Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-01-30
Che Obio 3tatesnra,r
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The Treaty History OF ...:s Navigation OF I'M
Mississippi. t'..At
(ptOm the new Orleans pIc,yune,l

L II
Il is now nearly century since question
about lthe navigation Of the Mississippi
were the subject of negotiation and compromis
among European powers, These began whel
the vast interior was an uninhabited wilderness
the banks Of the great river itself had but few
and scattered settlements, and its whole com
merce reached only q few miles from Its mouth
and amounted TO few thousands Of dollars
When these States were colonies Of Great Bri
tain, mere slip along the Atlantic coast, wheI
all beyond the Alleghanies was unbroken forest
and the lower Mississippi, belonging to foreign
powers, was dotted along the coast with few
military posts, France, England and Spain, II
view Of the prospective grandeur Of the COM
merce Of the great valley, were contendint
against'each other for privileges in the river.
BY the peace OF Paris, concluded Ia 1853, be
tween Great Britain, France and Spain-where
by the old French war, as it ia known in ou
colonial history, was closed-Great Britain ac-
quired, in addition to her original colonies
Canada from France and the Floridas from
Spain. France retained and was confirmed IL
her dominion over Louisiana, which then inclu
de all the territory on the west bank of thu
Mississippi from its source, and the island o
Orleans on the east bank Of the river, which
reached from the bayou Iberville to the Gulf
/ pSooScptOh
Of the river from Jberville down.
| BY the treaty of 1853 the boundary between
Louisiana and the British possessions raI
through the middle of the Mississippi river, from
its source to the mouth of the Iberville, thence
through Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain Ia
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 sourc,
to the sea, and all its passages, in or out
"without being molested or stopped, or subject
ed to the payment Of any duty whatsoever.
But France had, contemporaneously with th,
negotiations which led to this treaty, made
secret treaty, ceding to Spain the whole o
Louisiana as II remained 10 her after the treaty
Spain thereupon succeeded to the rights ami
obligations towards England, including thu
stipulation for the perpetual free navigation o
the Mississippi river.
By the treaty Of 1888 the independence o
the United States was acknowledged by Grea
Britain. Contemporaneously with csssion o
the Floridas to Spain, with the definition OF th
thirty-frst degree Of latitude as the northern
boundary line of the Floridas, from the Missis'
sippi river eastward to the Chatahoochee. Th
western boundary of the United States was de
fined as it had been in the treaty OF 1863, viii
1
river was fixed to be at the intersection Of tn
thirty frst parallel of latitude, instead of tn
mouth Of the Iberville. s5 .r.t. -4
The eight article Of the treaty was as fol
lows:
The navigation Of the river Mississippi, from
its source to the ocean, shall forever remail
free and open to the subiects of Great Britai
and the citizens of the United States.
Great Britain had previously the same atip
ulation With France, when France possesses
the whole right bank OF the Mississippi, pn'
Jurisdiction over one-half of the river-a stip.
ulation, the obligations OF which passed I
Spain, which had succeeded to the dominion
Great Britain, on cediag her sovereignty to th
United states, stipulated Tor q continuance o
the same privilege from the United States.
The United states also succeeded to th
rights OF England derived from the treaty 0
1868 With France, to which spain had succeed
ed
Between 1853 and IT'D this subject vas mucl
contested by spain, and caused great exoitemen
In the western country. SPAN denied therigh
OF naVlgatlon-anu soon after tne treaty mad
regulations lot the collection OF heavy duties O.
imports-aii tne way Gown the Mlsslsslppi river
and establishing military posts and appointing
ofneers with Instructions collected the duties b.
military force. ihis was In furtherance OF
scheme OF spanish poiiey' 70 create dissatis
faction win tne ieoerai government IN the Wes
tern states and detacn them from the fedora
Union, tnen under the government OF the oil
confederation Inc infrigdes Tor that object
form, however, a dinerent branch OF the subjec
from that wnicn we are considering The CLAIM
OF spain was denied very strenuously by th,
government put SPAN was unylelding' and tn
agitation continued 70 the year iiso, when th
treaty OF maorio Was conciuoed' under wash
ington's administration, between the Unite'
States and spain' f.
Ihat treaty contalns tWoprovlsions IN respec
to the navigation OF the Mississippi. g..
The second clause oil the fourth article pro-
vides;
His Cathoiic Majesty has likewise agreed
that the Navigation OF the said river (the Mis-
sissppi,)n jim its whole breadth from its source tt
the ocean, snail be Tree only to his subjects anC
the citizens Oh the United states, unless h'
should extend tnis privilege to the subjects o.
other Powers py specisi convention.
BY the tWenty,second articie the right OF de-
poslt Is regulated tnus;
His Catholic Majesty VIII permit the citizenI
OF the United states, ior the space OF three
4 years from THIS TIME, 10 deposit their merchan-
discs and eneets In tne port OF New Orleans
and to export them rom thence without paying
any other duty than 10 pay fair price for thu
hire OF the stores' ana MIS- Majesty promises
either to continue tnis permission, II he find
that during that time IL Is not prejudical to th
Interests Oh Spain' OF II ne ehouid not agree L