Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-01-11
Frona The National Iatenigencer.

In compliance with a promise which We
made some days ago, we have tie pleasure of
LAYING before our readers the following state
ment, the correctness of which may be relied
on, respecting the title of the u. s. to the ter
ritory east of the river Perdido, in West-F Flo
rida. The statement is extracted from a
document published under the authority of an
act of Congress, passed at their last session.
which directed a collation. and arrangement
of the laws, treaties and other documents re
lating to the Public Lands.
"Thc u. Stat es by the treaty of 1908 with
France acquired Louisiana without any di-
rect definition of its boundaries, but rs fully
and in the same manner as it had been acquiF-
ed by France from Spain, in virtue of the
treaty of st. Ildefonso of the LIST of October,
1900. By this treaty Spain had retroceded
Louisiana to France " with the same extent
that it then had in the hands of Spain, and
that it had when France possessed it., and
such as it should be after the treaties subse.
quently entered into between Spain and other
s~tates.'
By the grant OF Louis the Fourteenth to
Crozat, dated 18th September 1919, all the
country drained by the waters emptying di-
reetiy or indirectly into the Mississippi, is in
cluded within the boundaries of Louisiana
The discovery of that riverby the French, the
general principles adopted by the European
nations in relation to the rights of discovery,
the publicity of the grant, and the long ac.
giiesceace of Spain, establish the claim oftne
United States to that extent.
But the western boundary on the sea shore
and south of the waters emptying into the Red
River, is still a subject Of controversy be-
tween the two nations !; the territory called
by Spain " Province of Taxas" being claimed
by both. The claim of France now transfer
red to the United States, extended at least dis
far west as the bay of St. Bernard, in virtue
OF the settlement made there by La Sale, in
the vicinity of the river Guadaloupe at a time
when Spain occupied no part of the territory
east Of the Rio Norte. That settlement was
destroyed, and Notwithstanding the repeated
orders of the French government, was not re
sumed by the local authorities. In the mean
while Q7l1 the Spaniards sent some priest S
among the Indians, and shortly after estab-
lished a small military post at Adayes, after
wards tranferred to Nogodoches, on which
rests their claim to the country east of La
Sales settlement. BY an arrangement made
in 1906, by the commanding officers in that
quarter, it was agreed that for the present the
spaniards should not cross the Sabine, and
that the Americans should not extend their
settlements as far as that river. And in or
der to prevent any collisions until the differ
ence should be finally adjusted, instructions
have been given that the public lands should
not be surveyed east of a meridian passing
by Natchitoches.
East of the Mississippi, the u. S. claim, by
virtue of the treaty of 1908. all the territory
south of the 3lst degree ofnorth latitude, and
extending eastwardly 70 the small river Per-.
dido, which lies between Mobile and Pensa-
cola, and was when Louisiana formerly be-
longed to France, the boundary between that
colony. and the Spanish province of Florida.
That territory, together with the residue of
Louisiana, east of the Mississippi, was by the
treaty ofl763, ceded by France to G. Britain,
wno by the same treaty acquired also Span
ish Florida. Tie preliminary articles of that
treaty were signed on the Sd day of Nov.
1863; and, on the same day France by a Sc
perate + act, ceded to Spain all the residue OF
Louisiana, west of the Mississippi, and in
GLIDING the city and island $50 calledl ofNew-
Orleans. By the treaty Of 1888, G. Britain
ceded to the q. States, all that part OF the
former colcny of Louisiana, east ofthe Missis-
sippi, which lay north of the 3lst degree OF
north latitude and to Spain, under the name
Of vest and east Florida, both, that part OF
Louisiana. east of the Mississippi, which lay
south of that parallel of latitude, and the old
T This art or treaty dfee&sioQ has nsper
been npdds puBic bat rs date Is cscert1fns
ID by tie letter cfthe King cfFronce to Leo