These days, when public complaints about politics, the media, and rising prices abound, turning back our attention 250 years ago reveals a time…when public complaints about politics, the media, and rising prices also abounded. Some things never change, I guess.
The October 31, 1771 issue of the Maryland Gazette reprinted a letter from London’s Publick Advertiser. Anonymously penned by “Manlius,” it started with a lament about “the Temper of the Times into which we have fallen.” The author griped that “An evil Spirit seems to have gone forth to tempt us by every hellish Art to hate our own Felicity; to haunt us with the Dread of Grievances that do not exist; to make us clamorous for Remedies when there are no Diseases to be cured; or such only as could not be tampered with without endangering the most perfect System of equal Liberty that ever blessed a Community.”
While history was full of “Instances of Nations driven into Madness by the Cruelty of Oppression,” that was not then the case in England. Instead, Manlius wrote, “it is the singular Situation of us, at present, that we have been made mad by an Impatience of all legal Restraint, and a wanton Abuse of Freedom. We see the Minds of a certain Rank of Men in the Capital poisoned to such a Degree, that far from being ashamed of resisting subordinate Authority, they even glory in their audacious Insults of Government itself: And if the Infection hath not, as yet, spread through the distant Counties, God knows how soon the Activity of bad, and the Inattention of good Men may compleat the Mischief. Contempt, nay even Defiance of the judicial, the legislative, and the executive Branches of Government, is made the very Test of Patriotism.”
Manlius continued: “Things are now come to that Pass, that the Law itself is pressed into the Service of those who deserve most to feel it’s Justice; and every Attempt to have Recourse to it, to punish past Transgressions, by some unaccountable Fatality, lays the Foundation of fresh Complaints against Government, and of more daring Attacks on the Constitution. But all this Extravagance of Sedition would be as unavailing in its Consequences, as the Ringleaders of it are profligate and despicable in their Characters; if there had not been Combinations of Men, from whose fairer Fame, more enlarged Views, and elevated Stations, better Things might have been expected; who sacrificing Principle to Ambition, have lent a willing Hand, to make the Flame of Faction burn more fierce, … careless in what horrid Scenes of Distress they involve their Country.” To paraphrase a quote often attributed (perhaps erroneously) to Edmund Burke, all that’s required for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.
Two weeks later, on November 14, the Maryland Gazette reprinted another Publick Ledger letter. This time, the anonymous “Rationalis” criticized the press for giving so much attention to politicians and their disputes.
"When in the Name of Patience,” he asked, “are the Publick Prints to have done with the Turpitude of Wilkes, or the Atheism of Horne, the Wind Musick of George Bellas, or the Honesty of Humphrey Cotes? Is the Metropolis of the British Empire, Day after Day, … to be persecuted with the Squabbles of a few contemptible Knaves or Fools! and is the Press never more to furnish us with a decent Dish, either of tolerable Entertainment or rational Instruction?”
All the media attention given to “Party Dissentions” and the “turbulent Roar of Politicks” had crowded out coverage of positive developments in literature and science, leaving the reader with nothing but the “Billingsgate Recriminations of an infamous Crew, which is equally disgusting to our Reason and our Humanity.” Rationalis concluded: “Give us therefore, Mr. Printer, as little as you can about these very despicable miscreants: If we must have Politicks, let them be such as will make the uninformed acquainted with the true Constitution of their Country; such as will really expose Ministers where they deserve to be exposed, and do justice to their Merit where they really labour for the Happiness of the People.” Less click-bait, more substance.
The mid-November paper also included a poem by C. Thomason fashioned as an old woman’s complaint to King George III about the state of the English economy. Looking back to “the Days of George the Second,” the writer remembered that
Rent then was low, and Taxes few, And all our Poor had Work to do: Provisions too were cheaper than Can now be bought by any Man: Then Butchers Meat (amazing Rise!) Was little more than Half the Price Of what, your Majesty is told, In London is at this Time sold.
Everything was cheaper in the good old days—bread, butter, cheese, beer, coal, shoes, etc.—and if things didn’t change, there would be consequences:
If Things go on at this bad Rate, Your People, Sire, will emigrate. The useful ones won’t here remain, But some will go to France and Spain: And others to America (For who to starve will chuse to stay?) They who are, any how, distress’d, Hate those by whom they are oppress’d. Because you don’t our Burdens move, You daily lose your People’s Love. And ’tis one Reason, Sir, that Wilkes So easily the Vulgar bilks. Rouse, mighty George, ere ’tis too late, And save the British sinking State.
The king’s “faithful Subject, Martha Bird,” simply knew that something wasn’t right. Until his subjects could once again buy five quarts of strong beer for a single shilling or get their porter discounted by a half-penny per pot, George was going to hear about it.
You can read the complete October 31, 1771 issue of the Maryland Gazette starting here: https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc4800/sc4872/001281/html/m1281-1391.html
The November 14, 1771 issue begins here: https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc4800/sc4872/001281/html/m1281-1405.html
Glenn E. Campbell
HA Senior Historian
