The shepherd's contemplation: or, An essay on ways and means to pay the public debt, and to seat Congress-men on wool-packs. In a letter to George Washington, president of the United States of North-America, and to all the other genuine American patriots. / By Pastor Americanus, a patriot, and the poor man's friend. Pastor Americanus. Approx. 13 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 8 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI : 2007-01. N36162 N36162 Shipton 47213 APZ1022 47213 99039088

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Early American Imprints, 1639-1800 ; no. 47213. (Evans-TCP ; no. N36162) Transcribed from: (Readex Archive of Americana ; Early American Imprints, series I ; image set 47213) Images scanned from Readex microprint and microform: (Early American imprints. First series ; no. 47213) The shepherd's contemplation: or, An essay on ways and means to pay the public debt, and to seat Congress-men on wool-packs. In a letter to George Washington, president of the United States of North-America, and to all the other genuine American patriots. / By Pastor Americanus, a patriot, and the poor man's friend. Pastor Americanus. Washington, George, 1732-1799. 8 p. ; 19 cm. (8vo) Printed by W.W. Woodward, at Franklin's Head, no. 41, Chesnut-Street., Philadelphia: : 1794. "Dedication. To the members of the Philadelphia County Society for Promoting Agriculture and Domestic Manufactures. The following letter, drawn up with a view of making American wool our staple commodity ... is earnestly dedicated ..."

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eng Wool industry -- United States. 2005-10 Assigned for keying and markup 2005-11 Keyed and coded from Readex/Newsbank page images 2006-05 Sampled and proofread 2006-05 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2006-09 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

THE Shepherd's Contemplation: OR, AN ESSAY ON WAYS AND MEANS TO PAY THE PUBLIC DEBT, AND TO SEAT CONGRESS-MEN ON WOOL-PACKS. IN A LETTER TO GEORGE WASHINGTON, Preſident of the United States of North-America, AND TO ALL THE OTHER GENUINE AMERICAN PATRIOTS.

BY PASTOR AMERICANUS, A Patriot, and the Poor Man's Friend.

PHILADELPHIA: Printed by W. W. WOODWARD, at Franklin's Head, No. 41, Cheſnut-ſtreet. 1794.

DEDICATION. To the MEMBERS of the PHILADELPHIA COUNTY SOCIETY for Promoting AGRICULTURE and Domeſtic MANUFACTURES.

THE following Letter, drawn up with a view of making American Wool our ſtaple Commodity; and extend the Deſign of thoſe concerned in the ſaid Society, and in our National Manufactory—is earneſtly Dedicated, by their ſincere Friend,

Paſtor Americanus.

PATRIOTS! By this ſhort enſuing Scheme, you will perceive the ſubject of it, viz. a Plan calculated to thrive, without the aſſiſtance of the peculator's Bank, and the moſt effectual method of preſerving the Commonalty or middling ſort of the People, and raiſing the Poor, which is congruous to the doctrine of Equality.

To George Waſhington, AND TO ALL THE OTHER GENUINE AMERICAN PATRIOTS. Philadelphia, March 17, 1794. GENTLEMEN,

THE reaſon of my preſuming to addreſs you on the ſubject of the culture of Wool, is, becauſe it is a matter on which the gradual abolition of our National Debt depend, i. e. upon induſtry and population of America, as the ſame is held forth in the following obſervations. That this is the real fact, I ſhall now undertake to prove: ſo always, and provided, That you will patronize the following ſcheme— What ſay you, Gentlemen, to this matter?—Now this great principle of patriotiſm, I prove thus:

Permit me, gentlemen, in paſſing, juſt to obſerve, that here, and no where elſe, lies all the life of our true policy —To cloath and feed ourſelves, and our neighbouring nations. I take this as a poſtulatum that will without difficulty be granted.

