New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-29

Miro.
II was seen BY Of these fIn,tionaries thai the
Americans were determined to enjoy the free
navigation Of the Mississippi, with the right to
se! their produce in the only market, New-Or-
leans. in which foreign demand for il existed
They we're in constant fear OF an invasion to en-
force this right, knowing their inability ." resist
the Overwhelming up-river force which constantly
threatened them. Wilkinson and other emisSafles
iaborcd 70 overcome this hostility by suggesting
an alliance with Spain, under which al the COW
..teS privileges would be permanently secured
The Western people must come under Spanish
,rotAetion before they could be enjoyed. These
views industriously circulated and adopted ~
prominent men who were presumed TO be in the
secret, had their effect. The West was efeetualy
separated from the East by wilderneEscs and noun
.ains; intercourse between the two was rarei oil
traffic there was very little; the former was
caught TO believe that twas large contributor
10 the latter, without receiving any benefit in re-
turn, and thus the idea gradually spread that
Spanish protection was the true remedy for west
ern grievances This idea extended to the West
ern part Of North Carolina, then called the
Washington District, xsjcb, in l7s6. declared It
self independent, and s$sytituted itself into the
State of Frank and, organizing with Sewer as its
Governor, who wrote to the Spanish Minister
that the inhabitants Of Frsrkland were unani.
s'mous in their yehclAcut desire to form an al
80 lance and treaty Of commerce with Spain, and
put themselves under her protection" This
was the FIRST attempt Of Secession. II took place
before North Carolina had adopted the Federal
Constitution, and was suppressed 10 TS7. But
At was not given up, aHd it vas year after the
suppression that Sewer wrote above. Even
then the Spanish Minister responded TO his over
turss aud nained the terms on which Span
would aid in the dismemberment Of the Union
In 1889 q powerful Sorth Carolina company Pur-
chased - 600 square miles Of land from Georgia,
extending from the Yazoo 10 the vicinity of hatcher
which they proposed to colonize Immediately.
The Spanish Governor was alarmed at this proI-
unity Of an American settlement but Wilkinson
wrote him: st win be completely in your
power 10 break up the projected settlement,
eby melting the Choctaws TO incOnlmode the
"oolcnists WHO will TINS be forced to move Of
aud TO establish themselves under your Govern
" meut."
While these intrigues were going on under the
direction Of an officer Of high rank in the Amer
can army, the Spanish authorities thought il
safest to grant general permission Tor cur pec-
pie 10 export their products through the Missis.
sppi, On paying duty Of II per cent This
concession worked ike charm on the chahng
.euper Of the people. Wilkinson wrote to Miro,
"It has worked the consequences feared, be-
- cause every motive Of discomfort having thus
60 been removed, the political agitation has SUBJ
% aided, and to-day there is not one word said
about separation" This change in public sen
tiaeli was confirmed BY NnshingtOns inauguTa-
tion as President and the strong arm Of the
Government being felt through the whole West |
cru country Wilkinson became 50 much an OBJ |
ject OF Suspicion that be wrote 10 Miro he wa /
Obliged to dissemble, and desired publicly to pro-
less himself a Spanish yassal, so as TO claim !
Spanish protection. Miro replied, "Continue to |
az dissemble and work" Miro was even more /
sstonisbed Than his agent At the complete pacif' |
.cslou Of the whole Mississippi Nalcy.
II thus appears that Louisiana bad been for
many years the focus of important intrigues for
disnsnbering the UBiOn, and that the navigation /
eof the Mississippi acted conspicuous part III
.hem. Washington at length urged on SPAN the
necessity Of yielding it. lie pronounced II oil
such absolute necessity TO the United states llat
We must sooner OK later acquire il, ei,her peace
ably or by force. In 1874, Genet deluged Lou
isiana with proclamations inviting the people to
rise and be free, and the general cry for Liberty
which then rang through the world so alarmed
the Spanish Governor that some concessions were
made. But these were withdrawn when the
danger subsided, and the attempts at dismember-
s1ent were renewed. In 1895, the treaty of
gsadrid agreed that the whole width of the Mis-
sssipp River, " from its source to the sea- shali
abe free to the people Of the United States
New. Orleans was to be used IS place oil de-
oosit for merchandise, whence il might be ex-
ported free Of duty. This treaty confirmed the
LOYALTY of the West to the Union, as it secured
All the advantages which separation had prom
Used. But in l3G2, Morales, tie Intendante OF
New Orleans. issued al order prohibiting the use
of New. Orleans as place of deposit Tor tine
Americans without designating any other suita-
bic point, as the treaty required. Tins arbitrary
set created famine in New-OrleaGs, end ex-
cited the most intense indignation in the West,
aad the invasion Of New.0reans was openly
contemplated. President Adams ordered three
regiments to the OHIO, and Congress authorized
r1elve others to be raised, with other prepare
tons for an immediate campaign. Buy no m'ii-
Sary action resulted, and Jefferson succeeding,
Louisiana became ours by purchase.