The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-02-15
ENQUIRER.
RICHMOND, PERJURY IS, 1905.
TRADE TO SIR. DOMTNe0-NoT

iNiNlI1CN|, fSDNOHHi Is, 1905.
TRADE TO ST. DOMINGO No. I.
No fuhca has given rife 70 4 more inpor-
tant debate during the prtfent ft..ion OF Con-
ereis, or 10 more voumircus difcutIions in the
publc Prints, than the trade of The American
merchants 10 this il!-fa.ed Hand none has
probably fuggeacd 4 greater 71,istr Of cuenj-
ons, or been viewed in a greater variety of
hShts. y was not to be expected, that cneC
ton which involved fuCh a diyerGty of RIGHTS.
fhoud produce pcrfea uniformity of opini.
CT: Nor was it 10 he expected, that our 90
vernr1ent would readily agree on any one ex-
pedlent to reconcile thofe conflicting intcrehs
What was due to the government of France ,
what was due TO the infurgeuts OF 81. Domin-
go! what was due to our own merchants !?
each ofthefe, was qnefion of great p:th &,
moment - each of them involved difcuiion
into the cftabliihed law of nations, and into the
actual tate of the interefed parties The do
cuments which have iuf been laid before the
Senate BY the Prefdent, in conformity TO their
reiolutIon or the 2sth January, have flied new
; light upon tome of thefc topics, and will again
provoke public invefisation. 1t is not too
late, then, to draw the public enaniry once
more upon this fubieGt however def1Itorv
may be the reflections, which are intended to
produce this enquiry.
The following fatls ten TO require no proof:
! that part of the Il1and fSt Domingo. was
coionyot the French government that fome
of the inhabitants revoltcd aeainft the colonial
government, and that they tuccrcded in their
exertIons; thata detachii.cffs Of troops, was
ient out by the mother country, to fupprefsthe
insu'rettion that after fome fuccefsful efforts,
they were overpowered by the inclemency Of
the climate and the force fthe enemy. and
/ they were compellcdto abandon there VOTED fat-
Elements; that this part the Hand hiIl re-
mains unconquered by France, and that it has
ettablIihed an independent government that
: the American merchants who had traded with
the French part OF the Hand, when it was nm.
der the iubiettion of France, did not abandon
tine traffic, when TIE Hand was abandoned bv
| the French troops; that by an arrete of Gene
raj FeTrand, commander in chicfat HiCpanioIa.
who reprefented the French government, dated
the 10th Ventofe, 9th year (1so4) this trade
was'exPrefSlyp prohibited ;tkatisthe trade ofeverv
part OF the llland, except from the Cape RI,
phaeI 20 Ocoa Bay that this srretc was alro
diregarded by the American merchants, who
continued their cuGomary traffic with the Br;-
e2ndS offs Domingo that part of this traf-
| nc even coniifted in tbcintroduGfion ofarms 2,
ammunition among them, without which thew
couidnotunder Observation-Disclosures main
tanned their oppofiton to the mother countrv
that partly to defend this trade, fome of them
even dGumed to themfeves the right of arnipo
their vefIes, and thus enabling them not onl9
TO retiE the agereilion of pirates, but the fearch
| ofiaw.uly conlmiiioned crlIizers of the French
I government; that in fome cafes this refiaance
was actually exerted that in all cafes where
the American merchants were captured by the
French cruizers, they were conhfcated : and
that in fpite of thefe obftructions, the Ameri-
meridian f g an 80 Il
profits, to continue this forciblc trade 70 St.
Domingo.
Several queilions arifc out of this natement
Had the French government right TO trob;5;f
this trade? That fhe had this right, is anna
rent rom lsqeraI b-ineioieJ of the laws of natl
ons. /. il ST. Domingo be confidered asan
/ independent foveregnty, Till it is TO be re-
collected that fhe is at war with France.
France would be entitled by the laws of ,y1r
TO the fame privileges, which fhe would derive
! from her going into war with any ofber nation.
But it is one the privileges of belligerent natl
on, thatino neutral power flIall carry to here
nemy any of thoie articles, which are deemed
contraband of war and among theCe, are arms
ammunition &c. France had then right tn
demand, that 70 mfcb of the American trade
with St. Domingo lhould be fufpsnded. az
coniilted in the transportation Of thefe articles
On this principle, the arrete of General Fer
rand may be couhdered as finple procl1mati-
ON OF war, for the purpofe Of Informing nsu-
trial nations that their trade with St. Domingo
NUT be placed under f1ch rearieions as the
principle of conirsband would impofe upon
them.
.Butthereisarofberp principle ,wtichgivesthis
proclamation Of General Ferrsnd new AFFECT.
ard conters upon the government which he re-
pTeients an unlimited power of rehraining all
trade with 81. Domingo. If that Inand IS njll
to be coniidered not as an independent fove-
reiGney, but as a colony or barf of France,
then by the principle Of fovereignty, France
would haze as complcat fuperinteedence and
controu' over any or oH the ports ofs-. Domin-
90, as TIE would have over any OF her European
ports. No one however will deny, that under
this power Of conroul is involved power OF
regulating and even 5robi5ifigg its trade, unlefs
4 has preVionay fettered its own power by
iome eoTirad with foreign nation. In other
words, no one will deny, thAt the fame princi-