But there is another thought which ought to strike us, which is, how
is the army to bear the want of food, clothing and other
necessaries? The man who is at home, can turn himself a thousand ways,
and find as many means of ease, convenience or relief: but a soldier's
life admits of none of those: their wants cannot be supplied from
themselves: for an army, though it is the defence of a state, is at
the same time the child of a country, or must be provided for in every
thing.
And lastly, the doctrine is false. There are not three millions of
people in any part of the universe, who live so well, or have such a
fund of ability, as in America. The income of a common laborer, who is
industrious, is equal to that of the generality of tradesmen in
England. In the mercantile line, I have not heard of one who could
be said to be a bankrupt since the war began, and in England they have
been without number. In America almost every farmer lives on his own
lands, and in England not one in a hundred does. In short, it seems as
if the poverty of that country had made them furious, and they were
determined to risk all to recover all.
Yet, notwithstanding those advantages on the part of America, true
it is, that had it not been for the operation of taxes for our
necessary defence, we had sunk into a state of sloth and poverty:
for there was more wealth lost by neglecting to till the earth in
the years 1776, '77, and '78, than the quota of taxes amounts to. That
which is lost by neglect of this kind, is lost for ever: whereas
that which is paid, and continues in the country, returns to us again;
and at the same time that it provides us with defence, it operates not
only as a spur, but as a premium to our industry.
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