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Ourt are the PVaiu of fair delightful Pea ,
"Uftwarp'd by Party 8ge, to He like Brcert'.'"'
1
Monday, July 25, 1803.
Vol. IV.
No.1 197.
ii
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' .l Nb7harolina: State Gazette:
'
LOUISIANA
MEMORIAL.
On this quejlion, whether it headvan
tardus for France to take pojeffien
of Louifiana ?
Prefentcd to the French Government byMr.
J,ivingfton, the American Minilier at t'a-
ns.
Thisqucltionprefentsitfelfirt two
points of view ; Firftin the rela
tion of commerce and manufactures :
Secondly, in thofeof the pofitive or
relative fcce of France
Colonies do not excite interefl:
for their own lake, but only as
reipeHs the influence they may
have on a nation ; and as one man
is more ufeful by remaining at home,
than two by remaining at a iiftance,
a wife nation does not leek to colo.
ri2, until fhe has a fuperjburidance
of 1 population, ' which fhe cannot
Usefully employ in any other way.
Though very confiderable, the po
pubtion of France is very far from
h iving reached the term which ren
ders Colonies neceffaty : Her foil,
cl:mate,!ocal fituTtion,givc her, as a
cc'Timercidl, ind cipecj-Uy as a
nufafturin? nation, great advantages
over alt the nations of Europe. The
foirit of invention, the tall ? and in
duftry of its hhabitan s, pl?ce her
in t) ejirfl rnk. But ihofe dvan
tageS ar wonderftiUy abridged by
the want of capitals fufficient to
make ufe of them.. A rival nation,
greatly inferior in every one of thofe
particulars, has by the effect alone
of an immenlr capital, obtained the
fuperi. riiy, not only in commerce,
but alto in mnUfatures ; and thefe
advantages, by increafmg the nati
onal fortune, furnifh it with the
tn-'ans of maintaining that vety fu
perionty. t
Capitals increafe the number of
manufactures, bv the introduction
of nlichincSj by the regular pay
xnent of workmen, by the reduction
of the interelt of money, and elpe..
cially by the poffeflioh of new mar
kets. None but rich individuals can
Undertake thofe flow and expenfive
fpeculations, Which of;en give the
luperionty to a manufacturer.' A
poor merchant cannot undertake
long voyages, returns of which are
flow i they are referved for the
vcalthy, who can give credits lemg
enough to tempt a foreign nation to
give his articles the preference over
thfc of other nations, which ex
psjjfTil quiik return lor theirs. The
of capitals in prance, is fuch,
thalao'mauufadiurer has at his com
mand a quantity ofarticles fufficient
to anfrer the demands ; aiid confe
quentlyiho foreigner can be fure to
obtain from his Fiench correlpon
dfnt wherewith tc make returns,
Without retarding h s vefTel in port,
or, at lea ft , be ng obligee to take
a connuerablej q-uantity of articles
of inferior qualit v. nicked uo m a
nurftber1 ot d.fteient manufactures ;
fb that if he commits any fraud, no
one Can be charged with it. This
renders the character of a manufac
ture of very little importance in the
eyes of a Frendh workman.
Hence when a foreign vefTel, ef
pecially if owned at a great diftance,
iells her cargo in France, fhe is or
dered to take nothing but wines: or
brandies, becaule they are the only
article which the owner is furc to
procure in fufficient quantities, in
the fixed time.
In England, on the contrary, he
will find all forts of goods, in one
hour, from one manufacture, the re-
putation of which would iufFer, if
the whole fupply are not of he
lame qua'ity With the fample. Ths
conflderation will ever induce a fo.
