The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-07-04
mo. 16.

s"c W .. q people, One-slxth OF whose gross
population were in a state of domestic slave
/, ry, could incidentally undertake to aoknow.,
{, leuge the independence of the Island of
St. Domingo on the mother conntrye Mr.
H. SAID he was not about to consider. this
questien at all In relation to its foreign aspect
/, or bearing, but merely as to it's effect at
nome. With the motives which might have
operated on the government Of the U. S. to
tpsohibit intercourse with St. Dominpo.he had
nothing to do neither had he any right to
suppose, but that they were the most laud-
anie' AS southern man, as a slave holder,
Nlr. X; sand, he did congratulate his coun-
try and himself. at the time that the law
passed, thatall intercourse between that nest
Oh Danditti and the country to which he be-
ionged was cult Off He said he knew that
much might be said on the subject of this a.
mehdment, as regarded foreign policy, as
II regarded accommodation with France.
sven IN that aspect of things, gentlemen
who had expressed their willingness not to
lnterdict French armed vessels from orr
ports, would hardly be Induced to place in
the way OF accommodation such a bar as this
might be- With its foreign bearings, howe
yer, Mr. r. said, he had nothing to do. He
viewed it solely as it related to domestic no.
Icy. He said, there was an Immense sec
ton ofthis Union, all the country south of
pennsylvania and south of the Ohio, the
pest and dearest interest of which,, the very
existence of which might be implicated to
a certain extent in that Amendments. And
Could 1t be SUPPOSED, that the 'Reprcsenta,-
tives OF the people OF that country would lis
ten to such a proposition? He hoped not.
ne hoped the motion would meet decisive
and unanimous rejection. But d few DAYS a.
go they had heard of an insurrection of the
| slaves III jamaica. What must be the effect
OF adirect trade between the town of Charles
ton and the ports of the Island of St. Domin-
go: 10 say the truth, he had been asto-
nisfed that long before the traffic to that ISL
ana was stoppedby our government, a sense
OF sell. preservation had not united the inter-
! ests-for 1T was mixed interest net to be
mistaken; 1T existed in nature, it existed in
thinSs, and COULD not be gotten over-he had
been astoniShed, he said that sense of their
own rights, interest and safety had not uni
tea every man in the Southern country in
bringing forward such a proposition. he
would not Consent, for one, to put one dollar,
cent, into the treasury by legalizing trade
there. lie would oppose it every way
What had lately occurred in the island Of
SuDas Contrary to law our vessels had been
compelled to take on board persons expelled
by violence from that Island, masters and
siaVes, males and females What was now
the state of things in St. Domingo. why,
mat civil war ragged between the olieftains
81 those barbarians. The first American
iiotilla which put into Port Francois, or ally
other port In the island, might be compelled
10 take on board the brigands whom The dom
mani party might put on board, to enable
themselves to enjoy, as they might suppose,
the peaceful possessions of the sland.--
he importation of such persons not only
might, but inevitably must work in the souri,
efn country dreadful evil He hoped he
had said enough aud more than enough to
ensure the rejection Of the motion.
Mr.. SD,ili, S.,id th ~ -
the gentleman from Virginia had viewed the
motion was certainly correct. independents
OF that vote. the gentleman from Massachn-
setts should have taken previous step be-
fore he brought forward his motion and that
was, to declare the island of St. Domingo
independent. five were ready for that, the
motion might be adopted. Ifthe gentleman
was ripe for war with France, this molten
would answer his purpose for certainly, if
we were to take such q step, we should
pave the way for war. France or any other
nation would not submit to an imposition oe
this Find.
Mr., Liuern7ors said he had made this
motion, because he believed that free con-
struction OF the act would operate beneficial
~. Really ii he had Thought it would ope-
rate In the way in which the gentleman from
Virginia supposed, he should be the last man
10 oring forward motion to interrupt the.
harmony Of the Southern states. He had .
not supposed that the adoption Of the motion
would have the slightest effect of that kind.
lie did not conceive either that there was
any ground for such supposition which
went upon the idea that, because we traffic,
with them, the feo7tie Of that Country must
be exported into this ; for the importation of
their PRODUCE certainly did not inclnte their
frneifles The same law that now exists
would then exist to prevent the Importation
OF slaves Did it follow, because an act had
been PASSED by this government 20 cut off
the trade with St. Domingo, that there was.
no communication between The two corrtriesf
Inc reverse was known to be the fact. He
SAID That there is trade to great am cunt
carried OH between the u. States and St.
Domingo. perhaps as much from North Ca
rot'na as any other state, and which was not
now carried on in aregul9r way, but in foreign
bottoms. The banditti" who are to bring
with them those principles which would
serve to destroy the Southern states, might
be imported in that way. Iconcei7e that
there is no weight in the objection or would
give up the motion. 1t was but to legalise q
trade which will be carried on in an illegal
way, which now is and win be carried on
by foreigners betwee en- this country and that,
that offered it. The gentleman from Penn
syRania seemed to suppose that we must
pass non intercourse act with st. Donin-
go or so to war with France. If we consider
ourselves under any o6Hgations to France.
u II.