Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-07-12

with lumber, but chiefly from the north
ern Gates, where foreRs are more fcarce
and more yaluable than in the fouth.--
The eaufe of this is, that the furplyicg
Of lumber, the mills neceiiary TO prepare
them for falc, all thele are the work of
free hands which are fatished with mo-
derate price.
/ fhall prefsme further TO lay down.
showever paradoxical it may ieem, that il
is not advantageous for France TO iupply.
herlelf with lumber, even if ihe could pro-
cure it from Loui6ana. | have two rea-
fons to offer What lumber the northern
eates fupply her colonies with, is paid for
in moIaaes and iomc rum. The hra ar.
ticle COTS the planter nothing, for, were
it not for that. this would be an ufelefs
production Of bis lugar, and the fecoud is
but very moderate expence for dittilla-
ton. Ifit were coafomed in America,
| rsoiaaes would be thrown away as ulelsis,
and,this was The cafe when America was
Britih colony, becaule French commerce
does not ofer any other market tor that
comnlodity.
1t may, therefore, be faid, that the CO..
lonies have from the. United States, lumber
FIR aetbirg. Should, on the contrary,
iettlement be formed in Louiiiana for the
npplying Of that article, every expenie
and outiet Of this eitablifhment, all the Ia
Dor neceGary to cut, iaw, and tranfport it
to the place where it is to be fold, would
be- real lois for the nation, even admit
ting that the cutters and other men employ
ed, ihould take, as payment, molades and
rum becaufe their labor would produce
nothing TO the nation.
But it is certain that Louiiiana could
|'not fusnith marker for moiafss or RUIZ.
Il IS only in New England (northern
ifates,) that thofe articles arc confuned.
The inhabitants of the fouth prefer ardent
ipiri,s, di&ilIed from grain, apples and
peaches, TO thoie difilled from molaiies.
On the iuPpofition, therefore, that the
planters iupply tbemfelves with lumber-ii'
French colony, excluGvcly at Louilians,
they would be forced to pay for it-in mo-
ney or objects of real value. Ifthe right
of iupply is not exclutive, it is null, be
caufe the lahorer Of the ionthern climate
cannot work as cheap as the robuf ION Of
the north.
1t might be tho't that molages would
Fill find marker in New England, tho
it were no longer the price of lumber. 1t
would be an error. They have no other
reafon to take it, than its being offered
them in exchange for an article Tor which
they have few other markets. Let the
colonies refufe lumber, from the north,
1pifits from grain, apples, sc. will imme-
diasely be fubfituted 60 theie from iugar,
becaule the price of rum would immedi.
ately be higher. Then il will be that eve-
ry fort. Of commerce between them and
the colonies will teafe, unlefs it be for pro-.
vitions, which they will nscedarily re-
qulre to be paid for in money, or in what
will pzfs in foreign markets, fur money.
The fecond rcaion why France ought
not to get her lumber from Louiiiana, even
though ihe might do it, is, thar, in. cafe
Of war, fuppodng Enghnd ihould prsierve
her naval fpperioiity, no fare calculations
could be made upon receiving proviGons
and they could not be fdppIisd from the
United States, fer that commerce having
been abandoned Gnce The peace, thofe
whom it then employed have fought other
objects Of indu&ry; and faw- mills erected
to prepare that lumber, are ont of ufe,
and will not esily be fet up again at the
renewal of boailities, 70 thar the misior-
tunes which are the coniequence Of it
would be doubly diftreaing TO the colo
nies.
1t is therefore very evident the colo
nizing of Loulfana would, in CONNER
cidl point of view, be very injurious TO