.reigner to apply to an Engljfii, in
preference to a Rrench merchant,
for a purchafe of goods of the fame
kindv Hentfe cargoes are fold in
France, and the proceeds carried to
England,, here to be fold foram
cles which France might fupplv- if
her manufactures were rich enough
to anfwer every demand, in a Ihort
time, without compelling the pUr
cnafer to have recourfe to a grcai
tiurnber of manufaaures;:
This inconveniency can only be
"moved by increafihg the capitals
Il nufacturers. It would be too
Scat a deviation from; my fubiea,
O Point .1 . . ., rf -J '
thole capitals ; but it is evident that,
they rhuft be confidcrably lelTened
by the forming of a navy, at the eje-
pence of manufactures, or by ufing
the capitals of the nations in diltant
countries. It is beyond dbuht, that
capitals open nev channels ; for
nothing is more natural for mer
chants whofe capital is fmall than to
content themfelves with acting the
part of brokers or comrniffion-mer-chants,
to thofe who can fupply
them with . goods on. credit ; and
for this very reafon, England loft
nothing by the independence of A
merica. Her immenfe capitals have
created a monied , dependence,
which, in a commercial telation, re
placed the fupremacy fhe had lo ft in
the government. The incrale of
capital in America, frees it in fome
degree from that dependency, and
by furnifhing her with the means
of extending her commerce, and e"
veri to offer capitals toother nations,
which know how to calculate the
valus of the markets which fhe of.
fers to manufactures and to the lux
ury of Europe.
It will, be readily granted, that
colonies beyond the fcas add nothing
to the force of a nation, thefe are,
on the contrary, weak points which
are guarded at a very great expence,
both in men and money , efpecially
if they be in hot and unhealthy cli
mates.
Tha queltion, therefore, is redu
ced to this, Has France a-fuperjlaity
of men and money great enough to
jujiify the fettling of a new Colony ?
Thole which France already poL
fefles in the Weft-Indies and at
Cayenne, are more than fufficient
for her wants, and eventhe wants of
all Europe, if they were cultivated
fo as to produce all they are capable
of. But how are they 10 be cultiva
ted ? Experience has proved that
the inhabitants of hot climates never
work from want : Force alone can
fupply the two great fjjurs to labour
m
northern climates, hunger and
cola, wfjich nature nas placed in
thole fevere climates, ilence flave
ry alone can fertilize thofe colonies,
and flaves cannot be procured but at
a great expent ei
The Spanifh part of Ilifpaniofa
was-alinolt uncultivated for want
of flares. It ;s now pcflcfl'ed by
France ; and, to render it pf advan.
tage, it wi 1 ;be neceflTary to lay out
immenfe capitals in flaves, in bull'
dings, and in improvements of. un
cultivated lands. Others wdl be
necelTaty to make up for the Ioflcs
t 1 1 v
of the French part of that', n.ot to
mention the other iflands. Where
are thofe capitals' to be 'found ?s Men
who travel into diftant and unheal
thy climates are feldom wealfhy.
Thofe riches mu ft therefore be
found in France, or in fd.ne '-oun-ty
that has a fuperfluity of capital.
it they are tound in France, it can !
only be, to a certain degree, at the!
expence, of internal manufactures. !
It may, however, appeal adtranta
geous, in a natural point of view, to
encouraga the ufe of the riches of i
France for that object, confiderifrg
the extreme fertility of the We.t
Indies' and their prefent fituation
of culture, thole funds will foon
yield a profit. But as money will
command fo high an interefl; f
lung as"t he interior of the Republic
fhall offer monied men a fource of
lpeculations, and property fhall be
in fo few hands, it will be difficult
to induce the majority of them to
difpoffefs themfelves of this capital
to fend itf to a diftance, and run the
rifkof the integrity of their agents,
and all thofe whom recent examples
have taught them to dread;-
Foreign cpin was foimerly intro
duced into Frrnce by the United
Piovinces ; but the prefent ftate of
the Batavian colonies, andj the toffes
they have fuftained by the war
leave but little hope, that much may
be ufed in the refloring of Frenciv
colonies.
