The History of the Insurrections, by George Minot

9

The consequences of the publick debt did not first appear among the citizens at large. The bulk of mankind are too much engaged in private concerns to anticipate the operation of national causes. But the members of the legislature, possessed of information, and led by the duties of their office to attend to this debt, were early thrown into divisions from the prospect of the burdens which it presented. The men of landed interest soon began to speak plainly against trade, as the source of luxury, and the cause of losing the circulating medium. The vices and indolence of the people were ascribed to its instrumentality. This was urged as a reason that the taxes should be thrown liberally upon commerce, since, if it supported them, the Commonwealth would be eased ; and if it failed under the weight, they would be rid of so great a cause of political evil. From such sentiments the prejudices against impost and excise duties began to give way, and systems were proposed, upon the opposite extreme, for raising the whole revenue of government by this now favourite mode of taxation. Commercial men, on the other hand, defended themselves by insisting that the fault was only in the regulations which the trade happened to be under. To destroy commerce would not lessen the multitude of evils ascribed to its means ; these would be introduced through the channel