1786. Friendship Returned. Friendship Returned. LAUDIAN and Curio were two young 521 thing within what their profits would afford, and determined to fave a little from that, till their increafe of trade fhould enable C them in the fucceeding years to spend brought up to the fame business, under the fame mafter; but with this difference, that Claudian was the fon, the other the fervant of the worthy Morillus, and the former had a confiderable independent fortune, while the latter had no eftate but honeft industry. Some years fince, the parent and mafter dying, the young traders were left to them felves; Curio declined an offer of partnerfhip with his young mafter, merely because it was more than he could in reafon expect; and Claudian generously advanced him a fum of money to engage in trade with for himfelf, as a reward for his difintereftednefs. Curio, who knew he traded at prefent with another's flock, and had only induftry and frugality for the means to repay the loan, and fettled himself in ease and happinefs, became the most diligent trader, and greatest flave to a fhop, that ever kept one. No debaucheries over night kept him in bed the next morning, and his doors were open two hours before, and at least an hour after any of his neighbours. Curio ved in his fhop, and knew no idle moment there; his conftant attendance brought him conftant business; his obliging behaviour, and the probity of his dealings, made every cuftomer a friend to him, fo that whoever once bought of him, never afterwards bought any where else. : The first year's ballance gave him pow er to pay his generous benefactor, which he did with the warmest thanks, and before another was elapfed, he was become the favourite of every worthy perfon in the neighbourhood and the fobriety of his life recommended him fo far to the clergyman of the place, one of the worthieft of his function, that he found no obftacle in the way of his addreffes to this gentleman's daughter. She had no great fortune indeed, nor could our young trader expect much; the good-will of her father he thought a fufficient portion, whofe good opinion of his fon-in-law was fo great, that he readily agreed to all he gave his daughter being thrown into trade, and that procured the young man a larger flock than he could otherwife have commanded, while the goodwill every man in the parish owed the father, made them take a pleasure in obliging him. His better fortune made no alteration in his temper; he naturally indeed entered on a fomewhat more expenfive way of living on his having a wife, but he was as frugal and as prudent as himself, and they foon calculated a certain ftandard of expence, fome. lib. Mag. October, 1786. without being more extravagant. It is eafy to conceive, that fuch a family muft fave money yearly; and in fhort the end of the fecond year faw them worth more than from fuch a capital, and from fo fmall beginnings one would expect--While this was the life of Curio, his young mafter, whofe easy fortune fet him above the neceffity of industry, was carrying on the fame trade in a yery different manner. He had eafily determined himself to follow trade indeed as an amufement for his leifure hours; but fince he thought he did not want it, defigned never to be very folicitous about it, but to do juft what he liked of it, and no more. He took an experienced fervant (as a substantial trader, who recommended him, affured him) and gave him good pay to take the trouble, while he had no fhare in any part of the bufinefs, but in the profits of it. It is the most dangerous of all errors, though too common a one, for a man to imagine he can play with bufinefs, and do what he pleafes when his affairs are eafy without it. There is no middle state in the trading world: industry will bring riches, idlenefs beggary, nor is there any fettled medium between these. The man who does not think it worth while to be a flave to business because he can do without it, ought to do without it intirely. The fhop that is kept, will keep its mafter; but that which is neglected will at any time ruin even him that does not want it; and too often an experienced fervant is, to fuch a man, the worft fervant in the world. Claudian, however, did not abfolutely neglect his affairs of this kind; he ap peared every morning in his fhop; but at noon he dined at the tavern, and spent the evening as he thought a man of fortune ought. Every young trader has the unhappy imagination, that going into company is the way to get into business, and that the neighbouring clubs in most streets are half the fupport of the people who are the members of them. It is one of the most mischievous errors in the world to fancy this; thefe tradesmen do not confider that the master of the public-houfe or tavern is the only man whofe purfe is the heavier for these meetings, and that the people who frequent them are generally such