Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-09-24


LOUISIANA OR THE FLORlDAS.
The vast region OF Louisiana, were it
,freeivs given to the United States, on can
di;tion off their taxing Vigorous measures for
ITS Speedy settlement, would, IN respect to
the particular interests of the Eastern and
Middle States, prove a baneful gift. e 1t
would check the growth of their population;
it would drain away their men and their
money; it woulsl increase the scarcity Of
labourers it wouldfeouce the value oftheir
real estates; and, in almost every respect,
il would iniure their agricultural and ma
nufacturing interests. at the same time, 1t
would tend to lessen, and finally to destroy
their political weight in the general scale.
MIR. Livingston uses the following con-
elusive and forcible reasoning on this sub
feet with the French government. /" Il
it be the free class that is to be mustered
bv emigrations from France, it will be COM
posed Of that class of the people, which
not only could support thcmselvesln France,
but bedses, increase the national riches by
their industry For France is not over
burthencd by her population; and conse-
quently every emigration will form vac
cum somewhere, orabandom some useful
branch, which will no longer be carried on.
The emigrant carries away with him a por-
ton ofthc general good, in the mass of the
productive labour Of the mother country;
he also carries away with him portion of
the capital, for he never goes with empty
hands"
This reasoning applies with more than
treble force, in exposing the injurious and
fatal consequences of large emigrations
from the Eastern and Middle States of the
Union. Already they have felt the mis-
chiefs of such enligrations. Immense null
titudes have already emigrated toward the
waters ofthe Mississippi and the Ohio. Al
most every man among those multitudes
took eff money with him; and some OF
them large sums. Their capitals are want
ed at home; and the aggregate mass of
their productive industry is wanted still
more. Labourers are scarcer even than
money; farming labour is now dearer than
it was in times past, when money was much
plentier, and land-produce much higher.
This has operated as heavy discourage
ment upon agriculture. 1 am creditably
informed that, even in Connecticut, there
are farms, which, this very year, lie en-
tirely or almost uncultivated for want of Ia
bourers indeed it is a fact, that at the pre-
sent rates of iand-produce and Of labour,
the produce OF middling farm would but
little more than pay for the work, which ne
cessity requires to be done upon it. This
great and serious evil would be much IN
creased by settling Louisiana. 1t would
open fresh drains upon the inhabitants of
the old States. The rage of emigration
from the East towards the Western waters
had begun to subside; but attempts to set
tie Louisiana would revive it and carry it
to a greater extent than ever. Louisiana
sold BY government to companies ofland-
iobbers, would rouse to action fresh hosts
of speculators. Every cunning and every
seductive. art would be used to allure men
from home and to win their money. The
exemption from taxes, the mildness OF the
climate, the cheapness and richness OF the
lands, together with other favourable cir
cumstances, would be painted in glaring
colours. That region would be represent
ed as the garden of America, as possessing
the charms Of Eden; such exertions OF
cunning SPECTATORS, traversing the whole
country to sell theirs lands, could not fail
of succeeding. Enterprizlng young men
would ,emisrate to a country, that should
promise them wealth on the easiest terms.
Monied men would invest part of their
capital in this new land of speculation, or
perhaps would go personally, carrying with
them all their fortunes, and drawing after
them numbers of their dependents, neigh
bours and acquaintance. The sons of la
bour and toll, who get their living by the
sweat of their faces, and are the most ne