United States oracle and Portsmouth advertiser — Portsmouth, N.H., 1803-07-23 00:00:00, page 1

for nothing is more natural for merchants whose ca
pitals are Imall, than to content tHemfelves with aft
in, the part of broker: or corimiffion merchants, to those
who can supply them with goods on credit ; and for
this very reason, England loft nothing bythe inde
pendence of America. Her immense capitals have
created a monied dependence, which,in a commercial
relation, replaced the supremacy she had loft iri the
government. The increase of capital in Amcin?,
frees it in some degree from that dependency, and by
furnishing her with the means of extending her com
merce, and even to offer capitals to other nations,
which know how to calculate the value of the mar
kets which file offers to manufacturers arid to the lux
ury of .Europe. ,
It will be readily granted that colonies beyond tne
ft# add nothing to the force of a nation, these are on
the contrary weak points, which are guarded at a %e
--rv gerat expenle, both in men and money ; efpeciahy
if they be in hot and unhealthy climates.
The quedion, therefore, is reduced to this, Far
France a Juperfluit, of men arid money great enough tojtf
tfy the fettling of a new colon, ?
Those which France already possesses in the Weft-
Indies and at Cayenne, are more than fufficient for
her wants, and even Europe, if they were cultivated
so as to produce all they are capable of. But how
are they to be cultivated ? Experience has proved that
the inhabitants of hot climates never work from want :
Force alone can supply the two great spurs to labour
L northern climates, hunger and cold, which nature
has placed in those severe climates. Hence slavery
^lone can fertilize those colonies, and slaves cannot be
',rocwred but at a great expence.
Os ALL THE DISPOSITIONS AND HABITS WHICH LEAD TO POLITICAL)
PROSPERITY, RELIGION & MORALITY are indispensable)
supports. WASHINGTON'S Legacy.)
Louisiana.
0
MEMORIAL.
ON THIS QUESTION, WHETHER IT BE ADVAN
TAGEOCS FOR FRANCE TO TAKE POSSESSION
OF LOU'3lA\m?
" Piejeuied to the French Government by Mr. LIVING
STON, tbs Ama ican Mimßa at Fans."
T ——o , ~
I HIS quefbon presents itfelt in two points of view:
Fnu, in the relation ot commerce and manufactures*:
Secondly, in thafe ot cue pofnive or relative force of
France.
Colonies do net etcire interest for their own fake, bet
only asrefpeCts the influence they m/y have on a nation;
&as one man alone is mere ufetul by remaining at
home, chantvo by removing at a distance, a wife nation
does Lek to colonize, until (he has a superabundance of
population which She cannot ufefully employ ip any
other way.
Though very considerable, the population of France
is very far from having reached the term which renders
colonies necessary : Her foil, climate, and local Situa
tion give her, hs a commercial, and especially as a
manufacturing nation, great advantages over all the
nations of Europe. The spirit es invention, the Hate
and industry ot its iuliabituins,place her in the tirft rank.
Tut thole advantages are wonderfully abridged by the
want of capitals Sufficient to make life of them. A rival
nation, greatly inferior in every one of these particulars,
has, by the effeft aluhe of an immerse capital, obtain
cd the Superiority, not only in commerce, but allo in
manufactures ; and these advantages, by increasing the
national fortune, lornifh it with the means of maintain
ing that very Superiority.
Capitals mcreafe th# number of manffaftures, by the
introduction of machines, by the regular payment of
workmen, by the reduction of the iutereft of money,
and especially by the pofleffion of new markets.
None but rich individuals can undertake those flow
and expensive (peculations, which often give the superio
rity to a mannfa^ure. A poor merchant cannot under
tike long voyages, returns from which are flow ; they
are reserved for the wealthy, who can give credits long
enough to tempt foreign nations to give his articles the
preference over those of other nations, which expert a
quick return for theirs. The want of capitals in France,
is Each, that no manufacturer has at his command a quan
tity of articles Sufficient to aufwer the demands ; and con
sequently no foreigner can oe fare to obtain from his
French correspondent wherewith to make his returns
without retarding bis vessel in port, or, at least without
being obliged to take a considerable quantity of articles of
uerior quality, picked up in a number of different man
ufactories, So that it lie commits any fraud, no one can
be charged with ,t. This renders the character of a
manufacturer of very little importance in the eyes of a
French workman.
This inconyeniericy can only be relieved by incre/f
--jng the capitals of manufacturers. It would be too
great a deviation from my fubje& to point out the
means of obtaining those capitals, but it is evident,
that they mult be considerably lessened by the form
ing of a navy, 'at tire expense ot manufactures or by
using the capitals of the nation in distant countries.