persons as a fober trader ought to avoid having any dealings with. Claudian, however, was above all this clafs of people; the company he kept was with men of fortune, the young fellows of tafte and fpirit of the age; he frequented Uuu every 522 Treaty of Amity, &c. between the K. of Pruffia and the United States. O, every club of fuch, and foon got much of their cufiom. But the drefs neceffary to appear among fuch people in, was fo very different from the fober habit of the city, that this alone while it made him the adoration of the neighbouring apprentices, got him fo universally the distaste and ill,will of the fober part of the neighbourhood, that he foon had no other custom but that of his gay acquaintance. All this while an elegant manner of living and the neceffary fupplies for the fhop, called for a great deal of money. Claudian's fortune was all in cafh; he readily drew on his banker as often as he wanted; he contented himself with knowing that he lived very little above the income of his fortune alone; and as to what his trade called for, he imagined himself certain that muft be returned with intereft: it was no matter to him that no money came; neither did he know indeed, except at the year's end, whether any came or not: he thought it all the fame to him, whether he was paid to day, or a twelvemonth hence, and was fully perfuaded of that too common and deftructive error, that long credit alone gives a man reputation, and that the tradefman fhould never call in his money as long as he thinks it fafe, because it ftops his cuftomers from buying. Claudian feemed indeed to have all the falfe notions of the generality of our young traders; and too many in this city arè ruined daily by the fame; yet that they are ftil propagated among numbers as the fecrets of trading, is a truth as certain as the gospel. Claudian's affairs began now to run greatly behind-hand without his knowing it; but that which others plan out as a laft relief when they find themselves juft going, was now like y to prove fo to our young gentleman trader, without his knowing it. A young lady who accidentally came into his fhop one day, when he was prefent, took away both what the bought, and he tradef man's heart alfo. In short, Claudian watched her home. He was prudent enough, before he went any farther, to inform himself who fhe was, and found her to be a perlon of a good family, with ten thousand pounds fortune. As Claudian was a man of polite and engaging behaviour, he foon found means of introducing himself into the family; and as he imagined himself more than an equal match for her, he made it his firft ftep to fettle matters with her father. This man had indeed no liking to this fort of gentlemaan trading that Claudian carried on; but his private fortune made him appear unexceptible in refpect of money, and foon con vinced the old gentleman of the advantages of his way of carrying on business. He found leis difficulty to get the ladies confent than her father's, and all was harmony and good underflanding between them. The lover gallanted his lady and a i the family to all the public places of diverfion, and the eternal affability and good-humour about him, made the old gent'eman almost as much in love with him as the lady. Courtship is fure to be the ruin or happy fettling of every young tradesman who engages in it: if the choice be imprudent, it is ruin; whether it fucceeds or not, and even where it is irreproachable, the time loft about it, and the neglect of business it occafions, are not easily made up to a young man, All parties, however, were fo well agreed about the affair, that Claudian found no difficulty to get the day of marriage fixed; the bride made her preparations, and his taylor had his orders not to fail. When things were in this ftate, the lady's fortune was inquired more in earnest into, on Claudian's part, and his on her father's. No mistake appears about her's; but alas! the looking into his affairs on this occafion was the first notice the intended bridegroom had of his approaching ruin. His books were indeed full of long debts, and the cur rent account of cafh in trade was fomething confiderable; but his fortune was almost all drawn out of his banker's hands, and though he had much more owing to him than from him, yet his debts to his traders were not finall. The old gentleman, in confequence of all this, now refufed his daughter; the diftreis on her part, as well as Claudian's, was very fincere and affecting, and they parted with the fincereft agonies on both fides, nor could the intreaties of the old people prevent the young lady from engaging herfelf by a moft folemn vow, never to marry any other person., Claudian now began to new model his affairs, to collect his money, and call in his debts; but his fervants went off in the night with a great part of his ready cash. Many of his debtors were dead, many more dif perfed in the prifons abroad.