The U. States poffefs confiderable
aaf itals in money; and productions
necelTaty to the restoration of the
iflands. No great credit, in money,
will probably be given to the plan
ters ; but with iuitable encourage
ments, there is no doubt they will
be able to obtain thofe ptoductions
which mult, were it not foi that citu
cumdance, be paid for in cafli, and
the commercial fpeculations of the
States 'will extend to the Frcncli
fflinds when the public aM private
credit of France fhall have been re
stored, ,: and wflen experience fhall
nave convinced tne people now un-
wile it is to. eitablifh a revenue upon
foreign trade, while it is in fact col
lected from their own citizens. At
Hifpaniola, a duty of 20 per centTis
paid upon articles introduced by
Grangers. This duty is in fact, paid
by . Grangers, and it happens that
fraud, and the bad administration of
cultom-houfes, is, asufual, a fource
of , vexation for foreign merchants.
But it is the planter who furnifhes
the money, for this tax is always
added to the price, ahd even an in
terefl is advanced upon it as a com
penfation for, the vexations which
the cap tains ex oerience in their com
merce. . What then is the effect of
that operation, if not to take from
the planter onefourth part of the
money which he had; fo mucli diffi
culty tp get from France? Or
otherwife to ftnp, by that means,
partly ths re-eftabldhmeht of the
capitals .which alone can render the
ifljinds finally proditctive? I fay
finally, f r 4 is foljy to belie?e that
they will yield to France a compen
fation for her ctual outfets, unlefs
it be after a great many ye?rs. I
will even fay, that unlefs the ports
of Hifpaniola ae open to every vel
fel laden with articles of necrfii'y,
unlefs the inhabitants have the right
of buying cheap and felling dear, by
encouraging the rivalry between the
fellers and 'purchasers, unlefs every
fort of vexation is removed, and
Grangers receive every poffihle (e
curity for their capitals in theiflandi,
ages will pafs away before Hifpani
ola! will ceale to drain France of us
riches and strength, without offer
ing her any equivalent in return.
It is therefore, evident, that if
Fiance had no other poffeflion be
yond the feas, except her ifl.inds, it
might place all the capital of which
fhes now can, and probably hereafter
will be able to difpofe in a long fe
rirs of yeais. .
But if to all this, we add the im
menfe poffcifions of Guyanna, her
productions, and the capitals necef-
j fary to carry the whole of it to its
j full value ; f we add the fettlemcn's
' neceffary to be made in India, if
j the defign be to bring into the ports
j of France that variety of articles
j which invite exchanges and give
' commerce its due activity, we fli.tll
. find that one cenfury at lea (t w til
pafs aw,ay before France may want
pulTeffions.Gf that kind.
But as France like other countries
; has but a confined capital, the only
queflion is where (hall this; capital
! be placed ? Shall it be here ? in the
Weft-Indies? at Cayenne ? in ln-
dia, or at Louifiana ? For it is ob
vious what will be placed in one of
thofe fettlements wdl be at. the ex
penfe of another ; it is equal ly fo,
that the national expenditures will
increafe with her colonies and ihat
in cafe of war, the points of attack
and defence will be multiplied in
the fame ratio.
Able ftatefmcn have questioned
whether colonies were ufeful to a
country fituated like France ; but
my defign is not to examine this
theory. France has colonies ; fhe
has invited her citizens to carry
their riches to them ; honor requires
that fhe keep and protect them but
Ihe is underno obligations to cre
ate new ones ; to multiply points of
1
defence ; to fauander away the capi
als fhe wants at home and abroad.
How could the poffeflion of Louifi-
ana be uletul to her r In trie firit
place, its cultivation is to be earn"
ed on, zl. ;n all warm countries, by
flaves ; the capitals fpent in buying
them, or the fhves themielves,
would have been Carried to the
iflands, if this new channel had not
opened This rivalry Will raife the
price of iiaves for tne planters, and
may thus much retard the fettlement.
On theirlrrival at Louisiana, the
flaves wilt be employed in the bar
ren occupation of felling the large
forrelts with which this imrnente
country is covered, a labor but lit
tle fuited to flaves: They must b
clothed, fed, and maintained during
whole years before any profits can
be derived from them. What l am
about to relate may ferve to deter
mine that period. In the notthern
and middle ftates of America, the
uum term of a quit-rent leafe in the
new land is ten years f tee fkcxn rent,
I ana aucr tnis xnc leuee, pays 12
htthelsof wheat for every 1 00 acres
forever. It is therefore, obvious,
thatthe fir ft ten years are consider
ed a-t, a- tim- of pynenrp. during
- - I . T , O
wnicterm the owner requires no
payment. But m the louthern
ttates, ew land cannot even be gi
ven out on thofe terms, beCaufe the
white planter fets a higher value on
his Iabor,and the clearing of for
rests requires too great outfets for a
ny one buttle owner of the land.
