The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-01-11

that l doubt not yon viii adopt meaiiires for
re1raining il eiteciually in future"
Thefe are the evils we are called upon 10 cor
reef but let him az; whether the remedy was
OF nature to cure the diiesfe. What Shall
It b. permitted 10 every man. who can execute
bond, to WELD the arms of the nation Yet
this is the only circumstance required TO make
commander of an armed merchant vcael. and
this too in a time of profound peace. The evil
complained Of by the PRECEDENT, is that our
merchants have taken upon themfelves 10 arm
and force commerce. The obvious remedy is
to take away their arms. for then the evil no
longer cxif. II is much more eafy and more
polite to prevent the injury being committed,
than to punifh the party for the offence.
We are informed that armed veiiels failing 70
the Wet-Indies, are, fold with their arms and
| ammunition, TO clafs Of people, ii is the inter
| eft of the United States to deprcfs and keep
down, rather than put arms intheir hands, TO
do fuch extenive mitchell as is every day prasf-
fed in that ifland, to fav nothing of the feelings
! fuch conduit on the part of our citizens or peo
| ple among us affirming that character, might
| have on TIE government of France.
| Mr.. LoqYnd-J wiihed the gentlemen who
made this report would give the committee
| fome information of the ground upon which
they had hottomed the bill. When the Pref
| dents mefiage was received, he had tuppoted
| that the French miniiter had remonftrated H.
| eanft this commerce, and that fomethng was
required to be done 20 refrain the trade TO ST.
| Domingo. IF that is the cefisn, it will not be
anfwered BY the bill in its prefent form. You
here authorize your merchant vef1els 10 arm,
on giving bond and fureties: bond TO do what ?
why, conditioned that fuch vef1el flall not COM
nit depreciation, outrage, violence aeaint
| the vefIels or perfons of nations in amity with
| the United States. What is the fair inference
| from thefe words, hut that you fba'l be compe-
| tent to trade to St. Domingo in vefIels armed or
unarmed. IF in an armed veiiel, fhail they re-
fufe TO he fearched; fuppofe they rehft the
| fearch, What then Do gentlemen mean to eX-
tend this law to Spaniih vefIels claiming right
to fearch; for Spain is likely foon TO become
Belligereut power; if they do, how can we
preferve neutral petition? He was willing TO
do as much to preferve the peace of the nation
as any man. And fhonld think it the beft and
faircf mode of proceeding, either to declare the
trade TO St. Domingo to be lawful trade, and
in that cafe protect commerce by public force.
or fuffer the private fbippine to defend them
| ftlves. Or fay, that the trade to that ifand is
unlawful, and ntertict it at once and all toge-
ther.-Say then they fhall not trade to any part
of ST. Domingo (and this appears to be what
the mefiage pointed atty and you will effe6tually
refrain them.
| Mr.. EuRis faid, tina. depriving merchant vef-
fels of the power of aEming would We 10 deprive
them Of the capacity Of trading 20 ST. Domingo,
not of St. Domingo alone, but of Cuba, and ma
ny other of the Weft-India Hands as well as the
Spanifi Maine; for the number Of FINAL Picca-
rooms, employed for the exprefs purpofe of cap
turing our neutral and defencelefs ifliPs, would
render the feas too dangerous for our navigation
He trufted, however, that conerefs would not
abandon 70 advantageous and profitable a trade
As that to the Weh-Indies, but full convict
on that it would ultimately do more injury than
benefit to the United States. 1t is well known,
and the circumstances are too recent not to be
lin the recollection of every member, that during
the Taft European war, many millions OF dollars
were taken from our citizens by almoft every
one OF the begerent powers having colonial
pofIeffions on this fide of the Atlantic. a fecond
time we are expofed to fimilsr injury, and he
did not know how to avoid it without enabling
our merchant veiiels to arm and make eifeGtus]
lreGhance TO the fmalI prvateers which fwaipcG
in thofe feas. lie hoped that congrefs would
express their opinion on this point for If the
idea of the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Eppes)
is TO be acted upon, the bufneis would have 10
be put into different train, and would thereby
render it unneceFary on the part of the feled
committee TO give the information which had
beer Tsaig;sefase;i'
| He would however fate the obied of the bill.
It nun be very well known that in carrying on
! the trade with ST. Domingo great number of
irregularities have taken place that orr vef1els
| have fupplied the natives with comfortable
quantities of articles contraband of war : they
have taken away people from that illand, whe-
ther fubie6ts OF France Others, contrary to the
efablilhed rules and legal regulations of the
place. Thefe are circumstances, il is deirable
| 70 avoid in future, and that can be beh done by
making law for The regulation of this trade,
and thereby fecure to our country very valua-
bic commerce. Every gentleman knows there
is great difficulty in retraining trade, where
the profits are high, though attended with more
rk and danger than ordinary. And he faw but
two ways in which the thing could be done on
| the Drefent occaion which were, either TO in
terdiGt the trade altogether, pats the bill now
on TIE table. The Introduction of the trade
would be followed by lofS TO this country,
which exiting circumstances did not call upon
us to make. He was perfuaded that merchant
vefiels muf arm in order to get to St. Domingo,
or many other Of the Wet-India iilands ii is
necenary for The iafety of the vefIcl and the lives
n the crew. Will veflel under this bill being
armed and cleared, having given proper fecuri-
| ty, proceed TO fea. What is then required
| They are to abfain from committing outrage,
unlawful aftault or violence, upon our friends,
| nor make any other unlawful ufc oftheir arms.
The claufe is exprehed generally, and not
| infinitely; the committee did not deem it ne