The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1893-02-11
Louisiana,
The Province, ths Territory, the
State.

iDldIt.
After the discovery Of America by CO.
lumbus the leading powers of Europe
sought TO enlarge their domain by esta-
blishing colonies in the new world.
The political doctrine which they then
established was that the European So
rereign was the absolute monarch Of all
lands which might be discovered by any
of his subjects, and such dscOverer was
authorized to take possession of such
country in .he name of his royal master.
The limits 10 such acquisitions were I'M
known and unestablis!lpd and rested up
on the most eXtravagant assumptions
that the sovereign was pleased to make.
The Indians OCCUPYING these lands were
treated as holding only an actual pos
sesSicn of the land by the gracious suf
feraRce Of his liege lord in Europe.
This state Of affairs naturally led To fire.
quent conflicts between the white set
tiers of different nati0nalities. France
held claim not only to New France, that
is to say a vast territory north of the
present United States Of America, but
also asserted absolute ownership of the
whole country from her possessions in
the north to the Gulf of Mexico. and
from the borders of the other European
colonies on the east to the utmost limits
on the west, and which were entirely
unknown.
THIS CLAIM ADMITTED OF NO EXCEPTION
beyond the possessions of Spain in Flo
Tida, comprising the present State of
Florida and the greater part Of the Gulf
coast, and the Spanish colonies of what
is now Mexico, California and Texas.
Such, in brief, was the great region to
which the French had given the name
of Louisiana.
The chief settlements were at New Or
leans, then situated on the island called
Isle dOrieans, and the present cities of
st. Louis and Mobile. The eastern bOun
Diary Of this vast province was very I'M
certain and France had shown her in
tentiOns in that directions in various
ways, notably by building Fort Du
sauense where now stands the city Of
Pittsburg. The aggressive course of
France in this direction was checked by
her wars at home and on the continent.
Then came great change. Napoleon
Bonaparte, the humble boy in Corsica,
had become Napoleon |. Emperor Of
France. His long continued wars in
Europe had depleted his treasury and he
found himself in want of money! vul-
gar want which too often visits mortal
man-whether beggar or emparOr.
Thomas LETTERS n, one of the greatest
statesmen who have ever lived, was then
president of the United States. He had
GREAT ADMIRATION FOR THE FRENCH,
among whom he had many personal
friends and warm admirers. Napoleon
needed money and was unable to give
much attention to the province Of Louis |
lana, which might soon slip from his |
grasp, as the other colonies had thrown
off the yoke of England. The United
States were growing rapidly; the fric-
ton Of interests between the French and |
the people of the Union caused much |
bitter feeling between them, especially |
rs the latter felt more and more the RE-
cessity Of having control Of the Missis-
sippi river from its mouth to its source.
President jefferson was fully alive to
the growing wants of this young nation,
and with the keen foresight of the pro-
found statesman, saw the great pOssibi-
lities which lay within the nations
grasp. He was not slow 20 act. and, by
the treaty of st. Ildelfonso in 1903, he
purchased from the French Emperor
this immense province of Louisiana for
$3.000,000.
In this connection it is pleasant to. be
able to say good word for the great
Napoleon. who often proclaimed his adj
miration for George Washington. In
thus disposing 1T summarily Of his sub
jects in America. it is to his credit that
he sought with the utmost care to Sc
cure to them all those rights and libar-
ties which were enjoyed by the people of
the United States.
These events make up
A STRIKING DRAMATIC SCENE IN HISTORY,
wherein the rulers of two great coun-
tries, the Democratic president of this