Who thei wiH cultivate Louifi
ana with flavfes ? Who is the citi
zen willing to beflow large capitals
upon fo precarious a property . with
tne prolpett ot a distant return r
It may beaf-d, why does it not
happen in the fothern ftates ? It
isanfwered, firft, becaufe none are
foutherly enough 10 be wholly free
from the colds of winter, vhich
render lavage life vrrv difficult to
j . ..
men, born jn hot climates; aqd.fc
condly, becaufe the fouthern. slates,
are moftlv ('.u roundcQ. by the fea,
and oy mountains, the vhole popu
lation-of vvhich is white and which
cutoff the communication between
the flaves and the vast for lefts of the
interior par's. ,
But let us fuppofe all thefe diffi
culties overcome, what commercial
advan t ages cm France derive from
' he feitlement of this colony ? The
produlions of Louifiana bei;ng the
fame with thofeof the Weft-Indies,
noad vantage is to be reaped. For
theiflinds, being well cultivated,
will fuffice- for the wants o
France, and even all Europe. The
ntroduction of thofe; from Louifi
ana, would only leflen the price
without adding any thing to the va
lue, and France vould be obliged to
prevent the ruin of thofe who
had employed their funds in the
colonies, to imitate the Dutch, who
destroy their fpircs and teas, when
the quantity mf thefe commodities in
Europe is large enough to caufe a
depreciation of their, value. 1
The productions of Louisiana
whicla do not grow in the Weft
Indies, are only lumber and perhaps
rice ; but it is certain that thofe
productions. ro-Tfidering the diffi
culties of procuring them in a hot
and unfilub.nous climate, wrll not
cover the oatict, or. at least, will
not yield the fams-Drofits -'as would
"e Di ocured bv ra'sfiiuT thein . in the
n
anas, in procuring
ng the fame or o'
ther and more valuable articles.
The proof ;of this is found n the
U. States. It is not from Geprg.a
or South-Carolina, that -the Weft-
Indies aie fupplied with lumber,
but chiefly from the northern flites,
where forrelts are more fcarce and
more valuable than in the iouth.
The caufe of this is, that the fup"
plying of lumber, the mills necef
fary to prepare them for file, all
thefe are the wok of free hands,
which are fatisfied with a moderate
price.
I fhall
prefume further to lay
down, however paradoxical it may
feem, that it is not. advantageous
for France to fupply herfelf with
lumber, even if fhe could procure it
from Louisiana. I have wo reafons
to offer:- What lumber the north
ern ftates fupply her colonies with
is paid for in molaffes and rum.
The first article cofts the plaatei
nothing, for, were it not for that,
this would be an ufelels production
of 'his-fugar, and the fecond is but
a very moderate expence for dlftil
lation. If it were not confumed in
America, molaffes would be ih.own
away as ulelels, and this was tn
cafe whh America was a Bfitifli
colony, becaufe French commerce
does not effer any other market
for that commodity.
It may therefore be faid that the
colonies have from the United
States, lumber for nothing.
Should, on the contrary, a Settle
ment be formed in Louifiana for the
fuppiying of that article, every
expenfe and outfet of this eitabfifh-
ment," all the labor neceflary to
cut. faw. and" tranfpoft to the
place where it is to be fold,-would
be a realTofs for the nation, even
admitting that the cdtters and othei
men employed, fhould take $ pay
mentjS molaffes and rum, becaufe
their labor would produce nothing
to the nation.
