Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-15

which came about in this wise: When our coun-
try purchased Louisiana from France the
question OF boundary again came up between
our government and that Of Great Britain and
was not settled until the treaty Of peace at the
close Of the war of 1Sl2-14. BY the second
article Of that treaty it was provided that the
boundary between Louisiana and the British
possessions should begin at the northwest
corner Of the Lake of the Woods, and run
thence westward along the forty ninth parallel,
and if said point Of beginning should not be
situated In said parallel. then the line should
run north or south, as the case might require,
till said forty-ninth parallel should be inter-
sected. thence westward along said parallel of
latitude to the Stony mountains. When the
line was actually run it was found that the
forty-ninth parallel was some thirty miles
south of the northwest corner OF the Lake of
the Woods. and thus it is that Minnesota has a
sharp point which extends thirty miles further
north than any other American territory out
side OF Alaska.
THE FIRST ANNEXATION.
Twenty years elapsed before the young re-
public made its first acquisition of territory,
but its very first venture in this field showed
that the Judgment of the sagacious Spaniard
was not at fault in his confident prediction Of
our future greatness
In 1903 Thomas Jefferson, President Of the
United States, purchased Louisiana of France.
That territory then not only included the pres
| ent state bearing that name but all of the vast
and rich empire lying between the Mississippi
river and the Rocky mountains and extending
to the British possessions on the north 1t
gave us a clear title to all that region. and also
a claim not quite so well defined to what is now
Oregon and Washington.
The price paid for this magnificent purchase
was els, 800, 080 and the United States assumed
| the payment Of certain claims existing against
the territory in behalf of some of our citizens.
! This purchase was undoubtedly the most i'm
| portant peaceful event in the whole history of
our country and is romance in itself. Spain
had held Louisiana since before our revolu-
| ton. For many years her possession of New
| Orleans and of the Mississippi river had been a
| standing menace to the peace and safety of
our country.
SPANISH 1NTRIGUEs.
At one time her intrigues with the people of
| the west almost threatened the disruption of
| the newly formed Union. 1t was openly
charged, and by many believed, that Gen. Will
| kinson Of Kentucky was for some years in the
pay Of the Spanish king with the Interior
| object OF detachng the west from the federal
| government and setting up an Independent
! government, or becoming dependency of the
| Spanish crown. But in 1900 Spain coded
Louisiana to her old enemy France, and the
/ hold-over governor Of the province issued a
proclamation closing the navigation of the
|
New Orleans, which right the western people
had enjoyed since 1895.
Jefferson became alarmed. He declared that
| whoever held New Orleans was by that fact our
enemy. He secured an appropriation Of two
millions OF dollars from Congress to buy the
Island OF Orleans and sent James Monroe az
! minister extraordinary to France and Spain
to act in conjunction with our regular minis
tiers already there Their proposition to buy a
place OF deposit for western merchandise was
met by counter proposition to sell an empire.
Here was puzzle. Jefferson was the apostle
and high priest OF the doctrine of strict con-
struction of the powers Of the federal
government 1t had power under the
Constitution to buy a depot for the
purposes OF commerce. but none to ac
quire and annex territory. But the Anglo
| Saxon has for thousand years been the living
exponent of the doctrine that the government
| Is made for the people and not the people fol
the government. The President was equal tt
the occasion. He laid aside his strict construc
ton scruples for the time being, &C
cepted the treaty and summoned Congress
in extra session to ratify the same
The vast territory thus acquired was then prac
tically an unknown land north and west o
st. Louis, and the most extraordinary storie
about it were circulated among the people an,
were gravely discussed in Congress- II wa
said to be inhabited by Indians of gigantic
stature: the plains were said to be covered will
buffalo, and the soil declared SO rich as t.
preclude the growth of trees. Thousand
miles up the Missouri was said to be pur
mountain Of salt, white and glittering In tn
sun, and $50 miles long by forty-6ve wide.