-But his creditors were ready enough to make their appearance: they had heard that his treaty of marriage was broken off; they had heard alfo on what occafion. The confequence was, that they all fell upon him at once, and feized both his perfon and his remaining effects. Nothing now was left for the unhappy man to do, but to feek fome friend, who might take the management of his defperate affairs, and apply in his behalf to his creditors. Happily, in this extremity, he recollected the man he had once been generous to the thought on Curio: him he fent for 1786. Treaty of Amity, &c. between the K, of Pruffia and the United States. for immediately, gave him full power to act for him, and befought him to endeavour at bringing his affairs to a compofition. This grateful man engaged himself without hefitation for the whole, relieved his friend, took him home, called in his debts, and made up the remainder of the payment out of his own fortune, Nor did he stop here, but taking him afide one day," My dear Claudian," faid he, there was a time in which you were fo generous as to offer me a partnership I had no right to expect. My bufinefs is now as valuable as yours was then; but whereas you owed me nothing, I cannot but remeniber, I owe every thing to you my gratitude therefore prompts me to make the fame kind of offer at this day, as your generofity urged you then to do.- -Accept therefore freely, and without fcruple, an equal share of all that your goodness has enabled me to procure." It was not without difficulty, that Clau- A Treaty of Amity and Commerce between his H United States of America, defiring to With this view, his Majesty the King of Prufha has nominated and constituted, as 523 his Plenipotentiary, the Baron Frederic William de Thulemeyer, Envoy Extraordinary with their High Mightineffes the States General of the United Netherlands; and the United States have, on their part, given full powers to John Adams, Efq; now Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States with his Britannic Majefty; Dr. Benjamin Franklir. and Thomas Jefferfon, refpective Plenipotentiaries, have concluded articles, of which the following is an abstract, so far as concerns the States of America. The fubjects of his Majesty the King of Pruffia may frequent all the coafts and countries of the United States of America, and refide and trade there in all forts of produce, manufactures and merchandize, and fhall pay within the said United States no other or greater duties, charges, or fees whatsoever, than the most favoured nations are or fhall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, privileges, and exemptions, in navigation and commerce, which the most favoured nation does or fhall enjoy; fubmitting themfelves to the laws and ufages there eftablished. In like manner, the citizens of the United States of America may frequent all the coafts and countries of his Majefty the King of Pruffia, and refide and trade there in all forts of produce, manufactures and merchandize, and shall pay in the dominions of his faid Majefty, no other or greater duties, charges, or fees whatsoever, than the moft favoured nation is or shall be obliged to pay; and they shall enjoy all the rights, privileges and exemptions, in navigation and commerce, which the most favoured nation does or shall enjoy; fubmitting themselves as aforesaid. Each fhall have a right to carry their party own produce, manufactures and merchandize, in their own or any other veffels, to any parts of the dominions of the other, where it shall be lawful for all the fubjects or citizens of that other freely to purchase them; and thence to take the produce, manufactures and merchandize of the other, which all the faid citizens or fubjects fhall in like manner be free to fell them, paying in both cafes fuch duties, charges, and fees only, as are or fhall be paid by the moft favoured nation. Each party fhall endeavour to protect and defend all veffels, and other effects, belonging to the citizens or fubjects of the other, which fhall be within the extent of their jurifdiction by fea or land; and fhall use all their efforts to recover, and caufe to be reftored to their right owners, their vessels and effects which fhall be taken from them within the extent of their said jurisdiction. If one of the contracting parties fhould be engaged in war with other powers, the free intercourfe and commerce of the subjects or citizens of the party remaining neuter, with U น น 2 the the belligerent powers, fhall not be interrupted. On the contrary, in that cafe, as in full peace, the veffels of the neutral party may navigate freely to and from the ports, and on the coafts of the belligerent parties, free veffels making free goods, infomuch, that all things fhall be adjudged free which fhall be on board any veffel belonging to the neutral