Therefore,

Secondly, I ſhall, gentlemen, open myſelf fully on that important ſubject; not for the ſake of telling you a long ſtory (which I know the genuine patriots, are not particularly fond of) but for the ſake of the weighty inſtruction that I flatter myſelf, will neceſſarily reſult from our Shepherd's ſcheme. It ſhall not be longer if I can help it, than ſo ſerious a matter requires. The American Shepherd addreſſes us in this manner: He ſays, the reaſons for my preferring this Shepherd's ſcheme, are: Firſt, It is becauſe I want to ſee a plan for improving the preſent condition of the poor white people. Next, It is becauſe I wiſh to be beneficial to my country. Thirdly, It is becauſe I wiſh to throw my mite into the beſt public treaſury, and therein improve it.

Come—help me raiſe the ever memorable Shepherd's Hall, and the profit thereof will be commenſurable to your public ſpirit: yes, and will be your exceeding great reward. I labour not for myſelf only, but for all them that patronize the ſaid ſcheme.

He ſays, too, the poſition by me maintained is, that this ſcheme is more excellent, than the Yankie's Tontine bank; which is as follows:

Firſt, It is a ſcheme to increaſe the declining number of ſheep in America, and make wool our ſtaple commodity.

Secondly, The ſhort of the matter is this: Let it be ſuppoſed, that a number of well diſpoſed perſons appropriate a ſmall ſum of money each to the culture of wool.

Thirdly, Again, let it be ſuppoſed, that 6000 ſheep may be paſtured three miles round the Shepherd's Hall. Now here ariſes a neceſſary query to thoſe well diſpoſed perſons, viz. What will three years produce of the ſaid paſture be?

That the culture of wool will produce an incredible treaſury may be ſeen from the Engliſh manufactures. This ſcheme properly executed will make the American exports exceed her imports, which is the higheſt degree of our American patriotiſm. Q. E. D.

Again, let it be ſuppoſed, that government will be propitious to the ſaid Shepherd's company, and give them a tract of land, &c. And that government will lend them a ſum of money at 4 per cent. The reaſon whereof is, becauſe the increaſe of the people will by induſtry reimburſe the coſts, and populate or furniſh a barren part of our land with the beſt ſort of people. Three things are here very remarkable: Firſt, That the ſtate will thereby obtain 4 per cent. Secondly, That government will thereby obtain a number of uſeful people. Thirdly, That government will thereby thus obtain the mechanic arts, and that this plan properly executed will employ a number of emigrants, viz. Shepherds, Ploughmen, and many other artificers, &c. in all an induſtrious and independent city.

To conclude: The jealous Britons From the Maryland Journal.

NOTICE TO FARMERS.—HARRY D. GOUGH, has a number of fine Ram Lambs, of his broad-tailed Perſian Breed. Thoſe who wiſh to be ſupplied, muſt give information, in writing, before the 20th of April next, appointing ſome perſon, in Baltimore-Town, to recieve them, to whom they will be delivered about the 15th of September. The price, as heretofore, Twenty Dollars. Several gentlemen were diſappointed laſt year, by not applying in time; for, after the 20th of April, no application can be attended to.

Perry-Hall, Feb. 26, 1793. juſtly fearful leſt they themſelves ſhould have loſt their wool marts, made a law, viz.—That no Engliſh ram ſhould be conveigled to North America; a plain proof this, that we may make wool a ſtaple commodity, and out-vie England: juſt in proportion to the differential quantity of the land in England, and the quantity of land in the United States of America. All that I would be underſtood to imply, is, that when the number of our ſheep increaſe proportionable to the number of our acres of land; then we ſhall actually and de facto out-vie England, and thereby make ourſelves independent, or not depend upon England, &c. or not depend upon manufactories. It is plain, therefore, that our imports of woollen drapery will there by decreaſe, and our exportation of woollen drapery will thereby increaſe.

What has been ſaid, reſpective to the nature of the preceding ſcheme implies its importance. But the way to facilitate it will more fully appear in conſidering the formation of the articles of the company of the American Shepherds.

