The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 6 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 6 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
4. The individual subscribers, on paying their own five millions of cash
to Congress, become the depositories of ten millions of stock belonging
to Congress, five millions belonging to the States, and five millions
to themselves, say twenty millions, with which, as no one has a right
ever to see their books, or to ask a question, they may choose their
time for running away, after adding to their booty the proceeds of as
much of their own notes as they shall be able to throw into circulation.
5. The subscribers may be one, two, or three, or more individuals, (many
single individuals being able to pay in the five millions,) whereupon
this bank oligarchy or monarchy enters the field with ninety millions
of dollars, to direct and control the politics of the nation; and of the
influence of these institutions on our politics, and into what scale it
will be thrown, we have had abundant experience. Indeed, England herself
may be the real, while her friend and trustee here shall be the nominal
and sole subscriber.
6. This state of things is to be fastened on us, without the power of
relief, for forty or fifty years. That is to say, the eight millions of
people now existing, for the sake of receiving one dollar and twenty-five
cents apiece, at five per cent. interest, are to subject the fifty
millions of people who are to succeed them within that term, to the
payment of forty-five millions of dollars, principal and interest, which
will be payable in the course of the fifty years.
7. But the great and national advantage is to be the relief of the
present _scarcity of money_, which is produced and proved by,
1. The additional industry created to supply a variety of articles for
the troops, ammunition, &c.
2. By the cash sent to the frontiers, and the vacuum occasioned in the
trading towns by that.
3. By the late loans.
4. By the necessity of recurring to shavers with _good_ paper, which
the existing banks are not able to take up; and
5. By the numerous applications of bank charters, showing that an increase
of circulating medium is wanting.
Let us examine these causes and proofs of the want of an increase of
medium, one by one.
1. The additional industry created to supply a variety of articles for
troops, ammunition, &c. Now, I had always supposed that war produced
a diminution of industry, by the number of hands it withdraws from
industrious pursuits for employment in arms, &c., which are totally
unproductive. And if it calls for new industry in the articles of
ammunition and other military supplies, the hands are borrowed from
other branches on which the demand is slackened by the war; so that it
is but a shifting of these hands from one pursuit to another.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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