party, although fuch things belong to an enemy of the other; and the fame freedom shall be extended to perfons who fhall be on board a free veffel, although they fhould be enemies to the other party, unless they be foldiers in actual fervice of fuch enemy. In the fame cafe of one of the contracting parties being engaged in war with any other power to prevent all the difficulties and mifunderstandings which usually arise respecting the merchandize heretofore called contraband, fuch as arms, ammunition and military ftores of every kind-no fuch articles carried in the veffels, or by the fubjects or citizens of one of the parties to the enemies of the other, fhall be deemed contraband, fo as to induce confifcation or condemnation, and a lofs of property to individuals. But in the cafe fuppofed-of a veffel ftopped for the articles heretofore deemed contraband, if the mafter of the veffel flopped will deliver out the goods fuppofed to be of contraband nature, he fhall be admitted to do it, and the vessel shall not in that cafe be carried into any port, nor further detained, but fhall be allowed to proceed on her voyage. If the contracting parties fhall be engaged in war against a common enemy, the following points fhall be obferved between them. ift, If a veffel of one of the parties, retaken by a privateer of the other fhall not have been in poffeffion of the enemy more than 24 hours, fhe fhall be restored to the first owner for one third of the value of the veffel and cargo; but if fhe fhall have been more than twenty-four hours in poffeffion of the enemy, she shall belong wholly to the re-captor. 2d, If in the fame cafe the re-capture were by a public vessel of war of the one party, reftitution fhall be made to the owner o' one thirtieth part of the veffel and cargo, if the shall not have been in the poffeffion of the enemy more than 24 hours; and one tenth of the faid value where fhe fhall have been longer; which fums fhall be diftributed in gratuities to the re-captors. 34, The reftitution in the cafes aforefaid fhall be after due proof of property, and furety given for the part to which the re-captors are entitled. 4th, The veffels of war, pub. lic and private, of the two parties, fhall be reciprocally admitted with their prizes into the refpective ports of each; but the faid prizes fhall not be difcharged nor fold there, til their legality fhall have been decided acording to the laws and regulations of the te to which the captors belong, but by ་་ the judicators of the place into which the prize fhall have been conducted. 5th, It fhall be free to each party to make fuch regulations as they shall judge neceffary for the conduct of their respective veffels of war, public or private, re ative to the vefle's which they fhall take and carry into the ports of the two parties. Where the parties thall have a common enemy, or shall both be neutral, the vessels of war of each fhall upon all occafions take under their protection the veffels of the other going the fame courfe, and shall defend fuch veffels as long as they hold the fame course, against all force and violence, in the fame manner as they ought to protect and defend veffels belonging to the party of which they are. If war fhould arife between the two contracting parties, the merchants of either country, then refiding in the other, fhall be allowed to remain nine months to collect their debts and settle their affairs, and may depart freely, carrying off all their effects, without moleftation or hindrance. This treaty shall be in force during the term of ten years from the exchange of ratifications. (Signed) F. G. de Thulemeyer, à la Haye, le 10 Septembre 1785. Tho. Jefferfon, Paris, July 28, 1785. NOW KNOW YE, That we the faid United States in Congress assemb'ed, having confidered and approved, do hereby ratify and confirm the faid treaty. Witness the Hon. Nathaniel Gotham, our Chairman, in the abfence of his Excellency John Hancock, our Prefident, the 7th day of May, in the year of our Lord 1786, and of our Indepen dence and Sovereignty the tenth. I The Cafe of the Jerus confidered. Remember to have read an account in a foreign Gazette of a dreadful fire, which broke out fo fuddenly in a house, where a great many people were affembled, that five hundred perfons perifhed miferably in the flames: The compiler of this account fubjoins at the foot of the above melancholy ar ticle, that it is with fatisfaction he can affure His readers, all the above perfons were Jews. These poor people seem the butt, at which al fects and perfuafions level their contempt; they are fojourners and aliens in every kingdom on earth, and yet few have the hotpi tality to give them a welcome. I do not know any good reafon why thefe unhappy wanderers are fo treated, for they do not intrude upon the labourer and manufacturer ; they do not burthen the ftate with their poor, and |