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Writing: A Remedy for the Country

A Remedy for the Country, § 15

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§ 15

The second proposal for reducing the exchange rate of the banknote against riksdaler, on the other hand, has gained more support and the most powerful advocates, concerning which I must, before I comment on it, sincerely declare that I possess capital neither in cash nor in banknotes, am neither significantly in debt nor a creditor for any sum and moreover occupy such a humble position in our community that my affairs and consumption are comparatively modest and that I am, in a word, in such a situation that, whatever financial proposals may be adopted, I will become neither rich nor poor thereby.1

I bring this up deliberately in order that the reader may judge from this to what extent I may or may not be regarded as impartial in this matter, for even people with the best intentions and the most honest hearts tend to depart somewhat, often to their own advantage, from the truth and the true interest of the country. I have also refrained as long as possible from writing anything on this subject and have left that problem to those more directly involved in business. After I have carefully reflected on the consequences, however, the instinct of restraint has no longer been able to prevent me from laying the matter before the public.

In order that the reader may now obtain a clear grasp of the main question, I undertake to prove four things, namely that reducing the exchange rate to 36 mark or, what amounts to the same thing, increasing the value of the paper daler by 100 per cent is first impossible, second unfair, third unnecessary and, fourth and finally, in several respects harmful.


  1. . . . sincerely declare that I possess capital neither in cash: In 1766, Chydenius was indeed a man with only small means, so he is without doubt sincere here. His situation improved in 1769 when he became the heir to his father-in-law, the merchant Olof Mellberg.

Original documents

Original language

§. 15.

Men däremot har det andra förslaget om Coursens nedsättande på Sedelen emot Riksdal. wunnit mera medhåll, och starkaste förfäktare; om hwilket, innan jag något yttrar mig, måste jag upriktigt betyga, at jag hwarken äger redbara eller Sedel-Capitaler, hwarken står i någon betydelig skuld, eller hafwer några Capitaler at fordra, sitter utom dess så lågt i wårt allmänna,2 at min rörelse och förtäring äro ganska ringa, och är med et ord i den situation, at ehwad Finance-förslag ock må antagas, blifwer jag hwarken rik eller fattig därigenom.

Detta anförer jag med flit, på det Läsaren däraf må kunna döma, huruwida jag må anses owäldug i målet eller ej; ty det bästa upsåt och ­hederligaste hjärta hos människor pläga, ofta åt egen förmon göra någon misswisning, från sanningen och Statens sannskyldiga interesse. Jag har ock i det längsta afhållit mig, at skrifwa något i detta ämne, och hänskutit bekymret til dem, som mera woro uti affairerna. Men då jag noga öfwer­wägat fölgderna, har återhålds-gåfwan3 ej längre förmått hindra mig, at lägga saken för allmänhetens ögon.

På det Läsaren nu uti hufwudsaken måtte ärhålla et redigt begrep, åtager jag mig fyra ting at bewisa; nämligen at Coursens fällande til 36 mark, eller som är det samma, Sedel-dalerns förbättrande til 100 proCent är 1:o omöjelig, 2:o obillig,4 3:o onödig och ändteligen 4:o i flera afseenden skadelig.


  1. sitter utom dess så lågt i vårt allmänna: har dessutom en så obetydlig position i samhället
  2. egenskapen eller förmågan att vara återhållsam
  3. orättvist

Finnish

§ 15

Toinen ehdotus, jonka mukaan seteleiden kurssia riikintaalereihin nähden parannettaisiin, on saavuttanut enemmän kannatusta ja vahvimmat puolustajat. Ennen kuin ilmoitan kantaani tähän minun on vilpittömästi ilmoitettava, etten omista pääomia metallirahana enkä seteleinä, minulla ei ole merkittäviä velkoja eikä pääomasaatavia, olen lisäksi niin pieni toimija yleisessä taloudessamme, että kauppavaihtoni ja kulutukseni ovat varsin vähäisiä ja olen sanalla sanottuna sellaisessa tilanteessa, että en rikastu enkä köyhdy, hyväksytäänpä kumpi rahajärjestelmää koskeva ehdotus tahansa.

Sanon tämän nimenomaan siinä tarkoituksessa, että lukija voisi tämän perusteella arvioida, voidaanko minua pitää puolueettomana kiistassa vai ei: pyrkiväthän ihmisten parhaatkin tarkoitukset ja kunniallisinkin mieli usein kääntymään omaa etua koskevien näkökohtien takia hieman syrjään totuudesta ja valtion todellisista eduista. Olen kuitenkin mahdollisimman pitkään välttänyt kirjoittamasta mitään tästä aiheesta ja sysännyt vaivan niille, jotka ovat olleet enemmän mukana liikeasioissa. Tarkoin seurauksia harkittuani ei luontainen taipumukseni pidättyvyyteen ole enää voinut estää minua tuomasta asiaa yleisön silmien eteen.

Jotta lukija saisi nyt pääasiasta kunnollisen käsityksen, haluan todistaa neljä seikkaa: nimittäin että vaihtokurssin alentaminen 36 markaksi eli setelitaalerin arvon korottaminen sadalla prosentilla on 1) mahdotonta, 2) kohtuutonta, 3) tarpeetonta ja lopuksi 4) monessa suhteessa vahingollista.

English

§ 15

The second proposal for reducing the exchange rate of the banknote against riksdaler, on the other hand, has gained more support and the most powerful advocates, concerning which I must, before I comment on it, sincerely declare that I possess capital neither in cash nor in banknotes, am neither significantly in debt nor a creditor for any sum and moreover occupy such a humble position in our community that my affairs and consumption are comparatively modest and that I am, in a word, in such a situation that, whatever financial proposals may be adopted, I will become neither rich nor poor thereby.5

I bring this up deliberately in order that the reader may judge from this to what extent I may or may not be regarded as impartial in this matter, for even people with the best intentions and the most honest hearts tend to depart somewhat, often to their own advantage, from the truth and the true interest of the country. I have also refrained as long as possible from writing anything on this subject and have left that problem to those more directly involved in business. After I have carefully reflected on the consequences, however, the instinct of restraint has no longer been able to prevent me from laying the matter before the public.

In order that the reader may now obtain a clear grasp of the main question, I undertake to prove four things, namely that reducing the exchange rate to 36 mark or, what amounts to the same thing, increasing the value of the paper daler by 100 per cent is first impossible, second unfair, third unnecessary and, fourth and finally, in several respects harmful.


  1. . . . sincerely declare that I possess capital neither in cash: In 1766, Chydenius was indeed a man with only small means, so he is without doubt sincere here. His situation improved in 1769 when he became the heir to his father-in-law, the merchant Olof Mellberg.

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