Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-04-10

A
| sct of n disoIdered Imagination. The Span.
cards constantly preserved their dominion
over all the right bank of the Mississippi 10
the Missouri, and over ali the territories and
waters, from the former TO the right shore OF
| the latter. Even the French tlIeinseives not.
| withdrawing thus famous grant, never ventur-
eel to 20 beyond the certain aud Wal kno IN.
| iniits Of their settlement, or violate those OF
| the territory anu domiiuions OF the crown Of
Spa.ii. Il Is, thcte ore, OF no cou>e Qucncc to
| III, 1t such blund,r WAS committed ny those
Who penned ilic said grant at FuuidinDieau.
| Vt 4 document OF has nature was sufficient to
| dispOSsess 81 nation oi its dominiDnS, or OF any
part OF tit, IN, What security couiI there be IN
| any part OF the possessions OF independent
Kingdoms and states. Can there be al mind
capable vi concerning, that Surh papUr van
fail TO he absurd aud completely desyic.nir.
! since Il never took effect, has always been
resisted as rash and eNt.avasdnt, and si.ce the
| uncomfortable rights ui Spain 10 the property
and possession OF the said territories. EXISTED
| then ana do Stiil eAisit Certainly not.
The court OF France was Immediately sepsi-
bic of the eAtrd,agaucc OF taat grant, a.
Farther mentioh Wa. made OF II. On The con
ttary, When 1t cched Louisiana 10 Spain IN
lT0!, NJ. h"riet, who had been many wears
| governor OF that province. WAS ordered To draw
npa memoir, cumtaiuin. description of its
proper extent and limits. THIS memoir, dei-
vcted bS Tie duke OF ChosSui minister OF
France, TO the Spanish ambassador at Paris Ia
supplement- 20 the act oi cesslon of LSnlSiana,
agrees substantially with iIat which have
Just now pointed ont. would carry this de-
morstraiion still farther, VI thought II neces-
SaIy; and ~ili do 80, ii sou shall have any
thing 10 Object tn IT. IN the mean time, | now
contiic myself to declare to you, str, and 10
the government OF the United States. IN the
name or the King my master, that although
SPAN baS AN original and indispufable ri sht TO
ali the RICH; bank OF tue Alssssippi. his majesty
has resolved 10 claim this right, solely with
view 10 adhere 10 the Ut! paSsiGetis, or state of
possession, III winch the crown OF Spain was,
when site acquired Louisiana in 1894, and in
which tiiat OF France was ~ the time size made
The cession. His majesty paying que respect
To all such treaties and conventions, as have
caused change in the state of possession OF
TIE two nations in that part or America, rel-
giousiy confivs himself 10 the express period,
when Louisiana was circumScIibed by the we'll
known extent and boundaries. with which il
passed into the hands of the United states.
As these boundaries, TO the westward of the
mississippi, although always notorious aud ac-
kno. lodged, have not been marked ont with
me Iormaity necessary to avoid doubts and
arbitrary pretenSions, and ii is only evident,
that they undoubledly proceed from the Mex
lean Gnlf, by the river Marmeuta or Mariner.
tao, and Arroyo Hondo, by drawing line be-
tween Natchtoches aud Adacs. which crosses
the Red River, and extends towards the Mis-
SCUM, have done no more than point ont tile
basis for line of deEiarcation +; and after we
have agreed on this basis, a commission COM
posed oil Spaniards and Americans, formally
appointed and authorized by their respective
governments, can and ought alone, to examine
ana nS the boundaries between the possessions
OF the two powers, keeping in view the docu-
ments exhibited on both sides, and comparing
tileIn on the spot with the points TO which they
refer. The basis now speak of, as II cessary
Tor this demaI cation of boundaries, must I've
sought tor precisely in the most marked lead.
ing, ana notorious points, which showed the
proper direction and extent Of The territories
OF SPAN, france, and England, in 1863 and
iioa, since we cannot seek for them i'll proceed
ing periods, the possessions of the three powers
| IN this part of the American continent being
then very different from what they have been
aiter those periods in virtue OF public treaties,
"nieh are, aud ought 10 be, inv ioable.
The situation, therefore, OF tie three pow
ers, until 1903, was as follows The crown Of
Spain extended it's dominion 10 the east, over
the right side OF the Mississippi, from its mouth
20 ,ie m9Eth OF the Missouri and TO the
! from its mouth to its source. Florida, already
contracted by the intrusive establishment of
Louisiana, commenced at the river Perdido,
aud extended eastward, towards the river
Santa Maria, Isl. Mary's) included the whole
Peninsula, which extends as far as the 23o OF
south latitude. Its northern boundary was not
yet fixed. In addition to the colony OF Louisi
ana, such us have shown il was, and ought
then 10 be, France possessed the territories of
| Upper and Lower Canada, extending south to
line running from the river Aliyainoa, and
| following the chain of the Aileyhanies until II
| struck above Cbaienr Bay England ex ended
her possessions 10 the south of the >aid line on
TIE coast OF the Atlantic, from the rive, ST.
| Mary to the river st. Croix, and added to those
possessions all the territory living north of the
! two Canadas, as far as Hudsons Bay and lake
WinEopeeg, which had been coded 10 her by
france, at tue peace of 1913.
Bat France, as you know, sir, was, by the
treaty of I763, excluded isom the continent of
North America, with the exception of Lou-
! siana, then reduced 10 the island of New Or
| leans, and TO the tract of country 10 the north
! OF Missouri, and extending to the British pos
| sessions. BY that treaty. she ceted TO England
both Canauag all hat Of 7
| ana, extending over the left side of the Missis-
| sippi from its source 10 the bayou Manchac,
and thence following the left of the river Issr-
| vile, the lakes Maurepas and POntchartiaiu
| the coasts and islands, To the river Perddo'
| Spain ceded, in like manner, Florida to Eng
| land, such as / have described il and in the
| year lT6i which is the second period when il
| is necessary 10 distinguish and fix the basis
| referred TO, she acquired, by cessisn, from
| france, her remaining portion of old LduiS-
ana. She afterwards acquired what France
had coded TO the English, on the left of the
| Mississippi, and Florida Also which she had
coded to them in l763, az is proved by The
| treaty Of 1853. This treaty, and those of 1863
and 1854, before mentioned, are those which il
| IS necessary To keep in view, together with
| that of St. IldephonSo, by which Spain coded
| back TO France what she had received from
| her and France accepted the delivery de-
| caring herself satisfied, and taking possesSios
| by virtue of an act of his catholic majesty,
which expresses the reiroeession of Louisiana by
sam to FTduce sHch as she had received 4 from
| Frame, an 1854.
! The treaties between France and the. Unit.
ed states, aud between the latter and Spain,
the first in I775, aud the second in I795, must
likewise he kept ~ YIsw, to illustrate inconte,.
! table rights and establish unalierable princi-
! pies. 10 the treaties just mentioned, Your 20.
Vernmeut and ms catholic majesty may add all
such other titles aud documents as may be thot
! necessary 10 remove or settle any doubt which
may arise in the subject matter. TO the end that
! tie basis OF demarCation may be laid down
Il a 1T. n \