It is beyond doubt that capitals open new channels ;
Hence when a foreign vessel, especially if owned at
a great didance, fells her cargo in France, she is or
dered to take nothing but wines or brandies, because
they are the only articles which the owner is sure to
procure in Efficient quantities, in the fixed time.
In England, oh the contrary, he will find all forts
of goods in otic hour, from 'one manufacture, the re
putation of which would ftiffer if the whole fapply
were not of the fame quality with the sample. This
centideration will ever induce a foreigner to apply to
Rn Engiilh, in preference co a French merchant, for a
purcbafe of goods of the fame kind. Fence cargoes
are fold in France and the proceeds carried to Eng
land, there to be fold for articles which France might
supply, if her manufactures were rich enough to ans
wer every demand in a Iborr t ; me; without compell
ing the purchaser to have recourse to a great number
of manufactures. . ' ..
^l. XIII) SATURDAY, JULY 23, 1803.
PORTSMOUTH, N. H. Printed and Published every
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE TWENTY-SEVENTH YEAR.
Witch States
Portsmouth
point of view,to encourage the use of the riches
of France for that object ; considering the ex
treme fertility of the French Weft-Indies, and
their present situation of culture, those funds
will soon yield a profit. But as long as money
will command so high an interest ; so long as
the interior of the Republic Shall offer monied
men a source of speculation, and property Shall
lie in so few hands, it will be difficult to induce
the majority of them to difpoiTefs themselves of
this capital to fend it at a distance, and run the
rifle of the integrity of their agents and all those
whom recent examples have taught them to
dread.
Foreign coin was formerly introduced into
France through the United Provinces ; but the
present state of the Batavian Colonies, and the
losses they have sustained by the war, leave
but little h^pe, that much may be used in the
restoring of French colonies.
The United States possess considerable capi-
The Spanish part of Hispaniola was almost
uncultivated for want of Slaves. It is now pos
sessed by France ; and to render it of advantage,
it will be necessary to lay out immense capitals
in slaves, in buildings, and in improvements of
uncultivated lands. Others will be necessary
to make up for the losses of the French part of
that, not to mention the other Islands. Where
are those capitals to be found ? Men who tra
vel into distant and unhealthy climates are sel
dom wealthy. Those riches must therefore be
found in France, or in some country that has a
fupeifluity of capital. If they are found in
France, it can only be, to a certain degree, at
the expence of internal manufacturers. It may,
however, appear advantageous, in a national
tals in money, and productions necessary to the
restoration of the Inlands. ho great credit, in
money, will probably be given to the planters ;
but with suitable encouragements, there is no
doubt they will be able to obtain those produc
tions which must, wereit not for that circum-
Gance, be paid for in cash, and commercial {pe
culations of the United States will extend to
the French iflands,when the public and private
credit of France shall have been restored, and
when experience shall have convinced the peo
ple how unwise it is to eftablilh a revenue upon
foreign trade, while it is in fad collected from
their own citizens. At Hispaniola, a duty of
20 per cent, is paid upon articles introduced by
Grangers.
The duty is in fad paid by Grangers, and it
happens that fraud and the bad administration
of Coftom-Houfes, is as usual, a source of vex
ation for foreign merchants. But it is the
planter whofurnifhes the money, for this tax is
always added to the price, and even an interest
advanced upon it as a compensation for the vex
ation which the Captains experienced in their
commerce. What then is the effedof that opera
tion if not to take from the planter one fourth
partof the money which he had so much difficul
ty to get from France ? Or otherwise to flop by
that means partly the re establishment of the
capitals which alone can render the Islands fi
nally, pro&dive ? I fay finally, for it is folly to
believe that they will yield to France a compen
sation former actual outlets, unless it be after a
great many years. I will even fay, that unless
the ports of Hispaniola are open to every vessel
loaded with articles of necessity, unless the
inhabitants have the right of buying cheap and
felling dear, by encouraging the rivalry be
tween the fellers and purchasers, unless every
fort of vexation is removed, and Grangers re
ceive every pebble fectirity for their capitals
in the Islands, ages will pass away before His
paniola will cease draining France (fits rich
es & firength without offering her any equiva
lent return,
It is, therefore, evident;that if France had no 6-
ther possession beyond the seas, except her
islands, it might easily place all the capital of
which (he now can, and probably hereafter will
be a^te to dispose in a long fcries of years.
But if to all this, we add the immense poffef
fionsih Guyanna, her prodtiaions, and the cap
itals neceffaiy to carry the whole of it H its full
value ; if we add the fettlemehts neceffarf to be
made in India, if the design be to bring into the
ports hf Fiance that variety of articles which
invite exchanges, abd give commerce :ts due
a&ivity, we (ball find that one century at lealt
will pass away before France may want pofl'ef
fionsof that kind.
