1808. ] 
or fuffocated. Onthe other hand, every, 
white perfon, who falls into the hands of 
the ‘blacks, is maffacred. Inthe Bite of 
Leogane, they take every veffel they meet 
with, and put every perfon to death whom 
they find on-board. Three Americ4n 
veffels have been taken by them, and the 
crews maffacred: alfo, a paflage-boat from 
St. Mark’s, with forty perfons on-board. 
The fame boat was, however, re-taken by 
the boats of a French frigate, and a horrible 
retaliation was practiced on the negroes, 
who were kicked, ftoned, and trampled to 
death. Ina word, the condu&t of the 
French Generals towards this wretched 
colony, feems to jultity all the imputa- 
tions which have been caft on the conduct 
of Bonaparte, in Syria. 
The afpeé&t of affairs has been more fa- 
vourable to the French, fince the death of 
Leclerc, and fince Rochambeau has af- 
fumed the command, who appears, from 
all circumftances, to be a very fuperior 
character. 
AMERICA. 
The expected ceffion of Louifiana, &c. 
to the French, has caufed fome confter- 
nation in the United States. Mr. Jefferfon 
is reported to have expreffed himfelf in 
difapprobation of French ambition ; and to 
have faid,** that Great Britain was the only 
ally on which America ought todepend.” 
GREAT BRITAIN. 
Among the political phenomena of the 
day, we may account the little intereft 
which the late State Trials excited. 
We have known infinitely more attention 
given toa mere trial for a common felony: 
and thofe who remember the cafes of Dr. 
Dodd, the Perreaus, and Mrs. Rudd, and 
even of the Weltons, will be furprifed to 
hear, that the trial of a number of per- 
fons, for a dire&t confpiracy againft the 
life of theking, and againft the confitu- 
tion of the country, fhould have produced 
fo little alarm, and fcarcely an inquiry. 
Of thefe trials a full account was given 
in our laft, and the refult of them perte@ly 
juftified our opinion on the fubject, when it 
was firt flarted. No doubt remains upon 
our minds of the infanity of tne unfortu- 
mate perfon, who appeared as the ring- 
leader of the plot. Whether his intelleéts 
were firft deranged by a long falitary con- 
Jinement, (an odious punifhment, and not 
fit fora tree country) or whether they 
were injured before by his exertions in hot 
and unfavourable climates, we fhall not 
attempt to determine. The apparent 
coniitency in his harangues, is no argu- 
ment to the contrary with us. We have 
known many infane perfons, who were 
_ Mowntuty Mas, No. 99. 
State of Public Affairs in March, 1803. 
Wee 
ay A 
confiftent on one fubject, as lealt as far as 
an adherence to that fubje& is a proof, 
But the very circumftances on which he 
was convicted, were the ftrongeft proofs 
of infanity.—** I will do it with my own 
hands—my heart is callous.’” With re- 
{pect to the other parties,we muft fay, that 
both the evidences and prifoners appear to 
have been fome of the molt depraved of 
human beings. The principal evidence, 
Windfor, while he acted in the character 
of an avowed fpy, continued inveigling 
men, in their phrafe—*‘ bringing them in” 
—to the confpiracy. The principal evi- 
dences had been more than once flogged 
out of their regiments; and one of them 
impeached his own brother. Some of the 
prifoners, on the other hand, (and we with 
not to {peak harfhly of the dead) evinced 
the molt favage and blood-thirfty of dif- 
pofitions, They were ignorant and vicious 
men. The plot in itfelf was moft con- 
temptible.—Succefs could never have at- 
tended fo ill-concerted a defign ; and had 
it not been that mercy extended to them 
might have encouraged more defperate 
and able traitors, we have no doubt but 
they would havebeen pardoned. 3 
It is fomething confolatory to refleé&, 
that not more than forty fuch depraved 
wretches were to be found in the king- 
dom ; and the reluétance with which 
even fome of them were drawn into the 
confpiracy, is honourable to the feelings 
of Englifhmen. On the whole, we mutt 
add, the trials were conduéted in a moft 
fair and honourable manner; and the con- 
viétions were founded upon the moft fatis- 
factory evidence. wie 
In the courfe of the preceding month a 
Bill was introduced by the Miniftry for 
Continuing the Reftriftion on the Bank 
Payments. It occafioned two warm de- 
bates in the Houfe of Jecrds, in which the 
Grenville party endeavoured to invalidate 
the ftatements of Mr. Addington, relative 
to the finances. 
The reft of the parliamentary proceed- 
ings in that month related chiefly to the 
re-eftablifhment of the Prince of Wales in 
his former dignity and fplendour. The 
claim for the arrears of the Duchy of Corn- 
wall being admitted by.fome of the higheft 
law authorities feems to have afforded the 
ground for this meafure. On the 16th of 
February the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
prefented a meflage from his Majefty, re- 
commending the pretent fituation of the 
Prince to the attention of Parliament ; and 
on the 23d the Houfe of Commons refolved 
itfelf into a committee for its confideration. 
The- Chancellor of the Exchequer went 
Nna into 
