Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-10-08


are to shut cur eyes to the remote or imme'
diate cause of the war. If the government
is TO blame, we see no reason the people
should not be acquainted with il. Let US
look for q moment then, al the state of at.
fairs in the quarter where this rupture has
shewn itself.
II seems that a force consisting of 1900
| Spanish soldiers and nearly as many Indi-
ans'' "were on their march for and were
within a few miles of the Adais, apost 10
miles from Natchitoches.' Natchitoches
is situated due west of the Mississippi, as
1 should judge from an examination Of the
map before me, and as to which cannotbe
| greatly mistaken, upwards of one hundred
miles; north west of the town OF New
Orleans nearly two hundred and fifty miles;
and of the Gulph of Mexico by the river
Adais, about one hundred and fifty.
| The Spanish governor hss ordcred his
troops TO retake POSSESSION of Natchiio-
| ches, on the ground that pm: purchase did
| not extend SO far westWard as 10 comprise
! that blace.
Without going into an examination of
| title and ~bouBdariea here, let Us advert TO
the presidents secret message relative TO
Spain, as lately published by Mr. Fan.
doIph.
Having told US that" in order to obtain
Justice, as well as t. restore friendship, he
had thought special mission advIssa5!e,
| ADD therefore had sent Mr.. Munro 10
Madrid" he: proceeded 10 iaform Us, that:
{" After ucasEy tive months OF fruitless
endeavor to bring them ,o'some defnit've
and satisfactory resu|s, ear minister ended
the conference, without having been a5le
to obtain indemnify for sPalia,lons e4 any
description, or any satisfaction - TO The
boundaries OF Louisiana, other than q de
c!araioa thar we had no rights eastward CT
ths Tbervillr thus deovin3 Us a 100. OF lard
east of the Mississippi and that our lice
TO the west was one which would have iest
ue bu, . string Of land on that bank OF the
M;ssissiPpj,o
In his public message that was 'o 80 up
on the ~iournals aud b. made known 70 the
people, he SAID:
"Propoarioas for amicably adjusting the
boundaries of louisiana have not b-en &C.
cedrd 70. While however the rlch! is
unsettled, we have Avoided changing the
state of thLags, by taking new posts or
strengthening ourselves io the disputed YER
ritories," &c. 4
From these extracts it is clear, FIRST, that
Spain denies that We have any right by the
Louisiana uschsse, 10 any thtng more
than a mere string d land on the west bank
of rhc Mississippi: aud, secondly, that
the executive had ordered taat till The dis
puee as TO boundaries should be adjusted,
the state Of things withla the disputed ter'
r,tory should remain as they were: haV.
ing thas.a prospect Of the 70hole ground as
furnished by Mr.. Jefferson himself, we
take the liberty to ask howFit comes THAT
any ate enpt should be made by~torce OF
az TO dlspossess Spain OF Natchatocaes,
or 10 keep the pcs, at Adais; situated as
i,ey are more thsna hundred miles west
of the western bank OF the Mississippi!
We have not forgot that, IN order to pre-
serve harmony with Spain. by not exerc's'
log any act Of of ownershIp1n the, eastern
disputed territory, he erected a port OF en.
try in the miudle of a vast wood, instead
of at the mouth of the Mobile 10 order
20 preserve consistency, ought he. not 'hen
20 have refrained also from exercising any
act of ownership in the disputed zveste'"
territory?
To concIade with a single remark: We
once more beg i. may be recollecied, that
while one parry 10 the United States extoll-
ed the Louisiana purchase, as the most
glorious event Of the age, and which was
to,encircle the brow of Mr.. Jefferson with
agarland Of perennial honors; the other
pronounced the acquisition, hampered ana
rnsangled as it was, a PANDoRA's Box
from whichwere to issue the dlrest plaques