The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 4 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 4 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
we are not disposed to make out of mere complaisance to a false definition
of the term _privateer_. Finding that the Jane had purchased new carriages
to mount two or three additional guns, which she had brought in her hold,
and that she had opened additional port-holes for them, the carriages were
ordered to be re-landed, the additional port-holes stopped, and her means
of defence reduced, to be exactly the same at her departure as at her
arrival. This was done on the general principle of allowing no party to
arm within our ports.
4. The seventeenth article of our treaty leaves armed vessels free to
_conduct_, whithersoever they please, the ships and goods taken from their
enemies without paying any duty, and to depart and be conducted freely
to the places expressed in their commissions, which the captain shall be
obliged to show. It is evident, that this article does not contemplate a
freedom _to sell their prizes_ here; but on the contrary, a _departure_
to some other place, always to be expressed in their commission, where
their validity is to be finally adjudged. In such case, it would be as
unreasonable to demand duties on the goods they had taken from an enemy,
as it would be on the cargo of a merchant vessel touching in our ports for
refreshment or advices; and against this the article provides. But the
armed vessels of France have been also admitted to land and sell their
prize goods here for consumption, in which case, it is as reasonable
they should pay duties, as the goods of a merchantman landed and sold
for consumption. They have however demanded, and as a matter of right, to
sell them free of duty, a right, they say, given by this article of the
treaty, though the article does not give the right to sell at all. Where a
treaty does not give the principal right of selling, the additional one of
selling duty free cannot be given; and the laws in admitting the principal
right of selling, may withhold the additional one of selling duty free. It
must be observed, that our revenues are raised almost wholly on imported
goods. Suppose prize goods enough should be brought in to supply our
whole consumption. According to their construction we are to lose our
whole revenue. I put the extreme case to evince, more extremely, the
unreasonableness of the claim. Partial supplies would affect the revenue
but partially. They would lessen the evil, but not the error, of the
construction; and I believe we may say, with truth, that neither party had
it in contemplation, when penning this article, to abandon any part of its
revenue for the encouragement of the sea robbers of the other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account