Daily Yellowstone journal., 1885-10-17
A BIG BLUFF.
THE GAME BY WHlc+ OREGON AND
IDAHO WERE WON.
Some Interesting Facts rnearthsi Con-
Germ ng the 'Lpuisisns purchsse"-
Text uT the Original Grant-Mak-
ins a Succe ,sful Territorial Grab.
Washington Cor Globq.Dsmocrat.I

WASHINGTON Cor. Globe DsnHcrat.I
In the course of his researches. Chief
Geographer Lannett, of the geological
bureau, has unearthed some interesting
facts not generally known about the re.
gion ono desCr bed as the territory of
..ouisian As early rs the beginning of
the eighteenth century an official attempt
was made TO change the names Of several
of the rivers. in lIi2 rance made u
grant 10 Antoine de rolat Of the ex-
elusive night I, trade in the territory.
tn : graft made the first ana only state
ment OF the general limits Of the vast re
giun rance al that time claimed much
more than is usually understood BY the
territory of Lou siana The grant reads:
"All the territories by us possessed and
bounded by New Mexico and by those of
the English in taroina all the establish.
meuis, lUrts, haTbOrs, rivers and espe tally
the port and harbnr of auphin island,
formerly called Massacre island, the
river 81 ouis. formerly called the
Mississippi. from the scash re TO the
Illinois, together with the river ~
hilip, formerly called the MissouriCs
river, aud the 1T. Jerome, formerly called
the Wabash now the ohio with all the
cOunlr Is. territories, lakes inland. and he
rivers emptying directly or indirectly into
that part OF the river St LOu.s,
\ GAMn UF uLUfL.
IN tracing the transfers of the various
portions o, the western country until the
present limits of the nited tatcs were
determined Mr. Garnet finds that this
government came into possession of the
region now divided into " ashiugtOn.
IL 4. 81.
of blui. Ii is certain. lie says, that the
territory OF Ouisiuna. as lirsl and subse.
qucully dc ned, never included that sec.
ton.
France transferred the territory Of
Louisiaua TO spain in li62. n few
months iaer. in treaty, the western
boundary # Great lritain's possessions
WAS made The center of the Mississippi
and thus the territory of LOUIS aua lost
all the land east Of the Mississippi
by the treaty of san lIdcfonso in 90,
Spain transferred the territory of Louisi'
ana tn rance.
In 1SOp Bonal arte sold the territory Of
Louisiana 10 the nited states in con
sidentIon OF 10000, 900 francs and the
assumption by this government of the
- rench spUliatiOn claims supposed TO
amount 10 about S5. 10000 The treaty
of cessiOn defined the boundaries as the
same AS those specified il the treaty of
san lldefunso.
Mr. arnett reaches this conclusion.
rom this ii appears that the territory
sold 10 the nited states comprised that
part of the drainage basin of the Missis'
sippi which lies west Of the course OF the
river with the exception of such parts as
were then held by Spain. The want of
precise definition Of limits in the treaty
was not Oh ecIed to by the American
commissioners. as they probably foresaw
that this very indetniteness might prove
of service to the nited States in future
negotiations with other powers. In fact
the claim of the | nited states TO the area
now comprised In Oregon. Washington.
aud Idaho in the negotiations with Great
Britain regarding the northwestern
boundary was ostensibly based not only
upon prior occupation and upon purchase
from spain, but also upon the alleged fact
that this area formed part of the Louisi-
ana purchase
A BASELFSS CLAIM.
That this claim was baSeless is shown
not only by what has been already de