The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-11-14
[Votpnh 8.

hfc hide of the Miiiillippi, along the Gulf ct
, Mexico, to the Rio Bravo Qumetincs called
the Rio del Norte) and weIwatti to the Mkt
} can mountains, arc rs little furceptihr OF OH
lection. The rivers falling direfy er i+ii.f,7is
: into the Miilifipp, as well az roue Other ,!iS-
coVerles OF the French. are included in Louiiia-
ma, ard were claimed by them on indiipu, able
grounds. During the eighty years that the
French were in poilt Zion Of that country, the3
were the only people, except Indians, who ever
attended the great rivers, which isll into the
Niihtiippi and Minouri from the welt. They
Attended icme OF them TO their io'rces--part.
culariy the Arkanias, the Oiage, Kanzas, and
Platte rivers. Thefe rivers are known to head
under the Mexican mountains, different from
me rocky or filming mountaius) which Rretch
along from near the Guph of Mexico, and di,
vide the waters which fow into the Rio Bravo
from thoie that fall into the M;.nlippi and Milf
| iouri
| The French were ALTO the firt TO Attend Red
river to its tourcc, and to fix Establishments on
1t. They explored the country TO the fouth
and iouth eatt, between that river and the Rio
Bravo, and formed frttlement ut the A;iinss,
about lso miles in a fouth wcnerly direction
| from Natchtoches. The pertidious deceit
| practicd by the Spaniards TO form a fctt!cment
at this place, and to repc that of the fre0ch,
has been already detailed, (n the hiaorirai
part) from which Il legitimate claim cannot be
deduced by Spain. The French never acqnief-
ced in this breach offaith, but protected aeainf
1t, and kept their claims alive by remembrance,
and only waited for the means to repoIcis them
ieives or territory, out of which they had
been de!randcd. Before the purchafe Of the
country by the United States, the Spaniih and
French commi0ioners had iome warm Gifputcs
on the iuhjeet oft the boundaries in this quarter.
The former alledged, that he only autho-
rlied to deliver the poneiIion Of The country on
TINS hide of the Sabine river, which is abon. no
miles from Natchitoches. The latter CONTEND
cd, that the claims of his nation extended 10
the Rio Bravo; and among other things, he
ttated, that the French once maintained a gar>
rion on that river--that he works we're nili
vliible, and that fome old cannon ft;lI remained
there, which were Of French manufacture "
is alto fuggcfcd, that mott OF the rtma, kablc
Objects between the Red river ard the Rio Bra
vo, iuch as capes, bays, lakes and creeks, are
known under French names. This tends to
prove, that they were the fin to explore the
country; fort names ofthinss and places are
generally derived from the language OF the fri
dhcoyercrs.
Hence there is Prong ground TO believe, that
the original claim of France 20 all the country
included between the MiGGIipp. the Rio Bra
70, and the Calf Of M-:.ico, was paramount to
that OF Spain, and never ex.inPuilned. As long
ago asl7l7 the SPanards had garrifon, named
Bravo, in N. LAT. % degrees but they never
| made any Embellishments on the cppoite fide
OF that river before the one at the ACinas. 4
fraudulent po!lctiion can never be converted
| into right, sAd be legtimated among nations
Especially if The injured party refutts to refcind
| ITS claim, and never acQueices in the wrony.--
| The treaty OF 1868 put an end to al! contention
| about boundaries between France and Spain
but this does not invalidate the claims OF the u.
r. Al,
were ne boundaries Of Loulliana before that
period?
| Spain coded LOuifiina TO France with the
| fame extent il had when the latter poi7tTed it.
| II the boundaries were now 10 be f-,ilrd hr
| tween thoie powers, would not France contend.
that her claims extended TO the Rio Bravo
| To prove the validity of thefe, ihe would adj
duce the fett!ement made by M. de II Sale ard
his people about the Bay of St. Bernard in
1865 the recognition Other claims in the grant
made to Crozat in 17la: the erection Of for
rela on the Rio Bravo, and the various difco.
vcrles made in that part of the country before
and iubieqcent to thefe periods +: and would
urge with effect, that the right of fmple difco.
| very, without occupancy was paramount to A
fraudulent pofieliion.-The rights of France.
whatever they were, have devoved on the u.
States; and we are bound to afcertain and to
aiirrt them.
| htie 10 no pFetenhon, that the SDaniards
ever Uncovered or explored any Of the rivers.
which fall from the wet into the Mni(Tipoi and
Miiiouri. The attempts made BIZ them in ! 700
| to form fettement on the MGouri, nrovrd
| abortive. The adventures were rurprifsd h.
| the Indians, who were the allies oftbe French
| and not ono If them eicaped death exceot the
chaplain.-The French, on the contrary. az,
cended all theie rivers, except the MiGouri. Il,
their iomces, and opened trade with fl,l In
dams They always claimed, and exercifed
acts of foyereign'y all the country. between
her Mexican mountains, and the MiGiIioni and
Mihourl. They made treaties with the In1ianc.
granted lands 10 feitlers and executive rriviied,
es to traders. They maintained a pot f.ysrs1
hundred miles up the Arkanfas, another or the
Mhouri, and third near the fource Of the
! Oiage river, in the very heart of The country
ltiseYsn more than probable, that Sn,in' L-s
heretofore acceded to the wenern bor1d,r;.,..
and the facts now to be Gated, create vic,sos
preinmPtion of fuch an acceGon. While ami.
liana was in the hands Of France. fonn. tr,,I.rs
from The mifiiFPpi wentu up The Atkapfa.. and
erected fore ON the eahern decliyitv of tb.
Mexican mountains, for the purpofs Of trading
with the Spaniards, 6tu7ted in the peiehbo,,ro
hood between thefe mountains and the Rio IRA.
70. The MeXic1s traders, wi o rnononol;ze
the trade OF That country under executive nri-
vieges, inclined 10 believe that there rights ver~
infrinGed, ceizcd the perlons and effects ot,b.
fupuOtgd iutrudPra 'Tbrv C,,e 81.