It is truly surprising to observe the 
unblushing effrontery with which as¬ 
sertions are so roundly made in some 
of the public prints, relative to this 
young and rising giant of the west. 
Some of these are the offspring of a 
few disappointed emigrants, who have 
returned from that land of promise, 
not finding mines of gold; but to their 
just and merited mortification, that 
idleness is not a productive commo¬ 
dity, and that America is not the 
country for those who ar e fruyes consu¬ 
lt) ere noti. No, sir, America does not 
want idlers without money or without 
principle; and he who emigrates not 
possessing these two commodities, or 
the disposition to acquire the first by 
labour, will certainly on emigrating 
to that country be most grievously 
disappointed. 
It is to be lamented that the duty 
of labour is not more particularly 
inculcated in this as well as other civi¬ 
lized states, by more positive and direct 
instruction; and particularly so upon 
the young and rising generation. It 
has occurred to me that some such axi¬ 
oms (for axioms I presume they are or 
ought to be) as the following, may be 
very beneficially impressed upon all 
classes of society in their outset of life ; 
and that if persevering!y taught in our 
schools they must produce the most 
beneficial results, not only in youth, 
but in manhood, and throughout the 
whole period of life. 
No person has a right to live by the 
labour of another , if able to labour 
himself. 
It is the duty , therefore , of every 
member of a state to support himelfi 
and those who are immediately depen¬ 
dent on him , by his own labour. 
The exceptions fo this rule are, the 
impossibility of obtaining employment, 
infancy, 
