The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-12
THE CEssIoN OF LOUISIANA.
How Bonaparte Sold the Mississippi Region
to Prevent Its Seizure by England.

Extract from Mr. Blaino's Twenty Years in Con-
gress."
Events beyond the ocean were working
more rapidly for the interest Of the United
States than any influence the government it
self could exert. Before Mr. Monroe reached
France in the spring of 1903 another war
cloud Of portentous magnitude was hanging
| over Europe. The treaty of Amiens, which
proved only truce, misconstrued and vio-
lated by both parties, was about to be form
ally broken. Fearing that, in the conflict to
come, England by her superior naval force
would deprive him of his newly-acquired
colonial empire, and. greatly enhance her
own prestige by securing all the American
possessions which France had owned prior
to 1863 Bonaparte, by a dash in diplomacy
as quick and as brilliant as his tactics on the
field of BATTLE placed Louisiana beyond the
reach of British power After returning to
st. Cloud from the religious services OF Easter
Sunday, April 10, 1903, he called two OF his
most trusted advisers, and in tone of We
hemence and passion said:
1 know the full value of Louisiana and have
been DESTROYS of repairing the fault of the
French negOtiators who lost 1t In 1853. A few
lines of a treaty have restored IT to me, and now
to take possession OF it, and 1t is thus they will
begin the war. They have twenty ships of
war in the Gulf of Mexico. The conquest
of Louisiana would be easy. have not mo-
ment to lose in putting 1t out of their reach.
The English have successfully taken from
France the Canadas, Cape Breton, Newfound-
land, Nova Scotia and the richest portions of
Asia. But they shall not have the Mississippi,
which they cOvet.
The discussion went far into the night.
The two ministers differed widely in the adj
w
was in favor of holding Louisiana at all haz-
ards; the other urged its prudent cession,
rather than its inevitable loss by war. The
ministers both renal ned at st. Cloud for the
mig hit. At daybreak the minister who had
advised the cession was summoned by Bona
parte to read dispatches from London, that
moment re ceived, and which certainly fore
Swallowed war, as the English were making
military and naval preparations with extra
ordinary rapidity. After reading the dis
patches, the First Consul said:
Irresolution and deliberaton are no longer in
season. | renOunce Louisiana. 1t ia not only
New Orleans that will cede, it is the whole
colony without any reservation. l know the
value of what abandon. renounce 1t with the
gravest regret To attempt Obstinately to re-
tain it would be folly. direct you to negotiate
this affair with the ENJOYS of the United States.
DO Lot even await the arrival OF Mr.. Monroe.
Have an interview this very day with Mr.. Liv-
ingston: But require great deal of
money for this war. viii be moderate. want
fifty millions for Louisiana.
The minister who was opposed to the sale
| interposed, in subsequent interview, some
observations upon what the Germans call
the souls as to whether they could be the
subject of contract or SALE" Bonaparte re-
piled with undisguised sarcasm: You are
giving me the theology of the law OF nature.
But require money to make war on the
richest nation in the world. Send your
maxims to London. / am sure they will
be greatly admired there" The First Con-
sui afterward added: Perhaps it will be OBJ
jected that the Americans will be found too
powerful for Europe in two or three centu-
ries; but my foresight does not embrace such
remote fears. Besides we may hereafter ex
pect rivalries among the members of the
Union. The considerations, which are called
perpetual, only last till one of the contract
ing parties finds it to his interest to break
them"
Louis Napoleon embodied the substance of
these views in his "Idees Napoleonnes;'' 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 destruction
which followed was not of the Union but of
the unhappy Austrian prince who repre-
sented his policy, and later of the Emperor
| himself.
Two days after this conversation Mr. Mon
roe OPPORTUNITY arrived, and on the Both of
April the treaty ceding Louisiana to the
| United States was formally signed and sealed
| Mr. Monroe anu Mr. Livingston had no au-
| thorlty to negotiate for so vast an extent of
| territory, but the former was fully possessed
| of President Jefferson's views, and felt as
! Sured that his instructions would have been
ample if the condition of France had been
| foreseen when he sailed from America
Communication with Washington was inn
possible. Under the most favorable circum-
| stances 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, Mon
roe and Livingston realized that hesitation
would be fatal, and they boldly took the re-
sponsibility of purchasing territory of I'M
known and almost unlimited dimensions
and of pedgng the credit of the government
for a sum which, rated by the ability to pay,
was larger than a similar pledge to-day tor
$500 1000. The price agreed upon was
| S11 $50, 900 in per cent. United States bonds
the interest of which was made payable in
London, Amsterdam and Paris. and the
principal at the treasury in Washington. in
sums of $4,000 per annum, beginning
| fifteen years after the bonds were issued.
In separate treaty, made the same day.
| the United States agreed to pay 10000 900
francs additional, to be applied by France to
the satisfaction of certain claims owed to
| American citizens. Thus the total cost of
Louisiana was 10000, 900 francs, or, in round
numbers, $4,000 900.
1t seems at this day scarcely credible that
| the acquisition of Louisiana by Jefferson was
denounced with a bitterness surprising the
partisan rancor with which this generation
is familiar. No abuse was too malignant, no
epthet toe. coarse, no imprecation too saw
| age for the assailants of the great phlosophic
statesman. who laid the foundations so broad
and deep for his country's growth and grand
eur. President of feeble republic contend
ing for prize which was held by the great
est military power OF Europe, and whose
possession was coveted by the greatest naval
power of the world, Mr.. Jefferson through
his chosen and trusted agents, so conducted
his important negotiations that the ambition
of the United States was successfully inter-