The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-25
Navigation Of the Mississippi. Treaty
History.

1t is now nearly century since questions
about the navigation of the Mississippi were
the subject of negotiation and compromise
among European powers. These began
when the vast interior was an uninhabited
wilderness, the banks OF the great river it,
self had but few and scattered settlements,
and its whole commerce reached only few
miles from the mouth, and amounted to
few thousands of dollars. When these
states were colonies of Great Britain, mere
slip along the Atlantic coast, when all be-
yond the Alleghanies was unbroken forest,
and the lower Mississippi, belonging to for
eign powers, was dotted along the coast
with few military posts, France, England
and Spain, in view of the prospective gran.
deur Of the commerce of the great valley,
were contending against each other for pri-
vileges in the river.
By the peace of Paris, concluded in 1853,
between Great Britain, France and Spain
whereby the old French war, as it is
known in our colonial history, was closed
Great Britain acquired in addition to her
original colonies, Canada from France and
the Floridas from Spain. France retained
and was confirmed in her dominion over
Louisiana, which then included all the ter
ritory on the west bank of the Mississippi
from its source, and the Island of Orleans
on the east bank of the river, which reached
from the Bayou Iberville to the Gulf.
France accordingly had possession of both
banks of the river from 1berville down.
By the treaty of 1863, the boundary be-
tween Louisiana and the British possessions
ran through the middle of the Mississippi
river from its source to the mouth of the
Iberville, thence through Lakes Marrepas
and POntchartrain to the Gulf.
By that treaty it was agreed that the
subjects of Great Britain should have the
right forever OF navigating the Mississippi
from its source to the sea, and all its passa-
ges, in or out, " without being molested, or
stopped, Or subjected to the payment of any
duty whatsoever"
But France had contemporaneously with
the negotiations which led to this treaty,
made secret treaty. ceding to Spain the
whole OF Louisiana as it remained to her
after the treaty. Spain thereupon succeed
ed to the rights and obligations towards
England, including the stipulation for the
perpetual free navigation of the Mississippi
river. ..t .-.- .,I. -.
By the treaty of 1888, the independence
of the United States was acknowledged
by y'Great Britain. Contemporaneously with
cession of the Floridas to Spain, with the
definition of the 3lst degree of latitude as
the northern boundary line of the Floridas,
from the Mississippi river eastward to the
Chatahoochee. The western boundary of
the United States was defined as it had
been in the treaty Of 1863, with France,
except that the southern point on the river
was fixed to be at the intersection of the
3lst parallel of latitude, instead Of the
mouth of the Iberville. t.ae7!i,I
The eighth article Of the treaty was as
follows:
The navigation of the river Mississippi, from
its source to the ocean, shall forever remain
free and open to the subjects Of Great Britain
and the citizens of the United States. l.ss
Great Britain had previously the same
stipulation with France, when France pos