There is also in the same paper, of Feb. 25, 1794, another communication, in which the writer apparently takes an entirely opposite view, and quotes a letter of Joel Barlow to the National Convention of France, in which will be found some rather strong language. When one considers the place where these views appear to have been adopted, and recollects the horrible scenes of the French Revolution, which were even then being enacted, one wonders whether the French authorities valued human life as much as they did property.
ON PUBLIC LOTTERIES.
MR. CUSHING,
AS our Legislature have lately had under consideration a bill, for granting a Lottery to Harvard College, I beg you will publish what our countryman, Mr. Barlow, said on the subject of Public Lotteries, in his Letter to the National Convention of France. It is as follows:
"SINCE I am treating of morals, the great object of all political inſtructions, I cannot avoid beſtowing ſome remarks on the ſubject of Public Lotteries. It is a ſhocking diſgrace of modern governments, that they are driven to this pitiful piece of knavery, to draw money from the people. But no circumſtance of this kind is ſo extraordinary as that this policy ſhould be continued in France, ſince the revolution; and that a ſtate lottery ſhould ſtill be reckoned among the permanent ſources of revenue. It has its origin in deception; and depends for its ſupport, on raiſing and diſappointing the hopes of individuals—on perpetually agitating the mind with unreaſonable deſires of gain—on clouding the underſtanding with ſuperſtitious ideas of chance, deſtiny and fate—on diverting the attention from regular induſtry, and promoting a univerſal ſpirit of gambling, which carries all ſorts of vices into all claſſes of people. Whatever way we look into human affairs, we ſhall ever find that the bad organization of ſociety is the cauſe of more diſorders than could poſſibly ariſe from the natural temper of the heart. And what ſhall we ſay of a government that avowedly ſteps forward, with the inſolence of an open enemy, and creates a new vice, for the ſake of loading it with a tax? What right has ſuch a government to puniſh our follies? And who can look without diſguſt on the impious figure it makes, in holding the ſcourge in one hand, and the temptation in the other? You cannot heſitate to declare, in your conſtitution, THAT ALL LOTTERIES SHALL BE FOREVER ABOLISHED."
In November last, the Convention, in conformity with the foregoing sentiments, passed the following decree:
"Lotteries, of whatever nature they may be, or under whatever denomination they may exiſt, are ſuppreſſed."
In 1791 the Massachusetts Legislature granted to the proprietors of the Cotton Manufactory in Beverly four hundred tickets in the lottery about to be drawn, and three hundred in the next Semi-annual State Lottery. "Some people, out-doors," says the "Salem Gazette," March 8, 1791, "murmur at this as an ill-judged act of liberality; but perhaps they are not acquainted with the arguments which induced the grant. The disposition of Government to foster our infant manufactures is certainly laudable." This is unquestionably good reasoning; for, granted the premises that lotteries are ever beneficial, then there was no reason why aid should not in this way be extended to business enterprises which were to give employment to the people, as well as to schools and colleges. Employment must be provided as well as education. The Beverly Cotton Manufactory, Stone, in his History of Beverly, claims to be the first manufactory of its kind established in America, that at Pawtucket having been the second; and he also states that it was visited by General Washington on his tour through the country in 1789. The leading proprietors in this enterprise were George and Andrew Cabot, Israel Thorndike and Henry Higginson, men of the highest reputation in New England for integrity and honor.
From the "Salem Gazette," Dec. 25, 1812: