The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1811-01-30

it is declared 10 DC bounded by Carolina on
the East, and Old and. New-Mcxico on the
West. Under this nigh record evidence, 1t
might me insisted that VIC have fair Claim
To East as well As West Florida against France
at least, unless she has by some convention
or other obligatory aci restricted the Eastern
liNit OF tho province. Ii has, indeed, been
asserted tnat by treaty between France and
Spain, concluded in the year Hl9, the Per-
dido was expressly stipulated 10 be the boun-
Diary between their respective provinces OF
Florida ON the East, and Louisiana on the
West but as have been unable 10 lind such
treaty am induced TO doubt its existence.
About the same period, TO wit, towards the
close ofths seventeenth cenlury,when France
sc,tied the Isle Dauphine and the Mobile,
Spain erected a fort at Pensacola. But Spain
never pushed her actual settlements or con-
quests further West than the bay Of Pensa-
cola, whilst those of the French were bound
ed OH the East by the Mobile. Between
those two points, space OF | 3 or IA leagues,
neither na ION had the exclusive possession
The Rio Perdido, forming the bay OF the
same name, discharges itself into the gulph
of Mexico between the Mobile and Pensaco-
Ia, and, being d natural and the most notorl-
Gus sbject between them, presented Itself as
a suil;ble boundary between the possessions
Of the two nations. 1t accordingly appears
very early 10 have been adopted as the boun-
dan by tacit il not express consent. Tne
ancisn. charts and historians therefore Of the
country so represent il. Dupratz, one Of the
most accurate historians in point of fact and
detail Of the time, whose work Was published
as early As 1853, describes the coast as being
bounded on the East by the Rio Perdido. In
irutn, SIR, no European nation Whatever, ex-
copt france,ever occupied any portion OF west
Florida, prior TO her ccssion ot IL To England
in l762. The gentlemen ON the other side
d, not indeed stron ,;ly controvert, 1t they do
mol expressly admit, that Louisiana, as neid
by france anteriour TO her cessions OF 1t III
1894, reached to the Perddo The >niy OBJ
scryation made by the pcnticman from Dta-
re 10 The contrary, to wit, that the islana OF
New.Orierns being particularly mentioned
c ,nld nat fo" taat reason constitute n part OF
L L,uisianA, is susceptible of very satisfactory
answer. That Island was excepted out OF
the grant to nslahd, and was tn; only part
Of ,he province east OF the river that was SO
excepted. It forncd in itself one OF the
most prominent and important objects OF the
&C ssion to Spain Originality, and vas transfer.
red to her with the portion OF the province
West Of the Mississippi 1t might with e.
quail propricty ne urged that st. Augustine 10
not in East Florida, because ST. Augustine is
expressly mentioned by Spain in her cession
of that province TO England From this lew
oil the subject think IL results that the pro-
vince of ,Loui,i ana comprised West Florida
previous 10 the year H62
=.
secret convention of the 3D. OF Nov. OF that
year, France ccded the country yny West
Of the Mississippi, and the island of New:
Oricans, to SPAN and by co,emporaneous
act, the article preliminary to the defaitlve
reAty Of 1893, sae transferred West Florida
% england. Thus at the same instant OF
time she alienatcd the whole province. Pos.
tcriour 10 this grant, &. Britain having also
&c luired from Spain her possessions East Of
tic Mississippi, erected the country in,o Two
provinces, East and Yves, Florida. In TINS
sti,e Of things it continued untli the peace of
1888, whcn q. Britain, in conse lhence of
tho cvents Of the war, surrendered the coun-
try 10 Spain, who for the fret time came into
the actuai possession of West Florida We..,
Sir, how does she dispose Of il She rc-an-
ne xes tito the residue Of Louisiana extends
ths jurisdiction OF that government to it, aud
suo Iects the govcrnours or commandants of
the districts OF Baton Rouge, Feliciana, Mo.
bile and Pensacola, to the authority oil tue
Governou- Of Louisiana. residing at New.
Orleans whereas the Govcrnour of East
Florida IL placed wholly without his control,
and is made amenAbc directly to the Cover
nour Of the Hvanna. And nave been cred
iby informed that ali the concessions or
grants of land, ale IN West Florida, under
the authority of Sprss. run in the name OF
the governm ut Of Louisiana. You Cannot
have forgotten that about the period when we
took possession Of New-Orieans, under the
treaty Of cessisn from France, the whole
country rung with the nefarlous specuia,ions
which were alledged to be practising in that