New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-21
III.


JEFFERSON'S CHARACTER AND DIPLOMACY
Mr. Roosevelt's description Of the army
which Wayne created and OF the forty
minute fight which shattered the Indian
and British power IN the Northwest fairly
ceunterbalances the censure which he reluctantly
passes on the Federaliets as party. on tho
other hand 1t Is hard 10 avoid the suspicion that
if ne uttered all that was in his mind he would
say that Jefferson's great diplomatic exploit 81
paying S13000000 for Louisiana was waste Of
the public money. or course, he says nothing -
the kind, but he makes II plain enough that no
power on earth not even that Of Napoleon. could
have kept the American pioneers from taking
possession of the whole OF the Mississippi Valley
after they had made sure OF the eastern half OF It,
He dwells on the tim!d and vacllatIng aspect of
Jefferson's character, on his love for the French
and his dread OF Napoleon and Talleyrand, as II
to bring out more distinctly the imperative de-
mands OF the West for control Of the Mississippi
River until one gets the idea that jefferson and
the Congress that gravely debated the Louisiana
purchase were only acting the part of the ny on
the chariot wheel. He points out that Napoleon's
failure to subdue Toussaint LOuverture and the
practical destruction OF the forces sent this
petition by the Gulf climate were sufficient proof
that no army Of occupation could hold It's own In
definitely at New-Orleans.
1t is only after this diplomatic bargaining IS all
over that Jenerson's character begins TO shine in
Mr. Roosevelt's pages. jefferson a OF
science. and when ne had once laid his hand Sc
curcly on the great West with no fear Of war. he
knew just what to do. To him and to him alone
the author ascribes the glory Of conceivlng the
plan OF exploration carried out 20 magniicently
by Lewis and Clark. His profound contempt for
oSI
vent him from giving that commander credit for
Pixies expeditions. But II gives him satisfaction
to know that the good deeds OF Wilkinson
were tainted with treason. The political value OF
all there explorations was that they were national
1t was the Union that had taken possession Of
the new country and not an eager multitude Of
people upon whom all governmental restraint sat
lightly. This fact gained added significance from
the other fact that all the talk OF separat!sts
which had troubled the West for years encour-
aged by jefferson himself In the Resolutions Of
119S and embittered by French Vaccinations ana
by frequent itbustering plots like that Of George
Rogers Clark. was reduced to an absurdity by the
fantastic conspiracy of Aaron Burr. From that
day II needed nobody to tell the people OF the
West that they were the heart of a great Nation.
During the dozen years which opened with
Wayne's campaigns" concludes the author, saw
the treaties Of Jay and Pinckney. and closed with
the explorations Of Lewis, Clark and Pike, the
West had grown with the growth OF a giant and
for the fret time had achieved peace; but 1t was
not yet safe from outside attack. The territories
which had been BY war from the Indians.
and by treaty from Spain, France and England.
and which had been partially explored, were not
yet entirely our own Much had been accom-
plshed BY the deeds Of the Indlan-hghterr. treaty
makers and wilderness nderers; far more had
been accomplished by the steady push Of the
settler folk themselves as they thrust ever west
ward. ana carved States out OF the forest and the
prairie: but much yet remained to be done before
the West would reach its natural limits. would
free Itself forever from the pressure OF outside
foes, and would I'll from frontier to frontier with
popuous commemorative Of its own citizens"