But as France has, like other countries, but
a confined capital, the only quellion is, inhere
(ball this capital be placed? (hall it be here? in
the Weft-lndeis ? at Cayenne ? in India, or at
Louisiana ? For it is obvious that what will be
placed in one of those Settlements will be at the
expense of another ; it is equally fo,that the na
tional expenditures will iucreafe with her colo
nies ; and that, in case of war, the points of
attack and defence will be multiplied in the fame
ratio.
Able fiatefm en have questioned whether col
onies were ufeful to a country situated hke
France ; but my design is not to examine this
theory. France has colonies ; fhehas invited
her citizens to goandcarry their riches to them ;
_atffy,ft
AI»W^ »%
t (hall presume further to lay down,how
ever paradoxical it may seem, that it is not
advantageous for France to supply herfelf
with lumber, even if she could procure it
from Louisiana. 1 havetwp reasons to of
fer: What lumber the northern Rates Idp
ply her colonies with i. paid for in molaf
fesand some rum. Ihe tint article costs
the planter nothing, for, were it not tor
that, this would be an nfelefs ptodudion ol
his sugar, and the second is but a very mo
derate expense for diflillatioq., If it ,, e
confirmed in America, mol,fes would ce
thrown away as, useless, and this was the
case when America was a British colony, be
cause French commerce does not offer any
other market for that commodity. +
It may therefore be said that the colonies
have from ,he United States, tumberjor noth
ing. Should, on the contrary, a feitlement
be formed in Louisiana for the fnplying. of
that article, every expente and outlet of this
ftab'iifhment, all the labour necellary to cut,
saw, and transport it to the place whereat is
to be fold, would be a real loss for the nation,
even admitting that the cutters and other
men employed, should take, as payment,
molasses and rum ; because their labour
would produce bpthing to the nation.
But it is certain that Lombana coul^not
furnitli a market for molal^s or "'"'• '"
only in New-England, (Northern States,)
that those articles are confirmed. Ihe in
habitants of the South prefer ardent spirits,
drilled from grain, apples, and peaches, to
those clißillcd from molalfcs-
The proof of this is found in the United
States. It is not from Georgia nor South
Carolina, that the Welt Indies are Applied
with lumber, but chiefly from the northern
Rates, where forefts are more scarce and
more valuable than in the South. The
caute of this is,that the Applying cflumber,
the mills neceflary to prepare them tor sale,
all these are the work of free hands, which
are Satisfied with a moderate ptice.
On their arrival at Louifiaha, the flames will be
employed in the barren occupation of felling the
large firefts with which this immen^ country is
covered, a labor but little Suited to slaves, for it
required being long accrhoried to the axe ; and
force and activity are feld ora found in slaves.—
They mull be clothed, fed and maintained, during
whole years before any profit can be derived from
them. What lam about to relate may feive to
determine that period, hi the Northern and Mid
dle States of America, the usual term of a quit,
rent lease is the new lands is ven ye«rs free trim
rent, and alter this the ieUee pays 12 bufyels of
wheat for every 100 acres forever. It ^therefore,
obvious, that the tirft ten years are considered as a
time of expense, during which terra the owner
requires no payment. But R the Southern State:,
new lands cannot even be given 014 on those terms,
because the whifye planter fcts a higher value on
his labor, and the clearing es forells requires too
great outfetsfor any one but the ow uer ofibe land..
vVho then will cultivate Louisiana with slaves ?
Who is the citizen willing to bettow large capitals
upon so precarious a property with the profpeft
of a distant return ?
It may be alked, why it does na thappen in the
Southern States? It is answered, frit, because none
are southerly enough to be wholly free from the
colds of winter, which renders savage life very dif
ficult to met, born in hot climates ; and secondly,
because the Southern States are mull!/ Surrounded
by the sea, and by, n|udnt.dns, the whole popula
tion of which is white, and which cut off the com
munication between tie slaves and the volt forene
of the interior parts.
But let us suppose all these difficulties over come f
what commercial, advantages can France derive
from the settlement ot this colon)' The produc
tions of Louisiana being the fame wph those ot tire
Welt-Indies, no advantage is to be reaped, for the
islands, being well cultivated, will foffice for the
wants of France,and even all Europe. Tae intro
duction,of those. from,rouifiana, would onlv lef
feu the price without ceding any thing to the val
ue, and ,Fr@nc^ would be obliged, to prevent the
ruin of those who had employed their funds in the
colonies, to imitate the Dutch, who deftrey their
Spices and teas, when the quantity of thele com
modiU^s in Europe is large enough to cause a de
preciation ot their value.
