Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-06-21

nrst degree oi greatness and power. end,
at the same time, the govelnmen, - s4 "a
its attention tc3St. Domingo. W. W. WIG g
thither citizen LIE Clerc,our brothsr :: "a :.
in quality Of captain general, as Are, - q.
rate OF the colony. He is accompan;sa 'ss'
the necessary forces to make the soss = ~
ty Of the French people respectsd. K
under these circumstances that we ii. !
posed to hope that you will prove to = :
to all France the sincerity Of the sent0 Y
you have constantly expressed in the de
ent letters you have written to us. We
conceived for you esteem, and we wish
recognize and proclaim the great serv;.e
YOU have rendered to the French peopl.s
We have made known to your chin,
and to their preceptors, the sentiments
which we are animated. We send them IL
to you. Assist with your counsel, vour I
fuence and your talents, the captain es7
raj. What can you desire; the freedos
the blacks You know that in all ,heS,n
tries we have been in; we have given /
luC pCOPiS WIZ ktSO ~ uOCs
6 Make known to the people of ST. Ak
mingo, that DE solicitude which France
always evinced for their happiness hasd.
been rendered impotent by The imperrs
circumstances of war /; that men come fm.
the continent to agitate and noun1.
factions, were the produce of the fat;ns
which themselves destroy the country ;ha
in future, peace, aad the power of the % &
vernment, ensure their prosperity AND, is,
dom. Tell them, that, if liberty be to th,1
the first OF wants, they cannot enjoy it NJ
with the title of French cilizens.'
think it would be an intrusion uppi
your columns MIR. Editor, to adduce s.
or higher authority, to slew thar ST. Dss
mlngo was considered as a colony OF iI.ul4
and its inhabitants, to use the words Of Nj
first consul enjoying political liberty viii
the title OF French citizen."*
: 1t would be foreign to the present enq5sI
ry, to examine the transactions which IA
Cured from the landing of LIE Cierc, usI
the French army was expelled the iSay;
such an examination would open the hissf
of perhdies and cruelties at which ntegttg
and humanity revolt; they terminatd 81
the expulsion ofthe remains Of lie CIps
army, some time in the latter part on
year 1903, since which France has exga
ed no more authority, and much less pts
ence, in Hayti, than she has done in lhy
States.
i hold it as principle that will moi a
opposed in this country, that people y
assert, and are capable Of maintaining tfa s
independence, are to be considered as SD b
by foreign nations. Itmay be said that II
authority of France is not lost, but onlys
pended by the circumstances Of the 81
which occurred about the time that ~
troops were expelled the island land hasrF /
tinued ever since. Be it so, France has &
exercised authority in that island for ma,
six years; she never may again, and lf9g
attempts it, the affair docs not concen 81
u. States whose conduct in the neant,s III
ought to be regulated by maxinls Of poll W
interest and honour.
Policy AID interest, which mean in ~
instance nearly the same, recommend M
we should not make ourselves parties
contest between France and St. Domn
which We certainly do, when we pronon "a
the latter a dependence of the former.
act, commonly called the St. Domingo
was both impolitic and degrading it l
because we thereby pronounce #
Judgment which involves questions WI @
might have been avoided, and degradfs
because we appeared to eff we did not az IS
ally )move by animpulse otherthan our y IS
From these speculations, let US pass
Editor to consequences. If the Vice.
condemned by our tribunals as aFrench 4
sci, We cannot expect that either the fad
the principle viii pass unnoticed or Y IS
sented. The consequence will be host q
with St. Domingo, in sight Of whose poi q
very considerable, and by far the most M