Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-07-14

lew First Consul Bsaaparte Sold the
Great Mississippi Region % the
AG

CafaeA states 10 Prevent It's Seizure
by Esgiand.
u Events beyond the ocean were work
ing more rapidly for the interes. of the
United States than any Influences the
Government itself could exert. Before
Mr.. Monroe reached France, in the
spring of 1913, another war cloud of
portentious magnitude was hanging
over Europe. The Treaty Of Amiens,
which proved only truce, misconstrued
and violated by both parties, was about
70 be formally broken. Fearing that in
the conflict to come England, by her
superior naval force, would deprive him
OF bis nevly-acQuired Colonial empire,
and greatly enhance her own prestige
by securing all the American posses
slons which France had owned prior to
lI63, Bonapsrte, by dash in diplomacy
as quick and as brilliant as his tactics
on the field Of battle, placed Lousians
beyond the reach of British power. AT
ter returning to ST. Cloud from the re
Iigious services Of E ister Sunday, April
10. 1893, he called two of his most trust
ed advisers, and in tone of vehemence
and passion said:
II know the full value of Louisiana,
and have been DESTROYS of repairing the
fault OF the French negotiators who los,
II IN l763. A few lines of treaty have
restored 1t to me, and now must expecl
to lose II. The English visit
possession of it, and it is thus they will
begin the war. They have %
ships Of war in the Gulf of Mexico.
The conquest of Louisiana
would be easy. have not a moment to
lose In putting it out of their reach.
The English have successiyely
| taken from France the Canadas. Cape
| Breton, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and
| the richest portions of Asia. But they
shall not have the Mississippi, which
they covet."
The discussion went on far into the
night. The two Ministers differed
widely in the advice which they gave
the First Consul. One was in favor of
holding Louisiana at all haz irtls; the
| other urged its prudent cession rather
than its inevitable loss By war. The
Ministers both remained at st. Clond
for the night. At dsybreak the Minister
who had advised the cession was SUM-
moned by Bonaparte to read dispatches
from London. that moment received,
and which certainly foreshadowed war,
as the English were making military
and naval preparations with extraordir-
airy rapidity. After reading the dis
patches the First Consul s. id:
"IrresOlutiOn and deiiberation are no
longer in season. renounce Louisiana.
II is not only New Orleans that l will
code, 1t is the whole colony without any
reservation. / know the value of what
! abandon. l renounse il with regret.
To attempt Obstinately to retain il
would be folly; direct you to negotiate
this affair with the ENJOYS of the United
States. Do not even await the arrival
of MIR. Monroe. Have an interview this
very day with Mr.. Livingstone. =
But require great deal of money for
this war. will be- moderate. want
$JO,OOO,OOO for Louisiana.
The Minister, opposed to the sale.
interposed, III subsequent interview,
some observations upon what the Ger
mans call the souls, as to whether they
could be the subject of a contract of
SALE" Bonaparte replied with undis-
guised sarcasm: "You are giving me
the theology of the law of nature. But
l require money to make war on the
maxims to.lIondon. am sure they will |
be greatly admired there" The First
Consul afterward added: perhaps it |
will be objected that the Americans will |
be found too powerful for Europe in
tive or three centuries; but inv foresight |
does not embrace such remote fears. |
Besides, We may hereafter expect rival |
ries among the members of the Union. |
The considerations, which are called |
perpetual, only last till one of the con- |
tracing parties finds it to his interest to
break them
Louis Napoleon embodied the sub |
stance of these views in his "Idees Ma
poleOnnes," and sixty years after the
First Consul spoke the words quoted
his nephew believed the time had come;
and the Mexican invasion, based on the
assumed destruction of the American
Union, was undertaken. The destruc-
ton which followed was not of the
Union, but of the unhappy Austrian
Prince who represented his policy, and
later the Emperor himself.
Two days after this conversation Mr..
Monroe OPPORTUNITY arrived. and on
the 3Oth OF April the treaty ceding
Louisiana to the United States was for
mally signed and sealed. Mr.. Monroe
and Mr.. Livingston had no authority to
negotiate for 80 vast an extent of terri
tory, but the former WAS fully possessed
of President Jsfferson's views. and felt
assured that his instructions would
have been ample if the condition of
France had been foreseen when he
sailed from America. Communication
with Washington was impossible. Un-
der the most favorable circumstances
an answer could not be expected in less
than three months; and by that time
British ships would probably hold the
mouths Of the Mississippi and the flag
of st. George would wave over New
Orleans, Messrs. Monroe and Living
ston realized that hesitation would be
fatal, and they boldly took the respen
sibility OF purchasing territory of I'M
known and almost unlimited dimen-
siOns, and OF pledging the credit of the
Government for sum which, rated by
the ability to pay, was larger than a
similar pledge today for $500,000,0O0.
The price agreed upon was $l1, 10000
in 6 per cext. United States bonds, the
interest of which was made payable in
London, Amsterdam and Paris, and the
principal at tho Treasury in Washing
ton, in sums of $3,000060 per aunum,
beginning fifteen years after the bonds
were issued.
In a separate treaty, made the same
day, the United States agreed to pay
100000 francs additional, to bo ap-
piled by France to the satisfaction of
certain claims owed to Americ IN citi-
zens. Thus the total cost of Louisiana
was SO,000.000 fr mos, or, in round num-
bars, Sl5,OO,000.
IL seems at this day scarcely credible
that the acquisition Of Louisiana by
Jefferson was denounced with bitterness
surprising the partisan rancor with
which this generation is familiar. No
abuse was too malignant, no epithet
too coarse. no imprecation too savage
for the assailants of the great philosohic
statesman, who laid the foundation 30
broad and deep for his coantry's growth
and grandeur. President of feeble Re
public, contendine for prize which was
held by the greatest military power of
Europe, and whose possession was COW
eted by the greatest naval power of the
world, Mr.. Jefferson. through his chosen
and tf lsted agents, 50 conducted his
important negotiations that the ambi-
ton of the United States was success
fully iuterposed between the necessities
of the one power and the aggres-
sive designs of ste osher. Ready 20 side
with either of those powers against the
other for the advantage of his own coun-
Il tPv. mot undertaking thu danoara Of vay