Excerpt from American State Papers, Vol. 5: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States, From the First Session of the First Congress to the Second Session of the Thirty-Fifth Congress, Inclusive; Commencing March 4, 1789, and Ending March 3, 1859

I have selected the island of Jamaica for the particular Object of my observations because it is equal in value to all the other islands, and because it has proportionally greater resources. The same observations will apply with still greater force to the other insular possessions of Great Britain In the West Indies.

When we take into consideration the amount of British capital vested 1n the West Indies, estimated many years ago by Bryan Edwards at the enormous sum of 70, 000, 000 sterling; of the value and extent of the British shipping employed In the West India trade, which, in 1787, was no less than vessels, or 155, 009 tons; and also the amount of the mercantile capital actively and usefully employed in this trade, can we for one moment suppose that Great Britain will put in jeopardy the Whole or any considerable part of these important possessions merely to preserve to herself the comparatively small consideration Of monopolizing the carriage of our lumber and provisions, in which we have a rational claim to participate? Such a supposition but' ill accords with the wary and calculating spirit that governs her commercial policy.

But let us admit that, deaf to all the suggestions of reason and common prudence, she should persist in this course of interdiction, are there no other considerations opposed to its operation? Will she lay aside all regard to the comfort, to the established habits and to the interests of her colonists, which are identified with her own? The charges incident to the cultivation of the favored island of Jamaica are already so high that, on an average, the estates of that island scarcely pay the legal interest of the capitals vested in them, and it is well known that her possessions in the Antilles have for many years been considered rather as splendid than useful appendages to the crown. Many of the sugar estates have lately been converted into pasture from the inability of the proprietors to support the heavy charges incident to the manufacture of sugar and rum, and from the decrease Of population. Our embargo and the late war have contributed considerably to produce this effect. The preceding observations are made under a presumption that Great Britain 1s at peace with all the world. But if we represent her as engaged in a war with any of the maritime nations of Europe, her West India colonies must be absolutely dependent on the United States for their supplies. For even if Great Britain and her North American colonies could furnish the materials, the charges Of carriage and insurance would render them insupportably dear. Whilst writing these notes I received from a friend the return of the naval officer of Jamaica of the imports and exports of that island for one year, viz: from the 30th September, 1803, to September 30, 1804; Of some of the items of this document I may speak hereafter. At present I shall only observe that it was made at a time when Great Britain was at war with France, and when she found it necessary, as she always must do on similar occasions, to suspend the operations of her colonial system. From the part which we then performed in furnishing and carrying supplies to her islands, it may easily be imagined what must be the situation of these islands when the mother country is at war with us. The writer can state, on the authority of several respectable residents in the island Of St. Croix, that, from the commencement Of our embargo in to the conclusion Of the late war, no less than slaves perished from hunger and bad provisions; the island during that time was in possession of the British. Its proximity'to Porto rico gave it many advantages over the other British islands.