The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-09-05
DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.
LOUISIANA REMONSTR ANCE.
To THE
OF THE UNITED STATES
IN SENATE AND
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
CONN ENED.


WE the Subscribers, Planters, Merchants and
other inhabitants of Louiiiana, respectfully ap-
proach the Legislature ofthe United States, with
memorial of our rights, remembrance againit
certaii laws which contravene them, and a petit
ton for that redrefs TO which the laws of nature
fanctioned by poitive POPULATIONS, have entitled
us.
Without any agency III the events which have
annexed our country to the United States, we
yet coniidered them as fortunate, and thought
our liberties fecured, even before we knew the
terms of the cefiion. Perfuaded hat free peo-
pie would acquire territory only to- extend the
beihngs of freedom-that an enlightened nation
would never deitroy thofe principles on which
its government was founded-and that their re-
prefentatives would difdain to become the in
ttruments of oppreifion, we calculated with GER
tanty, that their frtt act of fDvereignty would
be a communication of all the blefiings they en-
ijoyed, and were the lefs anxious to know on
what particular terms we were received. 1t was
early underfood that were to be American
citizens this fatisfied our wihes, it implied
every thing could deire, and filed us with
that happnef5 which aries from the anticipated
enjoyment of right long withheld. We knew
that it was impoiiible to be citizens Of the Uni
ted States, without enjoying psrional freedom,
protection of property, and, above ALL the privi-
leges of a free representative government, and
did not therefore imagine that we could be de-
prived of thefe rights, even if there ihould have
exited no promfe to impart them yet it was
with iome iatisfa6tion we found theic objects ie-
cured to us by the liquidation of treaty ; and
the faith of Congrefs pledged to us for their un-
interrupted enjoyment: we expected them from
your magnanimity, but were not Duplicated to
lee them fecured to us as right, and guaran-
teed by tolemn engagements.
With a firm periuatlOn that thefe enC3re-
ments would be facredly fulfilled, we pafed u,-
der your jiurfdiction, with Joy bordering on
enthuiafm, fubmitted 70 the Inconvenience of
an Intermediate dominion without rnurr,1er.
and faw the lait tie that attached us to our mo-
ther country, fevered without regret. Even the
evils of a military and abfolute. authority were
| acquiefced in, becauft it indicated an caeernefs
to complete the transfer, and place beyond the
reach of accident the union we mutually deiired
a Jingle magltrate, vetted with civil and militia
ry, with executive and judiciary powers, upon
whole laws we had no check, over whole acts
we had no controul, and from Whole DEGREES
there is no appeal, the fudden fufpenfion of all
thofe forms, to which we had been accuitomed,
| the total want of any permanent fyftem to re-
place them, the Introduction of new language
into the administration of Juftice the perplexing
neceiiity of uling an interpreter for every COM
munication with the officers placed over us, the
involuntary errors of necefiity committed by
Judges, uncertain by what code they are to de-
| eide, wavering between the civil and the COM
mon law, between the forms of the French, Spa
NTH and American Jurisprudence, and with the
bef intentions unable to expound laws, of
which they are ignorant, or to acquire them in a
| language they do not underftand-thefe were
not Hight inConveniences, nor was this a fate
of things calculated to give favourable impref1i-
ons, OF realize the hopes we entertaincd.-But
we fubmitted with refignation becaufe we tho't
it the effect of necellity.-We fubmitted with
patience tho its duration was longer than we
had been taught to expe6t-we fiIbmitted even
with cheerfulnefS while we fuppoftd your ho.
norable body was employed in reducing this
chaos to order, and, by your Legislative fiat, cal
| ling fyftem of harmony from the depth of this
confufed difcordant MATS But we cannot con-
ceal, we ought not to diiiembe, that the firft
project prefented for the government of this
country, tended to leileh the enthufialm which,
until that period, had been universal and to fl;
our attention on prefent evils while it rendered
us lefs ianguine AS to the future fill, however
we wiihed to periuade ourfelves, that further en-
| curry would produce better information that
difcuflion would "fablilh our rights, and time
| deftroy every prejudice that might oppofe them
We could not bring ourlelves to believe, that
we had 10 far miitaken the Populations in our "a
YOUR, or that Congrefs could 70 little regard
| dllC we WdlISu the GGllItJ WITH an ankle
| ty which ditance only prevented our expreE
dng before the paIage of the bill. After a fuf
pence which continued TO the Iaft moment a.
the fefiion after debates which only tended to
thew how little our true iituation was known ;
after the rejection of every amendment declara-
tory of our rights, it at length became law, s:
before this petition can be prefented will take
effect in our country.
| Difavowing any language but that of refpe6t-
fuI remembrance obtaining any other but that
which BELTS manly a6ertion of our rights, we
pray leave to examine the law "ere6fing Loui-
ana into two territories, and providing for the
temporary government thereof" to compare its
provliions with our rights, and its whole fcope
with the letter aud fpirit of the treaty which
binds us to the United States.
The firR fiction ere6ts the country fouth OF
! the SD degree, into Territory of the United
States, by the name of the Territory Of Or
| leans.
The fecond gives us Governor appointed
for three years by the PRECEDENT of the United
States, the fourth vets in him and in a council
ALTO chofcn by the Prelident, all Legislative
power fubje6t 70 the revifion of Congrefs-Spe.
cialy guarding againR any interference with
public property either by taxation or fdle And
the fifth eitabliIhes judiciary to confit of Sn.
preme Court having executive criminal and orr.
gina juriidi6tion 7Viibom appeal, for all caufes
above the value of 100 dollars; and fuch infer.
| or Courts as the Iegillature of the Territory