But it is certain: that . Loii'fiana
could not furnifh a market- foi
molaffes or rum. It is only in
N e W-E nrhnfi ( nnrrhr n
that thofe articles are com fumed
The inhabitants of the fouth prefer
ardent Ipirits, difUlled from grain,
appVs, and peaches, to thofedilttl.
ed from molaffes. tr y
On the fuppofition, therefore
that the planters fupply themfelves
with lumber in a; French, colony,
exclusively at Lou fiana, they
would .be forced to t pay for it iri
money, or objecls of real value. If
the right of fupply is not exclu
sive, it is null,; becaufe the laborer
of afouthern climate cannot work,
as cheap as the robust fon of the
noHh, ; ' - : : - : r"
. It might he thought that mUsTeS
would ft-U find a market in New-t
England, though it were no longer
the price of lumber - It would be
an c ror,'? They have no other rear
fon to take it, than its being off red
them in exchange for an article -for
which they have tew other mar
kets. Let the colonies refufe lum ,
ber from the ji-rth, fp'rrtsfrom
grain, apples, &c. .will; be; im
mediately fubflnuted ; for ihcfo
frorn fugar, becaufe the pHceof rum
would immediately b.e higher. Then
it will be that every for' f com
merce between them and th coioti
les willceafe, unlefs it- be for provi T
fions, which they will neceffanly .
requue to be paid for in money, or
in what will pafs in foreign mar
kets for. money. . ;
The fecond reafon why . France
ought not to gee her lumber froni
Louifiana, even though fhe might
do it, i that in cafe of war, fup
pofing England preferve hcrt naval
fupenority, no fure .Calculations
could be m cte upon receiving pro
visions ; and they could not be tup
pted from the United States, for
that commerce, having been aban
doned fince the peace, thofe whom
it then, employed have fought other
obj tls of industry j ,ad law mills
eiected to prepare that lumber, are
out of ufe, and . will net tahly its
fet up again, at the leneyval of hSlV
tilities, fo that the misfortunes
which are the confequence of it
would be doubly diftrefling to tho.
colonics. , . ; j 1
It is, therefore, very .evident thai
colonising of Louffiana, would, id
a commercial point of. view, i bo
very injurous to France, becaufe it
would . employ . capitals ;iHvmchr
would be more ufefully employed
in the other colonies ; becaufe thofe
capitals would lie, dormant if or,, fe
vera 1 yea is, apd becaiife admitting;
they fhould become productive for
individuals, they ould. add 110
thing to the national mafs, and
would have no other effect tnao.
to lower the price of colonial pro'
duce, aud leffen the profits of theit.
labor. , . ,
It might, however, be thought
that 1 he possession of Lo 'lh.ma
would afford one more market to
French manufactures and thus
c;.mpeafate the expence of the na
tion for its ftttlcmeot. Tr-'s quef
tion defcrves a particular examina-
tion, and the provilion or the eon
fumption of French manufactures
may relate e.uhcr to the tree Ok
bond piovu'ation. . t
IF it be the f ree clafs that is to be
muftcreii by emigrants from Fraace,
it will b's compofed of that pqrtiori
of the people, which couli not only
luppcrt themielves. in France,' but,
befides, increafe the national riches
by their industry. For France j$
not eveiburthcned by her popula
tion, and conleqiaently every emi-
oratinn' u 1 1 1 fnrm a wirnttm fnm
w here, or abandon fome ufeful branch
which will no longer be carried on
The emigrant carries' away with him
a portion of the general good, in the
mafs of the proouctive labour of the
mother country ; he alio carries away
with him a portion of the capital,
fcr he never goes with empty hands,
and, as I hve already obferved, ten
years muft pafs away before his fetr
tlement produces beyond his firit
neceflaries. He muff, at the famef
time, live with the fir ctefc econo-
my, tor navijig nothing to otter iri
exchange, he, receives fcarcclyatiy
thing from the mother country, an'
the nature of the fputherly climaf
requires very few of the articles
r . n :
eeiiary in Europe. i is ther'
beyondVr doub:, t,Hai, as - -fore.
rprereat emigrant, Uie ter lo fh;
turnilhed him yy ffe F- y ttJ&Jf
atturcs, will not cor
er
i
cs