Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-06-22
s2oM THE Nsw-yoRK GAZETTE.
OF LOUISIANA.
LETTER I.

10 think tneInicITeS III CANCER OI d lIdtCi-
nal hug, iuch as that by which Hercules
Is faid TO have embraced Anteus. We
have ieen publication in one of the Pa
ris gazettes, that is very explicit on this
fubjett. The object of France, as the
writer alledges, is TO curb the United
States, and prevent them from becoming
aoo powerful in America. We obierye
alto that Mr.. Windham, in the Britilh
Parliament among other objections to the
late treaty of peace, complains that 1t
places tie United States with tcrPent
at their ees''-Louiiiana being coded to
the French.
Having viewed this fubjea in different
points OF light, / have formed an opinion
very different from that which feems to
prevail. do not think that we fhall be
.crulhed by the vicinity of the French in
Loui6ana nor do | think that we fhall
be materially injured by their attempts to
refrain our settlements. On the contra
ry, deem it probable, and nearly certain
that we ihall be pro6ted by their malevo-
lence. Our fellow citizens at prefent,
are 1cattered over too large tract of
country-every meafure that may tend to
compress our population will operate in
our favor. 1t mutt be granted that while
we have vacant land, upon which we can
extend our tettlements, we never lhall be.
take ourGelvss efettually to ufeful and
necenary manufactures we never fhali
exchange the axe and the plough for the
loom and the. anvil. While we have plen.
ty of vacant land, we fhall import from
England or France Our clothing, and the
very arms with which we ihould protect
our property. In fnch fate Of Deepen
dence we are profitable to both thefe ma
tions. When land becomes dear and
icarce in the United States, we fhall be-
take ourielses 10 manufactures for we
have all the neceHary materials in great
perfection.
Ihelieve Ii is not conjettured that the
French are going TO drive us from our
prelent iettlements, or to claim the lands
that are ours by treaty. They propofe,
as they alledge, to prevent US from ex-
tending further to the wefward-They
will prevent US from covering too much
ground-they will compel Us to form a
thick iettlement; a circumfance that is
favorable TO inGru6f;on and, civilization.
Let us calculate the effect of this mea.
fare, 10 far as it is the lubjeet of politi-
cal arithmetic. The lands that are in
fome .mealure fettled, and the vacant
lands which are ours by treaty, cannot
be. eRimated at lefs than 7o1 900 fquare
miles. This would afford comfortable
fupport TO S. millions of people, at the
moderate allowance Of 50 inhabitants to a
iquare mile. Thirty five millions of PEG.
pie living in the fame country, fpeaking
the fame language, governed by the fame
laws, and accuaomed to the ufe of arms
what have they to fear from neigh
bouring and fouthern colony, or from
a nation 5000 miles difant 1t is a lhame
to ipeak ofdanger.
wiil,fuppoie the WORT that is like to
happen to the citizens OF the United
States.
The French Wet Indies will be fuppli-
ed with lumber and pgoviiions from Loui-
fana, and the European market will be
glutsed with tobacco and cotton from
thefe new colonies In that cafe we mutt
eat our own provilions and burn our own
timber; but we mutt at the fame time ia
bricate our own clothing and arms, for
we fhall not be able TO buy them at fo-
reign market. This would be a fortunate
change, for it would make us more capa-
BILE of repelling inful,s; and we lhould in
alistle time, be animated with fpirit
that we do not now poilefs in fuhicient
degree--the independent {pirit of a ma
ton. Itwould produce greater harmo-
ny of opinion among our fellow citizens.
n 4