Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-01-08
TIMOTHY PICKERING.

we bnu Nlr. flckertng, with his
usual bitterness, p"rscing in the Sc
Pate of the United States interests hos
tile TO rhs welfare of his country; and,
IN the pursuit, trampling under feet all
notions of fidelity and honor. The
paper which, with objectionable out
rage, he re ad to the Senate, as coming
fFom Ia!ieyrand, when examined, e.
VEN with the superficial knowled dye we
have of il. through the National incl.
Asencers proves nothing hat, the chi-
canery of the Frrnch government. 1t
bears Gate In the year 1904, the year
otter Louisiana was purchased from
France; and, of course, the year after
France had assigned away all her
rights. But the git of this lctrer of
Talleyrand's will be better unders oos, :,
when We bring to the readers re-s
collection the fact, thar subs qutntiy
10 the purchase of Louisiana by the
United States, the American govern.
ment, by way of terminating all dis
yutes amiCsblv, was desirous TO mar
chase the fraction OF West Florida left
TO SpsiTt after the convention of April
Soth 1903, as weiias EastF Florida. .,sd
IN the year 1904 a bargain was. diving
at Psris and at Madrid for the whole
territory. The BARGAIN was driven at
Paris as well as at Madrid, because Il
was weE known that France had pa
'ramouut controlling Influence over the
councils ofSpai' Whilst this bargain
was goir g. on, what so natural as that
Taileyrand should endeavor TO en-
hance the value of the property to be
sold 3 This enhancement he attempt.s
ed, it seems, by contending that Louiz
tsiana did not Include territory on the
eastern side of the Mississippi; and
thus, by creating difficulty as to the
extent of the country which we had
parchased, Z alieyraud imagined the
United States would be alarmed into
compliance with the highest terms of
purchase that France ana Sr sin might
demand for the residue. This is the
whole secret, without tou5i: and this
IS the kind of preof !har Mr.. Picker
ing brings forward TO invaiida.e the
title of the United Staes to West
Florida as far east as the perdido-a
kind of proof which may be gut at auy
time from either Great Britain or
France, to deprive as Of all our rights.
Ofwhatavail IS il thar Charlss M au.
rice Talicyrand. or any other cunning
politician, attempts, after sale, 10 ex.
plain the limits sold! The deed OF
sale, is ths only standard of decision /;
and that deed takes in the territor, as
far east az the Perdido. All deeds
are construed most strictly ae ainst the
grantor, aad most literally in favor of
the grantee: Bot In this case there
Is no necessity for resorting 20 the aid
of this old and well known iaw-,pax m
to support our ciaim; because every
fact and every reasonable exposition
that bears upon the case is in our fa..
vor.
Suppose, for the sake Of homely IL
lustrafion, that Toby Jones, in tbs
year 1852, had owned a certain tract
of land, the eastern boundary of which,
was Crooked Run, and that he had al
ways owned il with that extern; sup
pose, further, that Toby Jones had, in
the year 1865, sold his plantation, thus
extending, rom Will ms; and thar
this Tom WiTiiams in 1888, had sold
this same Ptantatiot ~ Jack " orrig.
Now, suppose, moreover, that Jack
Norris should resell to Toby Zones
this identical plantation vita the same
extent that it had when Toby Zones
first owned Il. PRAY, would IL not
still extcyd eastward as far as Crook ed
Run? And, fairy person subsequent.
w purchased from Toby all his light,
would that person not buy as far as
Crooked Ran ton ?---You have only to
put Perdido for Crooked Run, France
for Toby Jonesi Great Britain for
Tom Wili,s,ns; and Spain Ter Gack
Norris: aud you have the whole sto.
ny.
To parsue the illustraIion still fur
tier, suppose that Toay Jones md
Jack Nor is had plantation to sell to
the easr Of Crook ed Run, adjoining to
the p,ants-iou FIRST sold AMI tbas the
pNrchasct 81 tho one wanted to pur-
tnase jle Other: suppose that Toby
and lack, combined, 10 order 10 raise
the price of the secOod plantation, and
Z Il Il.