Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-03-12
TIMOTHY PICKERING.
Fran tie Connecticut Mirror.
FLORIDA oUEsTION--Con.inued.

FLORlDA QCESl lON--I1h!Ri"e"'
Spain also on the same dav ceGcs TO Great
Brtln all that she posscssedin North America
TO the cast and south east ct the river AllSs!s-
sippi. Alter 1853, the country east OF the
Mississippi was never considered as part oi
Louisiana, or called by that name. In the
ar of the revolution, the Spaniar's conquer
cd and possessed the country; this WAS IN
l779 ard 1870. Great Britain coded it to
Spain in 1888. ~ the letter Of the king OF
France to Monsieur Aobadie, ordering the de-
livery OF Louisiana to Spain, nothing more
was to be delivered than what was possessedby
France, ard France then possessed nothing
east OF ,hc Mississippi, except New Orleans,
alid the island on which it VS. situated.
By the treat Of 1903 with France, the Y.
STAGES acquired Louisiana. It's limits are not
defined Tie irst article is" Whereas by
the article the Sd OF the treaty concluded at
ST. lldefcnso the 9th Fcnde,naire an. lst
October, 1900 between the iirst consul oil the
French republic, and his catholic majesty, 1t
WAS agreed as follows: His catholic ma esy
promises ard engages en- LIS part TO cede,
(rctlocedc) to the French republic SIX mcl;ths
a,ter Tic full and ect,rc execution OF the con-
,litions and stipuittions herein rclatfPe. TO his
royal hi yhL9gs the duke II Parma, the Cc.cEy
or province OF Louisiana, with the same eA-
.cnt that j. now has IN the hands of Spain, and
that it had when France possessed it, and such
IS it should DC after the treaties subsequent
" entered into between Spain and Other
states. Tbs IS; consul of the Frencl, re-
pubic, dt sit;ng 70 give to the United States
strong proof Of his friendship, doth hereby
81, e 81
French republic, forever, Ind liz full sovc-
r.ignty, the said territory with all IFS rights
and appurtenances, as fully, and in the same
manner, as they have been acquired by the
French republic, in virtue OF the above-men-
toned treaty concluded with lis catholic Ms
jesv.''
TIE colony or province Of Louisiana is re-
troceded by Spain to France, with TIC same
extent thar it had in the hands of Spain, and
that it had when France possessed u, and
such as it shout, be, after the treaties subse
quently entered into between Spin md cthsr
states.
!. In constituting this treaty it is to be re-
nlcmbered, that i; is re'roces5ion, o- re8tora-
tim IF n co'1ny or province, which Spain had
acquired bv ccssion from France. Spar!
therefore could Tot be considered as ceding
back more, than was ceded 70 her By France.
This is evident both from the nature Of TIE
transaction, and tie terms used in the instru-
ment Of conveyance.
g. The TERRITORY retrocedcd is here called,
and designated by the name ofthe colony Or
province OF Louisiana. Unfortunately for the
claim Of the United States, in its extension east
of TIE Mississippi, as contended for By our
government, the territory situate eastwardly Of
the Mississippi, and of the river I5eryille, sc
southwardlv OF the list degree Of north haiti
tude. bears the name of West Florida and by
that name has been distinguished both before
ard while Spain possessed it. West Florida
is, and at the retrocession Of Louisiana was
colon or province ofSpain, separate from her
other colonies, or provinces, organized with
separate powers Of government. and distinct
from the colony Of Louisiana. The names they
respectively bear of West Florida and Louis-
siana, for almost half a Century have been used
by the Spanish, and other nations, in solemn
acts and treaties, and in historical, geographic
cal, s typographical works, as the appropriate
names of those territories. The names Of
the individual states, constituting the United
States, are not more universally known and
used, in designating the territories and GO
yeT1lments of the separate and individual states
than those names are In designating the dis
tinct colonial territories and governments OF
West Florida and of Louisiana. Nor are We
without lights on this sub icct from the most
solemn acts of our own government. in our
treaty with Spain October u, 1875. the terri
tory now In question IL called West Florida