☞ N. B. Obſerve—that the ſubſcription money is not to be paid until the ſaid company ſhall be eſtabliſhed with articles, and a power ſufficient to take this matter in hand. When once a company can be eſtabliſhed, with a fund ſufficient to begin, there is no doubt but that it will have 6000 ſheep in every county in each ſtate: yes, 6000 ſheep in every American townſhip.

To conſtitute the capital of the ſaid company, ſubſcriptions for ſhares therein, at one Spaniſh dollar each, payable after the articles of the ſaid company are made, and when a ſufficient number of perſons have ſubſcribed, they will have the right to form the articles of the conſtitution of their company of the American Shepherds.

Any perſon, partnerſhip, ſociety, church, or body politic, may ſubſcribe for as many ſhares as he, ſhe, or they may think proper.

Books, for the purpoſe of ſubſcribers entering their names, &c. will be handed about by divers well diſpoſed perſons.

I am, with fidelity and conſideration, Gentlemen, your well diſpoſed, and moſt neglected ſervant, PASTOR AMERICANUS.
POSTSCRIPT;

BEING a ſhort caution and warning to the careleſs inhabitants of the United States of North-America, and miſcellaneous notes on the folly, ſhame, and danger, of our being dependant on the Britiſh, and other foreign markets.

Note 1. Americans! This—all this—is pre-meditated againſt you, viz. War and ruin, by the perfidious court of London. It is plain, therefore, that we ought to prohibit her merchandize.

Note 2. Our preſent mercantile ſyſtem is—that we depend on the culture of European wool; if ſo, then we are not yet independent! Is this common ſenſe? Is this a proof of our being independent? Is this the way to pay our National debt? Is this a prudent ſcheme? Whoever thinks ſo, muſt be little acquainted with independency, and domeſtic manufactures.

Let it be ſuppoſed, that the murrain among the European ſheep, and the peſtilence, or an epidemical fever among the European people occaſion the culture and manufactures of European wool to fail; if ſo, then the indolent Americans ſhall look to the culture of American wool, and ſee that they are all naked, the rich and the poor, and are not aſhamed. This being ſub judice it is only prophetic; and what is prophecy but a narrative preceding the fact.

Note 3. Being an extract of a letter from Calcutta, dated the 10th of November 1791.— We ſhould think that no cotton can be carried home from Bombay this year, and even the year following. They have had about Surat and thoſe places a moſt dreadful famine, which occaſioned an unheard of mortality among the natives. When this calamity will end, is not known yet: and thoſe of the inhabitants who ſerve it, will firſt think of cultivating rice before they meddle with cotten.

You cannot expect a ſingle pound of cotten from this country; whatever quantity we have here, will all go to China. See Claypoole's Daily Advertiſer, dated Auguſt 9, 1792.—I muſt add, that this extract is an apology for the preceding letter, and for the miſcellaneous notes added to it.

Note 4. Argument 1. It is argued, That if our American hat-makers buy imported, foreign Wool, and that the directors of our National Manufactory give a generous price for American Wool; then it is high time to make Wool our ſtaple commodity:

But the firſt is true; therefore alſo the laſt.

Note 5. Argument 2. If too great attention to commerce will ſoon introduce idleneſs and luxury; and though it may enrich a few particular perſons, it will impoveriſh the country—then our government will one day be a mere bankrupt.

But the firſt is true—Ergo alſo the ſecond will be true.

Note 6. Argument 3. By improving the productions of Nature, by manufactures, the national riches are augmented, and it is by carrying theſe fruits of induſtry to other nations, that a ſolid commerce is eſtabliſhed in a great empire. —The American merchant will make his own reflections.

Note 7. This—being the one only way to be independent of England, ought to determine your doubts on this head. Let this then, my countrymen, call forth your conſideration. The ſubject is public good, and certainly merits, by its importance, the attention of every perſon in woollen drapery.

Any perſon who may reject this ſcheme, is requeſted to produce a better.—That I do in Truth—what all pretend, and moſt men believe they do; I love my country.— This diſpoſition has moved me to do, what every man ought to do, to given attention to its intereſt, and to endeavour to promote its good.

P. A.