Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-06-28

pie, his dileomhture will be aource OF re-
grer, and the fubjea Of commiieration.
Even as the leader Of a revolt, his;eonduet As
far as has been correctly developed, esihoes
powers Of mind, which in highes fations
would extor, admiration. Let Us then,
ATTRACTED from the queaion IS to the equi-
oty of his caufe, neither derogase from his
contasd merits, nor up3ualy exsegerate
his imperfeetions. " .'''.''' - 80
That Touhaint is entitled TO the conf
deration of the French government, will
cot be denied by any one acquainted with
the circumstances Of the colony, Tor fome
years paR. 1t is inconteilible, that bu,
for his timely interference, ard prudent
administration, this rich poHeGion, would
have been the universal theatre of deiola-
tion and anarchy. An immenle and vslu-
able territory has been iecured TO France
by whom BY the very man who is
now loaded by Frenchmen with CURES and
chains!
1t would indeed have been miraculous,
if Touilains, during the convulGons CT "a
revolution, had efcaPed the imputations of
certain exceaes. In fuch times ccnfure al
ways falls the heaviclt on thofe who are
mott contiguous and often on ,hofe who
are the mott meri.cricus. Hence we find,
that initead Of giving credit TO Touhaint
for the prcierva,ion Of the illand, the re-
which were conveyed to
France, were in open hofility to his poll
tical views. He is charged with the in.
tention Of fevering the colory from the
mother country, ard exercifrg irecics
of tyranny more hateful than that from
which the milerable natives had juf i'm
merged. At the very moment that he is
giving the Grongea pledge Of his iubier'
viency to France, France is engaged inan
immenie armament to fubdue him
1t was Immediately fore!een, that op-
petition on the part Of TouGaint would be
the conlequence. Of the refult Of this in
teretting ftruggle, various opinions were
formed. 1t was not however to be pre-
ditfed that the iGue would be fuch as is
now dHcloied. The conflict, both in do
ration and mitchell, has not eoualled the
general expectation. To what, it may be
aked, is its ludden termination to be al
cribed Two anfwers prefent thcmlelves;
one of which mutt be correct Either to
the weakness of TouGaint or to the TreG-
ebey Of bis enemy. With relpeet to the
former, our judgment Can Only be derived
from vague Information and conjecture.
We are ignorant of the amount of Tout.
faint's forces; but this we know, that
however diminutive they may have been,
their auxiliaries, climate and difesle, we're
efficiently formidable to give additional
duration to the CONTEXT. 1t might be ralh
poGtively TO afcribe the termination of the
war to treachsry on the part of the French.
Circumstances might iupport the faipieion,
without authorizing direct charge Of this
nature. We are therefore willing to wait
for further information, before we hazard
an opinion which, were it tree, would de- !
fcrvcdly blaa the military fame of any &C.
neral, however celebrated for honor and
magnanimity, or however humble may
have been the victim of his treachcry!
But it is important to notice 10 the in.
telligence which we yeferday publi!hcd,
the saalignity with which it is thrown out,
that Touilaint had friends in the United
States who had promlfed to " fupPly him
with gun powder, packed and fhipped in
-four barreis!'' The imputation is full
ofigrorance ard falfehood. Stupidity it.
fe!f could not have invented more clum-
fy accuiation-The French, with large
feet, and poHSaing the whole fea.board,
pretend to be alarmed leaf TouGaint,
hemmed up in the interior, and without
even canoe, houd receive fuccour from
the United States i lnfuferable nonienie
What ferves to heishten the ridiculoufneG
of this charge is, thar gun. powder was
to be conveyed to the negroes in the refem-
blance Of Rour. barrsls! Pray, Mons. LEI
,srt, was not the communication Of J4oHr
70 Touiaaint as much interditted as that
of gun powder? Would General lie Clerc
have fuffsred one American to deliver him
4 n 4 .onth>r a ~