Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-01-02


OF tie colony was transferred in 1922, and
the settlement Of Buoxi abandoned. In
June, 1923, Bienvile endeavored TO take
possession of the Bay Of St Joscphs; but,
being opposed by Salinas, the Spanish
governor of Pensacola, lie desistcd from
his attempt. Thus. the colony wen, on
without making any progress, until the
Frencl, Company, tired out with the dis
: a>tecs and losses il had Suffered la The
wars with the ueighbnruig Indians, and
convinced az the m,i,ii;!y OF iha, cstab
l:shm"ni. surrendered their privilege TO
The crown in 1888 or 1874, which forms
the last prriod OF thai colony.
have yaa'te no mention OF the French,
Settlements III the Arkansas and Illinois,
a they Nrre torhe,! by people from Ca
nadia, aS,i tolerated by Spain, merely as
p'ac : nccupied for the purpose oi trad
ing With The Indians because, from the
r'ssons have touched Ell, II is evident
thai lrluce could have TO right To occu-
w ,'sc.n but through the PERMISSION or
liberation OF SPAN. Louis The l4,li had
declared 10 his Caihohc Maiesiys gov
.r,unpui tina, he occupied Mobile and o.
,lrr places IN that region solely with u
,ipm ~ AID Soaia IN case OF war with
the English aad having requested p.r
mission uf his Catholic Majesty 10 keep
refused is The advice of the council of
tie Indies. The situation of the French
col did not improve under the inme T.
diae administrator of The government !:
par, ef il was ced"d by Ills Catholic Ma
Jest, 10 Ehglarl IN 1863, aud the other
pa 7, that is the GUY anl island OF New
ORLEANS, was, as YOU know, ceded and
delivered TO SPAN IA i76J. That colony
MAS considerably inpro, eel IN The hands
OF Spalii, by the establishment of several
new settlement. I; was retroerded, ioge
fher with them, 10 france IN 1900, by VIZ
tne al a treaty in which II MAS stipulated
that Siain re'rncelel i. with lie same
extent il bad when in the poss ssion of
France, a,li which il had at the conc!usi
ON Of Mat treaty, in the hands OF his Ca
thoiic Majesty. iconsidcr all ,hati have
already stated 10 YOU on this point as re-
peated here; and shall only add, That
although the secret convention Tor the
ces~ion of Louisiana 10 Spain Was CON
cluded in 1868, the iwo high contracting
parties reserved to themselves the right
OF afterwards agreeing OH the suitable
time for lis delivery 10 Spain, in consc
qucnce Of which France continued IN pos
session Off until 1909. AS this ACT Is
undispuied, and completed asd realized
the cession, il is clear that il could not
years before 10 Great Britain. AS fur
thes proof, we have 10 adducc the Royal
Ce,lula OF Ills Catholic Majesty, issued
at Barcelona, ant communicated In the
Preach government, III which his Ma
jesiy declares, that ne retrocedes L0uisi-
asa with the same extent II had when he
received il from France, which declaration
serves as an addition 10 The treaty of ST.
Iidcionso, and was coniormed TO by the
French government, who made use of the
said Royal Cedula Of his Catholic Males
IS in taking possession of the province
thus re;rocedcd, without any other claim
or demand on their part.
In the simple cpitonc which have pre-
scnted OF The principle and progress OF
the French settlements III this part Of he
American coniinent, | have only touched
an, the capital points, such as are suf-
ficcat to remove all sroundsaof the pre-
sent dispute. AN ready 10 prove, III the
most ample manaer, all that have ad.
VaDced, by multitude Of indisputable
documents. which will produce, if ne
cessary, the moment II may be agreeable
10 yon, ami Won will inform me of your
wish TO confront them with what have
stated. All lie errors which have been
disseminated III HE narratives and maps
of the French authors, and other foreign
deyiaiions ihroug hihe ignorance, interest,
or Inc influence OF national prejudice,
Will then be corrected, and The fact estab-
IS!iel beyond all doubt, that France ne
yer possessed any thing 10 The left of the
Mis- 'issIppi; ana HAT, TO the right, she
held The post of Nachitoches, Naichez.
Arkansas, and the Illinois, solely by the
permission or federation of Spain, as
have before slated. The settlements AT
Opclusas, AvoyelIcs aud Aiacapas, were
not yet formed IN l7G2, as is admitted aud
affirmed by Mr.. Bossu, of the French ma
w, VINO did not leave Louisiana untIlii that
year, and vino afterwards published his
voyages 10 The Vest Indies nsr were
there any commandments of those settle
merits appointed by the government, ex-
cept under the dominion Of Spain. La
F0uiciie. which Is situated much nearer
to New OrleaGs, was only begun 10 be oc-
cnpied by The French in 1863. Vile
mond, Frenctman, established himself
on He river Oucacil.ita, or the Black RI
yer, (H.n Negro during the second peri
OF at Louisiana, by occupying a small
valley bui This private settlement was
not kept up, but afterwards abandoned.
What took place at The Arkansas, Illinois,
aud the Missouri, could give. France no
night Whatever To the posts which she
happened to establish and retain, and
wiich were not claimed by Spain. All
The rest could mol be considered as an in.
iegTai parI Uf French Louisiana until the
psfiod OF the ces,IOn TO England, aud OF
lie restitution and delivery TO Spain. II
- therefore easy 10 ascertain and deter
~ ne what was HE extent OF Louisiana in
Tie possession oi the French, and what
- re lis exact boundaries. Moreover,