The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-02-22

Thief remarks have obviou;ly extended in
to the Ifcond qucition which nls been fur-
gvfed whether the trade TO ST. Domingo
ihould be ahfolutey rrohiSited. This like the
preceding enquiry vii. be found to rslateas well
70 the q~aiiip of the cargo, as 20 the pow
! er of arming. With refpeG to the fri OF
thote il has already been found necciIi-
~, to introduce dicrimina ion, between
thotc articles which are contrabapd Of war, and
thofe which are not 70; and while = has been
admitted that in the trade to 81. Domingo GER
tain reHriStions fhould be impoged upon the
iirit amounting even to an abiolute prohibitions
upon their expectation, it has been commended
that every other part of our cargoes lhouid be
exempted from the RESTRICTIONS Of orr ozva laws
We have alto admitted that the iu9ice we owe
TO the French nation inculcates upon us The
propriety of laying certain rearittions upon the
power of arniag merchant yeleis. But France
has no right TO demand, thpRStele rsRrctous
fhould amount to an Observation-Disclosures. Il
we reipect all heri ua rights. fAs right OF e,,-
aiming papers, and the right of conflicting
al veeCs, whatever be their cargoeS, that 20 20
the land of Hayti, Che ought tolsrnan content
ed. She has no right To expect that we ihould
iacriice our own intereRs 10 hers, that re ihOu,d
exPoie our defenceleis merchantmen 20 the al
tacks OF pirates. Yet this would be our lituGti-
on, If our w. India vefes were left without
their veiels asaint the Malays Of the E. India
COATS, and the corfairs of the Mediterranean
&whynot then aganft buccaneers of America?
1bsir number IS nearly as great their pirdtical
diipoht;on is equally unrelenting. The decree
Of gen. Ferrand (8th Thermidor, ! Sth YEAR an
nounces the great number and vtricty of thsie
robbers of the ocean; and the ioia of the Eve
iniurance Companies of Baltimore (amourting
TO nearly 100000 dolls. and principally attribute
So .Fr y IL. -
nation. The French too, will recolir5;, that
thefe fwarrns Of pirates have mauy OF them been
bred in their own colonies, under the pcruicious
Influence Of their own mj!trablc police; they
vii recollsGt too that the war in which the Spa
nIards are now ahout-tO he involved, will ct
many Of their veiltls adrift from the puyfuts Of
commerce. That ueceiTty having converted
them into pr'vatcers, cupdty will convert hem
into pirates; and that .hcir numerous and WIDE
lyeXtended Tortsinth Americana oatand Mc,li-
can Hands, Willie thrownopeRfor
and ADJUDICATION their rizes. The French
government will not and cannot then de-
mand that our veiiels fhould hc expoitd with
out defence in thofe feas. Their an2lcG de-
fires will be atisfed, If f.cb reh-i>jiors are
inpofsd upon our armed ve.Itls, a. may
ieclrre them in the full enjoyment Of their own
rights.
It follows, from thefe delu'tory remarks,
III. that the French have TO right TO demand
that we fhouid prevent the armnF of our s,.cr-
chant vefeIs. Cd. that their only right IS as TO
The relritsons which We OUGHT 70 iuDole.
Sd. that they have no ri-t. TO demand that
we !hould put any reHIi95olS uP@H cur car.
roes. 4th. that theft restrictions ought rawe-
yer to be imPofed from 4 candid view of our
own inteleGs.
Thi,dca will be more fully explained il a .i.b-