The morning times., 1897-01-08
THE BATTLE OF
NEW ORLEANS.

which have from time to time become
when grouped together form one Of the
most extraordinary combinations of events
ever developed in England's artful and
scheming diplomacy.
In 1760 Great Britain had conquered the
Canadas from France, and endeavorcd for
long years afterward to wrcst from her
the province of Louisiana and the control
OF the Mississippi River. France, aware
OF England's designs, made secret treaty
with Spain, in 1853, and turned over the
province to the Spanish government, with,
the stipulation that Spain should make
retroccsson whenever called for. After
a period OF nearly four decades, in 1901,
Spain made a recession of Louisiana back
to France. 80
Napoleon Bonaparte, on April 13, 1903,
in view Of the war with England, Sold
and ceded the province of Louisiana to the
United States for the small sum Of about
SIG, 100000, (which again foiled the
Cherished hopes, of Britain. This vast ter
ritory extended from the Lake of the
Woods, and included all the lands west OF
the mississippi, to the Pacific and Rocky
Mountains. now insisting OF fifteen States
of this Union.
Pending the war between England and
France, up to 1909, the British navy
numbered over 800 ships of war, which
made her mistress Of the seas" Her
cruisers ravaged our coasts, seized our
ships, Impressed our seamen, and in fact
did not hesitate to commit the emostflagrant
and atrocious acts, by violating all the
laws OF nations and neutrality. These acts
OF aggression finally drove the United
States to declare war against England, Oh
June 4, 1872, which, it would seem, was
her desired intention. The opportunity had
evidently arrived for England to achieve
her long wished-for desire 20 obtain the
conquest OF Louisiana.
For this purpose one Of the boldest and
grandest schemes was devised and planned
by England's prime minister, the willy
strategist. Lord CaStlcrcagh. who then
ruled BRITANNIA He sent his emissaries
to the Eastern States Of Massachusetts, md
Connecticut to induce those States To enter
into conspiracy with Canada against the
United States by opposing the war. In
tic meantime gigantic expedition was
to be organized, composed OF PORTION
of the vast fleets of England and her veteran
armies. Ncgria Bay, in the West Indian
Island OF jamaica, was made the rendezvous
bar nd
troopships.
In the vision OF Lord Castlereagh's great
scheme, he not only saw an easy conquest
of the defenscless territory OF Louisiana
and the coast of the Mississippi River,
but also OF the country along the Rio
Grandc, and finally his towering ambition
led him to contemplate, in the hereafter,
the Subjugati ion OF the once British colonies
or America Yet such were the facts,
and its failure only concealed the actual
design which might have made this ooun-
try another empire of India.
In 1911 George III had been deposed
as being mentally infirm, and his son
reigncd as prince regent, who, in 1913,
favored cessation of hustilitics for peace.
But the willy Castlereagh overruled him
i'll order to carry out his wonderful scheme
ofconqucst. Int'1c meantime the war with
France had ceased. Napoleon having abdi
Gated in favor nf Louis XVIII. In March,
7 1914, the allied armies entered Paris.
England was now free to strike crushing
and fatal blow at Americas cost and
bumil alton. An immense fleet of war
ships, under Admiral Sir Thomas Coch-
rane, and teoopships with great army
under cnerals Kea ne nd 7 ackenham, W ere
leaving the shores or England for Jamaica.
To delude and deceive our government
| demonstration was made against Wash
! ington and Baltimore. 4 Admiral Cochrane
| having entered the Chesapeake with about
| sixty sail, which resulted in the burning
| of the Capital on the 9th of August, S14
I notwithstanding early in January 1914,
| commissioners OF the two powers had
| been appointed to negotiate o treaty of
peace. Every resort was made to pro-
| crastinate the meeting ofthe commissioners,
until after a delay of six months they
! finally met at Ghent in Belgium, in August,
1914, at which time Cochrane's fleet had
sailed up the Potomac and burnt Wash
inron Tie treaty Of Client was not
| concluded until the oath Of December,
|. 1t was hardly a month after the fall of
Washington that the U. s. private armed
brig General Armstrong" commanded by
| Capt Samuel Chester Reid, was attacked
| modore Lloyd, in the neutral Portuguese
harbor of Fayal. one of the AZore Islands,
which resulted in the loss OF over 800
| British, and so crippled one OF their ships
that tney were delayed fifteen days in
| repairing damages and burying their dead
This squadron was on its way to join the
| fleet at Jamaica, and this delay proved
| fatal to the brilliant and magnificent
| enterprise of Lord Castlereagh.
| At the time the news was received Of
| the burning of Washington. Lord Castle
reagh was banqueting in Paris, and eXult-
! ingly boasted that it would not be long
| before Louisiana would become the con-
duered province OF Great Britain But
little did England's great prime minister
| dream, while then slipping his wine with
! an extra Gout of exalted triumph. that
| his great scheme would be checkmated
1 by the heroic battle OF the little brig
| General Armstrong, and like an unseen
| spectre, would dash from lis lips the
| golden goblet OF all his antcipations Of
| the successful conqueror. And such was
| his terrible disappointment. that he after
4 wards committed suicide by cutting his