The productions of Louisiana, which do not
grow in the Weft Indies, are only lumber, and
perhaps rice ; but it is certain that those produc
tions, considering the difficulties ot procuring
them in a hot and enfaiubrious climate, will not
cover the outlets, or, lit.leaft, will not, yield the
fame profits as ,would be procured by railing them
in the Ifonds, in procuring the fame, or other
and more valuable articles.
honour requires that She keep and protect
them ; but (he is under no obligation to create
new ones ; to multiply points of defence ; to
Squander away the capitals Re has at home and
abroad. How could the possession of Louisiana
be ufeful to her ' In the iirll place, its cultiva
tion .s to be carried on,as in all waim countries,
by slaves, the captals spent in buying them, cr
the slaves themselves, would have been carried
to the Iflands,if this new channel had not opened.
This rivalry will rife the price of slaves for the
planters, and may thus much Retard the Settle
ment.
Price one dollar and fifty cents per ann. [Ah 4%
f 0 l S reasonably and conspicuously inserted— Commu*
< nications duly attended to -and every Favor thankfully acknowl
( EDGED.
Saturday Morning, by Will'm & Dan'l. Treadwi
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. FIFTEENTH YEAR.
Adirertisef.
®ratlk anti
gratton.
Black population will Bill left contribute
to the support of French manufactures, be
cause their consumption, in articles of dress
is very final! ; arid eveh in South Caroline
it does not amount to more than forty livres
a year for each negro. At Louifrana, v. here
the winter is Bill left severe, it will be re
duced in proportion.—lt will consist in cot
ton, principally worked in the country, and
Bill more fmuggleJ from the United States.
But if the whole were brought from France,,
after deducting the raw materials whieh mull
On the supposition, therefore, that the
planters supply themselves with limter in
a French colony, exclusively at Louisiana,
they would be forced topay for it in money or
o^-ds of real value. It the right of foppl,
is not .exclude, itis null beczufe the labour
er of a southern climate canned work ascheap
as the robult (of: el the North.
r It might bethought that molasses would
frill find a market in New. England, though
it were no longer the price of lumber :,—k
would be an error. They have no other
reason to take it, th^n its being offered them
in exchange tor an article for which they
have few other.markets. Let the colonies
refufe lumber, from the North, rjirits fowl
grain, apples, &c. will immediately be sub-
It toted to those trom sugar, because the pr : ce
of turn would immediately be higher. Then,
it will be that every fort of commerce be
tween them and the colonies will ceale un
lets it be tor provisions, which thev will ne
cellarily require to be paid for in money, or
in what will pals in foreign markets, for
money...
The second reason why France ought not
to get her Lumber from Louisiana, even
though (he might do it, is, that in case of
war, foppofing England should preserve her
naval Inferiority, no lure calculation could
be made upon receiving provisions ; and
they could not be fupplicd from the United
States, for that commerce having been a
bandoned since the peace, those whom it
then employed have fought other objects ot
indußry ; and saw mills erected to prepare
that lumber, are out of use, and will not
be easily set up again, at the renewal of
hostilities, so that tl)e misfortunes which are
the confequer.ee of it, would be doubly dis
tressing to the colonies.
It is therefore, very evident the colonizing
of Louisiana would, in a commercial point
of view be every injurious to France,becaufe
it would employ capitals which would be
mote ufefully employed in the other colon
ies ; because those capitals would lie dorm
ant tor several years and because admitting
they should become productive for indivi
duals, they would add nothing to the nation
al mass, and would have no other effect than
to lower the price of colonial produce, and
lelfen the price of their labour.
It might however be thought, that the
poflenion of Louisiana would afford one
more market to French manufactures, and
thus to compensate the expence of the na
tion for its (ettlcment. This question de
serves a particular examination, and the pro
visioning or the consumption of French
manufactures may relate either to the free
or bond population.
If it be the free class that is to be muffer
ed by emigrants from France, it will be com
posed of that portion ot the people, which
not only could support themselves in France.,
bur, betides, increase the national riches by
industry. For France is not overburthenedl
by her population, and consequently every
emigration will form a vacuum somewhere,
or abandon some ufeful branch which will
no longer be carried on. The emigrant
carries away with him a portion of the gen
eral good, in the mass of the productive la
bour of the mother cudntry ; he also carries
away with him a portion of the capital, tor
he never goes with empty hands ; and, as I
have already observed, ten years must pals
away before his fetlement produces beyond
his rirft neceflaries. He must at the fame
time,live with the QriCtett economy, for hav
ing nothing to offer in exchange, he receives
scarcely any thing from the mother coun
try, and the nature of thefouthcriy climates
requires very few of the articles necessary in
Europe. It is therefore, beyond all doubt,
that, as to the present emigrant, the few
articled furnilhed him by French manufac
tures will not cover the loss which the nation
will sustain of his own labour ; besides, he
will coofume much lets in America than he
would in France and besides his labour, the
manufacturer who Supplied his wants in
both countries, will be a loser by his cmi-