Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-09-09
FROM THE BALANCE.
NoI.

Mol.
6xou8arat;ve vx4v of The disad.Uanf0g,s
and benefits, qvbieb suoald preba6l, 1s-s
e,ue 10 The Uni.ed States, t,em an en-
la,gement ef fbeir territorial l'mft' y
tbe purchase ofenber
LOUISIANA OR THE sFLORlDAo.
LOUISIANA is . vast tract OF iana'
West Of the Mississippi; and IS oouna'
ed Fast by that river, South BY the gu'pn
Of Mexico, West by New Mexico ana
to the NORTH it stretches to an indefinite
extent, as its boundaries in that direction
are unknown. Mr.. Livipgston's memo
rial describes il to be an iasalx5rioas mars1'y
country, in q burning climate. This de-
scription is supposed, however, to have
particular reference to the Soaibfra parts
Of Louisiana which are exposed to the
heat Of an intensely scorching sun, and are
SO marshy and unhealthy, especially at x
near the gulph Of Mexico, as 70 be unln-
habitable. Opposite to the Natchez "a
district belonging TO the United States,
aud lying at the distance OF about three
hundred and fifty miles from the mouth
of the Missippi) the soil Of Louisiana IS
declared to be fertile, and its climate plea
SAINT and salubrious. In the narrative ct
Capt. Isaac Stewart, who, led captive by
the Indians, had traversed that wilderness,
the air is represented to be pure and serene,
the climate healthy, and the soil exceed
ing rich, on. the banks OF the river Nilsson
ri; which en- ties into the Mississippi,
one hundred and ninety FIVE miles above
the mouth Of the Ohio, and eleven hun-
dred and sixty miles North Of the gulph OF
Mexico.
Louisiana is mostly forest the great
er part Of its white inhabitants are Roman
catholics, of French and Spanish extrac.
ton; but neither their number, nor that
Of the negroes whom they hold IN bon
daae, is known. The metropolis OF Lou
isiana is New Orleans, which is situated
on the East bank of the Mississippi, one
hundred and five miles from It's mouth.
g The Floridas according to MIR. Ii.
vingston's deseription) are narrow strip
of barren land Lying East OF the Mis-
sissiippi, they extend in length about one
thousand miles; and in no part are more
than hundred and fifty miles vide
They are situated South Of Georgia; and
are bounded by that State, by the Allan
tic Ocean and by the gulph Of Mexico;
and Westerly they border on the Miss'sslp-
pi, from its mouth to the Georgia line.
The principal town in West Florida is
Pensacola /; in East Florida, St. Angus
tine.-The inhabitants are masters and
sl0pes.
The river Mississippi. together with iss
Eastern branches, Gas Doctor Morse says,
in his Universal Geography waters fve-
e;pbts Of the United States. That noble
river being the only ROAD to market for
vast and fertile country, whose inhabitants
are rapidly increasing; its free navigation
is Of primary Importance to this nation:
and almost equally important and necessa-
~ is ie thar the people of the States,
passing down the river, should have some
convenient and established place where to
unlade and deposit their cargoes. In the
year 1895, Spain, by solemn treaty, sti-
pulatsd that New Orleans should be open
and free for the people of the United
States, as place Of deposit. in 1902,
Louisiana was ceded BY Spain to France;
and the Spaniards, after this cesslon, and
while still hol1mg possession of New Or
leans, denied to the people Of the States
the privileges Of deposit, which they had
sacrediy pledged. The treaty having been
thus violated, on the part OF Spain, many
thought the national honour required that
the pel6dy and insult should be resented
and punished and that New Orleans