The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-06-10
st, JOhnsbury, Vt. June 10, 1913.

and with these additional means, Daniel
Clark went on, increasing his business, rap
idly augmenting his estates, buying land and
land-claims, until he became a man of extern
slve possessions, great i'm actual amount but
of infinitely greater prospective value.
But his active mind and varied acquire
ments soon found fields of successful eXer-
ton. His good knowledge of the French
tand Spanish languages, gave him excellent
facilities for becoming acquainted with the
Inhabitants of New Orleans aud the old
province of Louisiana, 81 ofeurning how far
their capacities correspondent TO the circum-
stances in which they were placed, and TO the
advantages of the country they occupied, and
whether with such population the actual
resources and real value of that wonderful
country could ever he developed.
lie soon saw that the vast regions on the
western banks ofthe Mississippi were worth
y of n more magnificent destiny than that at
taching TO them as n mere colonial nppen-
duge OF France and Spain, between which
Kingdoms they had passed back and forth as
an occasional make-weight in n new treaty.
Though British by birth and education, all
his sympathies and hopes were soon enlist
ed with the rising Republic of the United
States, then pouring an active and enterpris-
! ing population towards the Mississippi. To
this nation he looked as the proper occupants
ofthe whole valley of the Great River, and as
alone capable ofproperly realizing the hid
den value of the country. These views were
cherished by him for some years, until the
accession of Thomas Jefferson to the Presi-
dency furnished an occasion for the accom-
pishment of the great scheme by which Dan
iel Clark had long hoped TO make the coun-
try which he had chosen MS the field of his
enterprise, more worthy of his ambition and
| 10 n Ia
President Jefferson, and first suggested 10 him
the acquisition ofthe province & territory of
Louisiana by the United States. The result
| is known; but the prime mover andthe orig
inal agency that produced that great result,
have hitherto been strangely unknown or ov-
erlooked. TO Daniel Clark, the United States
owe the suggestion and movement which led
them to the possession of all the territory
now held by them west of the Mississippi.
Daniel Clark is still well remembered by
some of the most respectable citizens ofNew
York, who knew him personally,or by rep
utation, in the days of his most prosperous
enterprise, Immediately after the purchase
of Louisiana by the United States. lie was
| frequently in this city, aud in Philadelphia
and Baltimore, ut that period, and was well
known as wealthy New Orleans merchant,
and successful specuator in land in the
newly acquired territory, lie was probably
one of the first if not the very first, of those
who ever succeeded in the attempt to accu-
mulate wealth by the exercise of foresight
and Judgment us 10 the prospective value of
uncultivated and wholly unoccupied land,
! though instances ofsuccess in such specula-
tons have since become numerous, while ca
ses of utter ruin and disgrace in unsuccessful
attempts of the same nature, have been I'M
dodbtedly ten thousand times more numer-
Gus,
The well established high position of Dan
iel Clark in the ancient capital of the new
territory, and his unusual facilities for free
intercourse among the French and Spanish
creoles of the province of Louisiana, aided
by the address rharacterizing peculiarly ac-
complishcd, thoroughly educated commercial
man, had naturally made linn very popular
among his fellow citizens; and tie prominent
part which he took in securing the union of
Louisiana to the great repubic, was CRATE
| fully appreciated by its most intelligent in
| habtanis, who were n little behind him in
uerceiving the solid benefits resulting TO them
| from the transfer ofther allegiance from the
Emperor Napoleon, then in name only first
consul. to the Federal, Government. Ii is
said to have been the almost universal eXpec-
tation of the people of what is now the State
of Louisiana, that Daniel Clark would be
their first territorial Governor, under the APP
pontment ot'the President aud Senate of the
United Suites. If Mr. Jefferson had been nc
cushioned or disposed to regard the popular
will, or to pay respect to the claims OF graft
tude or natural justice in his appointments, it
might have been So But instead ofdminish-
| ing his own glories by giving prominence
and distinction to the man to whose sugges-
tons and arguments he owed the greatest a.
chevement of his administration, lie gave the
appointment to n personal friend and polit-
cal supporter, who was not likely TO intercept
any rays Unpopular admiration WHICH might
be directed towards the author of the acces-
sion of Louisiana. Governor Claiborne was
the nominee of Mr. Jefferson, and was con-
frmed by the Senate.
He was very estimobe and patriotic man,
though in 1914 and 1915 he was not so tortu-
nate as to agree with absolute servile unltor-
mity to all the notions of General Jackson.
Governor Claiborne and Daniel Clark, had
some unfortunate difficulties, which led 10 q
personal misunderstanding finally in duel
between these two distinguished men.
The people of the new territory ofOrleans,
ESQ called before il was admitted Iinto the u
Mon under its present name of the Stnte OF
Louisiana) sided warmly with Daniel Clark,
and so actively sympathized with him under
the supposed ingratitude ofPresident Jeffer-
son. that they promptly elected him, repeat
edly by triumphant vote, their first delegate
in Congress He there distinguished himself
by his active devotion to the interests of his
constituents, aud by his "business capacity
for his duties at Washington, though moi
said to be eminently endowed with the g't
of eloauence.He was a respectable parliament
tary speaker, expressing himself on all sub
iects which lie considered appropriate to his
position, with propriety and force.
To trace his career in Congress would be
hi nm, fIrt,