Westchester County, New York, During the American Revolution

Not a " single Wharf, Dock, Dyke, or Pavement, belonging "to any individual, was ordered to be made or " repaired," notwithstanding many of those who had been really thrown out of employment could have found renumerative occupation in such works of private concern; "but only such'' were thus made or repaired " as, by the constant usage of the Town, had " always been supported at the expense of the pub- " lie " -- in other words, at the expense of the taxpayers, the aristocracy of that peculiarly democratic and peculiarly revolutionary Town. One of "the "chief concerns of the principal inhabitants" was " for those Tradesmen, whose small funds, though " sufficient for the small purposes of life, yet would " soon be exhausted, if their resources were cut off" -- in other words, for the payment of debts, due by those Tradesmen to those " principal Inhabitants," which, otherwise, would have been worthless -- and Nails, and Ropes, and Baizes, and "Shirt-cloths," and Shoes, and other articles were manufactured, at the expense of the charitable, elsewhere, which were disposed of, by the " Gentlemen " who managed the speculation, to whom and at such prices as best answered the purposes ot all concerned. 1 Need there be any surprise that, as one of their countrymen has since said, without a blush, '' the people of Boston, " then the most flourishing commercial Town on the ■" Continent, never regretted their being the principal " object of ministerial vengeance;" telling us, at the same time, that the " thousands who depended on their " daily labor for bread said : ' We shall suffer in a " ' good cause ; the righteous Being who takes care of '" the Ravens that cry unto him, will'provide for us "'and ours'"? 2 Need there be any surprise, also,