328 
bank-and government might account. 
The fluctuation of English stock would 
then never affect the people of the 
islands, and the facility of making a 
stable provision of income would in- 
crease the spirit of frugality there. The 
frugal are a stationary population_al- 
ways. The different forms and orders 
of English society would grow up: and 
the influence of the observation of civi- 
Art. XXVILUI. Remarks on the late War in Saint Domingo. By Coroxty Cuatmers, 
late Inspector-General of Colonial Troops in Saint Domino. &vo. pp. 115. 
THE whole attempt on Saint Domin- 
go was impolitic; to rescue it from the 
French was to close a constant drain of 
their troops and their treasures; and to 
interrupt an interesting experiment on 
negro emancipation, as ruinous to the 
enemy, as it was instructive to our- 
selves. 
«* From the ill-fated hour of our occupy- 
ing Port au Prince, our affairs began to de- 
cline, in preportion, as it were, to the vast 
accumulation of expence, and all was languor, 
disease, or peculation. ‘Tiberoon and Leogane, 
Jean Rabel, La Petite Riviere, and L’Ariibo- 
nite, were re-occcpied by the republicans; 
and St. Mark was nearly lost by the treachery 
of themen of colour, to whom the gallant Cap- 
tain Brisbane unguardediy had given his con- 
fidence, though extremely oflensive to_ the 
loyalists of that quarter, who, aided by forty 
or fifty British convalescents, bravely retook 
the place from Toussaint; an additional 
root, that the offensive operatigns of this 
Casexed chief were impotent ; and his shame- 
fal repulse about this time before La Verrete, 
one of the central posts of the cordon of L’Ar- 
cahaye, is no mean confirmation of this assex- 
tion. 
<* Posterity will scarcely believe, that con- 
siderably more than two millions sterling 
were annually expended in Saint Domingo 
after the possession of Port an Prince; and 
will lament the infatuation of the times, when 
informed that the Mole and the entire Penin- 
sula of Tiberoon might have been tranquiily 
_ secured for one third of that sum. 
«« Aboutseven thousand troops sailed in No- 
vember, 1795, from Cork ; and, experiencing 
those repeatedly terrible gales so eat tive 
to Admiral Christian’s convoy, they were 
obliged to return to that place; from which, 
in February, 1796, they again sailed, and ar- 
rived at the Mole in May, under the com- 
mand of Brigadier Howe. This place, in- 
deed, was very ill-adapted to restore “troops 
after such a disastrous passage ; and a dread- 
ful mortality immediately ensued*. 
«Tf Mr. Edwards had possessed candour, 
HISTORY, POLITICS, AND STATISTICS. 
lized gentlemen, not engaged in the 
cultivation of the soil, would abolish 
the present effect of reciprocal counte- 
nance in perpetuating the ill-usage of 
the negroes. All things would mend, 
Begin by abolishing the commercial 
restrictions, Which is a justice we owe 
and we shall receive justice in our turn, 
by a voluntary submission of the West 
Indians to a land-tax. ;: 
or information, he would have acknowledged, 
that those and almpst all the troops sent to. 
Saint Domingo were indifferently composed 5 
arrived unseasonably ; perished almost imme- 
diately; and on service were directed with, 
little ability: he would have acknowledged, 
these, ae disregard to oeconomy, as the 
causes of the failure in Saint Domingo, and 
not the republican force, which was ever 
contemptible ; nor the lukewarm attachment 
of the royalist planters, for those maintained 
their loyalty even after their hopes were al- 
most destroyed by our inconsistency. 
«« General Williamson was succeeded in 
command by Major General Forbes, a brave 
and worthy officer, enthusiastically disposed, 
by every means in his power to promote his, 
Majesty's service. He strengthened the cor- 
don from the Cul de Sac to Saint Mark, and 
established the frontier post of Miraballais 
and Baniea, to preserve the communication 
with Spanish Saint Domingo, necessary for 
procuring cattle. He took eight or nine hua- 
dred Spanish inhabitants into British pay; 
and those, with a body of Colonials and a 
few other troops, garrisoved Banica, com- 
manded by an officer of merit, Lieutenant 
Colonel Sir William Cockburn. ‘This place, 
promised important future adventages by its 
easy access to the rich plains and town of 
Cape Francais, which is' open on the land 
side, and comimanded by high mountains, 
and most undoubtedly at the mercy of the gar- 
rison of Banica, if reinforced by one thousand 
steady British infantry. But, in justice to 
General Forbes, it must be admitted, that, 
from the infelicity of the times, and the causes 
already suggested, the troops at his disposal / 
were not such as those commanded by Ge- 
neral Wolfe.” : 
Future historians of the anti-jacobin 
war, will derive, from fhis pamphlet, 
many similar corrections of the prevail- 
ing ideas concerning this unfortunate 
campaign, which ingloriously sacrificed 
to pestilence a force that might have 
occupied Louisiana, and liberated Mex- 
ico. 
* As if to seal the destruction of the said troops, they were, it seems, detained some weeks, 
on board the transports in the harbour of the Mole, previous to their being disembarked. ‘ 
. 
