The Arkansas banner., 1843-12-16
EARLY HISTORY OF LOUISIANA.

Gentlemen-You have already, in the
 brief period or your editorial career, contri-
 buted so much to the history of Louisiana,
 that know not how better to dispose of the ! accompanying paper than to place it in your
 hands. It IS the original document by which [ the Post ot Concord, embracing the said Pa rlsh where you reside, was transferred by / l Don Stephen Minor, agent of Spain, to Ferf
 dinand Leigh Claiborne, Representative of
 the French Republic.
 You will remember that, by the treaty of St. lldeionso, in the year 1900, Louisiana
 was acquired of Spain BS> France, in ex-
 change for Tuscany, which latter was set
 tied by the treaty on the son-in-law of the
 King of Spain, with the title of King of Etrtl- zla, and was estimated, in the exchange, in | consideration of it's revenue, as one hundred millions of francs. Napoleon, their first Consul, thought he had made an advanta- tgeous bargain in that exchange, as he mani tested on marry occasions, recorded in our
 diplomatic correspondence. In one of his pro-
 elamations he promised Louisiana as an asy-
 lum, to those who had suffered by the Re-
 volution, and he spoke of its fertility and ey-
 tent ln glowing terms. Mr. Jefferson, with
 characteristic sagacity, early saw the neees-
 slty for It's annexation to the United States.
 and shortly after his accession to the Prcsi-
 dency, instructed Mir Madison, then Secre-
 tary of State, to press the negotiation. The
 U. 5. was represented, at Paris then, by a
 minister of eminent ability, the late Robert3 R. Livingston, of New Y ork and, in March.
 lS03, James Monroe was associated with
 him.
 The celebrated 1alleyrand and NJ. Mar
 bois, Ministers of France, opened the nego-
 ciation on the part of the French Republic,
 but it was finally confded entirely to the
 latter, from some dstrust of the former.-
 Napoleon first demanded for it one hundred
 million of francs, exclusive of the debt due by France to our citizens for spoliations,
 which he proposed the U. s. should pay.
 with perpetual exemption from foreign du-
 ties on the manufactures, productions, and
 vessels of France and Spain, in the ports of
 the eeded' territory. From that demand.
 however, in respect to the sum, his own cabi-
 net advised him to recede; and the first pro position M. Mafbois made, was, that the U. $. should pay eighty millions, sixty of which
 Tn cash--the balance towards the debt due
 American citlzens-the whole of which to
 be paid Tn twelve months, in Paris, with the perpetual exemption from foreighn duties, as above. This proposition was subsequently,
 modified, and the U. s. offered 10 pay sixty
 millions of francs in stock, bearing an inter- est ot SIX per cent; and sum not exceeding
 twenty mllllong more 10 our citizens, in dis
 charge of the debts due to them by France, under the convention of 1900; and also to , exempt the manufactures, productions, and } vessels of France and Spain in the direct trade from those countries respectively, ill the ports of the ccded territory, from foreign duties, for the term of twelve years The
 stock was to be made irredeemable for fif- } teen years, and discharged afterwards, in three equal annual instalments-the interes, to be paid in Europe, and the principal, in : case France thought proper to sell it, dis posed of in such manner as would most conduce to the credit of the American funds. |, The debts due to our citizens were to , be discharged by draft on the U. s. Trca-
 sury.
 On the l7th of September, 1903, Mr. Jef- ferson communicated this treaty to the Sen ate It was speedily ratified, and Vim. c. c. ClaIborn, then Governor of the Mississippi f Territory, and General James Wilkinson were appointed commissioners to receive the provinces, which were still in the hands of l Spain, owing to the non compliance of
 France with certain stipulations of the treaty s of St. Idelonso The Government of Ma S drld threw every obstacle in the way of the ? American diplomatists, and its Minister al : Washington, the Marquis de Caso Yrujo, re-
 monstrated earnestly against the transfer, in the name of his King, as being in direct 9 contravention of the treaty of St. Ildelonso. and upon the ground that the title of Lous- f lana was still in the Crown of Spain. Mr. = Madison communicated these remonsrances to M. Pichon, ambassador from the French . Republic, and received from him every as- surance that his government guaraned the
 treaty, and would allow no obstacle 10 its , execution. The impression generally pre- vailed that the Spanish authorities would , resist the delivery of the province, and, on the 24th of October, 1863, Mir. Madison thus wrote to Mir. Monroe: {" It remains to be seen how far Spain will persist in her re- monstrances, and how far she will add to them resistance by force. Should the lat { ter course be taken, 1t can lead to nothing
 but substitution of a forcble for peacea- r ble possession, Having now clear and honest title, acquired in mode pointed out } by Spain herself, 1t will, without doubt, be ? maintained with decision becoming our na- tlonal character, and required by the import ance of the object"
 In pursuance of the resolution so calmly, l yet firmly expressed in this dispatch, the r American commissioners were instructed to get possession at all hazards; to selze New , Orleans by coup dc nsain, if necessary,
 and for this purpose the regular troops at Fort Adams, were placed at their disposal, : and the militia of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennes- see, and the Mississippi Territory, ordered
 to be in readiness detachment of the troops from Tennessee, descended to Match
 ez, eager for the contest, for the whole west was embittered against tine Spaniards, owing to the exactions levied on its commerce. {. N1. c,cc..si1..a Lcs..:o..e. C.