IN THE EAST AND WEST INDIES.
443
office, and we need not apprehend he will fport with B o^ o k
this prejudice.     The moft rapacious of men,   and,
efpecially the American planters, facrifice a part of
their lives to hard labour, with no other view  than
to enjoy their fortune.    But there is no enjoyment
for a man who is branded with infamy.    Obferve on-
ly how pundually all debts of honour are paid.    It
is not an excefs of delicacy, it is not a love of juftice
that brings back the ruined gamefter, within four-
and-twenty hours, to the feet of his creditor, who,
perhaps, is no better than a fharper ; it is  the fenfe
of honour ;   it is the dread of being excluded from
fociety.    But  in  what  age,   and  what  period,   do
we here invoke the facred name  of honour ? Should
not the government fet the example of that juftice,
the  practice  of which  it  means  to  inculcate ?   Is
it  poffible that  public  opinion fhould difgrace  in-
dividuals for actions which the ftate openly commits?
When infamy has infinuated itfelf into families, into
great houfes, into the higheft places, even into  the
camp and the fanduary, can there be any fenfe of
fhame remaining ? What man will henceforth be jea-
lous of his honour, while thofe who are called men of
honour know of no other than that of being rich to
get places, or of getting places to grow rich ; when
a man muft cringe in order to rife ; pleafe the  great
and the women to ferve the ftate ; and when the art
of being agreeable, implies at  leaft an indifference
for every virtue ? Shall honour, which feems  to be
banifhed from Europe, take refuge in America ?
The court of Verfailles, perpetually led aftray by
the adminiftrators of its colonies, have always appear-
ed defirous that the payment of debts ihould depend
entirely upon their arbitrary décifion. They have
never comprehended that this was eftablifhing a fyf-
tem of tyranny in the New World. Ignorant, capri-
cious, interefted, or vindidive chiefs, may feled, at
pleafure, thofe debtors whom it may fuit them to
ruin. It is equally intheir power to commit mjuf-
tices towards the creditors.    It will neither be the