Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-01-04

pl, except the town ofsiie - ew Orleans,
and the islani in which it is situated
Now, there is no man IN 4 denies but
thst New Orleans is in Lo, isiana !;
and as the river and port Of thc Mo-
billie are mentioned in connection with
New Orleans, as part OF the same ter
ritory, without any Distinction, there
can be no question that Louisiana ex-
tended as lar cast as the Mobile and
that, as Spain, on her side, named NO
other place towards the Mississippi,
farther than Pensacola. the territory
bstween those two places was claimed
by both the French and tie S >aniards,
and is alluded to by both those pow
ers ia the treaty oil 1868, in the words
Possesses, or ought to possess,' &c.
Frarce, it is notorious, never claim
ed any territory by the denomination
Of Florids: but she did claim the ter
ritory nowdenominated West Florida,
with certainty, as far as the Mobile.
How do prove X? BY the treaty OF
1868 for it is clear that France could
not have lawfully coded what Belonged
TO Spain; nor would G.. Britain have
accepted from France cession ofthe
territory Of Spain. especially when
SPAN was openly party 20 the same
treaty. IL the treaty of 1863, France,
in the 9TH article, cedes her part, and
Spain, in The 2o,h article, cedes her
part. Would they both have ceded, in
presence of each other, what is now
called West Florida, if Spain had been
the sole proprietor? The very cessi-
on, In separate articles of the same
treaty, proves they each had rights,
and, what is more, it proves that c..
Britain thought SO too: or why would
she require cession from each?
What further corroborates these de-
ductions, is the remark ofthe author
(supposed to be Elhond Burke) OF
the History of the War Preceeling the
treaty OF 1865 and cessipe of the ter.
ritory in question, Published in the
q itish Annual Register Tor the year
i762. ~ ir the treafyl gavens,' says
'wriier, = very large tract of ter
'ritory, which the French used to in
cluGe under the name Of Louisiana.
Page So, vol. S.
The Fioridas were never distin.
guishsd by the terms east and west,
until the 9TH day of Oct. 4763. 1t was
then effected by proclamation Of the
British king, il onsequence of the
extensive and valuable acquisitions in
America, secured to his crown by the
dsfniiive treaty of peace conclude d
at Paris the fOih of February prece.
ding, tina. is 10 say, the treaty by which,
France & Spain ceded the territory to
Great Britain.
This proclamation establishes on the
continent of America, three snew'
governments, to wit the Cove rnment
of Quebec; that of EAST Florida >
and that of West Florida The
latter is designated in the following
terms
Thirdly, the government of Yves,
Florida. bounded to the southwark by
the Gulph Of Mexico, Including all
islands within six leagues from the
coast from the river Apilachicola 10
i"hS 4 ohSudilfdiu 10 the westward DV
the said lake, the lake Maurepas, and
the river Mississippi to the north
ward, by a line drawn due east from
that part of the river Mississippi which
lies in 81 degrees north latitude, to
the river Apilachicola or Ca;ahoucha
and 10 the eastward by the said RE
ver.' Annual Register for 1868, vol.
6. page 300.
Hence it appears that West Flori-
da was.a province Of British institute
on, formed out of a portion OF Loui-
siana ceded to them by the French
and out ola part of what the Spani-
ards coded, and what they had called
Florida. And what inconte stibly
proves that West Florida was erected
into separate government i6depen-
dent of French or Spanish limits, is
the boundary assigned 10 it by the Bril-
fish kings proclamation, which states
{ APilachiGola or Cha,ahoucha' river
as the eastern limit, whereas the
Spaniards claimed for ancient Florida
an extent westward 20 Pensacola
By treaty in 1888, Great Britain
retroceied TO Spain all the territory
Which both Spain and France had csd-
Ell 80 & 4