The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-11
HISTORY.
Jcfterson's Great Louisiana, Purchase.
st. Louis RcpudHic.


oo""' res 10 morrow you shall have
full l"wcrs.
he new plenipotentiary then made
some general observations ON tn.
cc'S'"ii "t the rights of sovereignty.
ahd up''n The abandnnnicnt of what
the Gcrnahs called the 'snuls. as 10
whether they could be subject of u
c""tract of Sale or exchange Bvnanarte
replied:
You are giving me in all it's per.
lection be ijrolugy of the law Of
nAtl"hS But | require money Ia
make War on the richest n,tlon Of IN.
world. S"ud your maxim, To tie
hond"n market: am sure that thew
viii br g'eatly admired there, and set
no great attention is paid To them
wh'n the question is the occupation
oi the inr>t rrgluns of Asa
"Prrhap~ it vii also be objected TO
me that he Americans may be found
To" powerful f"r Europe in twu or
three centuries; but my foresight
does not embrace such remote fears.
II Is seen, therefore. that Napolcun
lad determined TO sell Louisiana, and
indeed, was anxious To sell. The
negotiations came to - rapid close in
spite Of the by play aud diplomatic
reserves Of Marbois and Tall, rand.
After the treaty had been signed,
Mr. Livingstone said: eve have
lived long, but this is the uohlest
work of our whole lives. The treaty
which we have just signed has not
been obtained by art or dictated by
force; equally advantageous TO the
tw" contracting parties, it will change
VAT solitudes into Furnishing dis
trlcts. From this day the United
States take their place among the
powers Of the first rank. 3
The instruments which We have lust
signed Will cause no tears To be shed:
thcy prepare ages Of happiness for in
Vulnerable generations of human crea
lures. The Mississippi and the Mis-
souri, will see them succeed one
another, and multiply, truly worthy of
the regard aud care Of Providence, in
the bosom of equality, under Just
laws, freed from the errors of super
stition and the scourges of bad gov
ernment."
The first Consul remarked when in
formed that the treaty bad been con-
cluded: This accession of territory
strengthens forever the power of the
United States; and 1 have just given
to England maritime rival that will
sooner or later humble her PRIDE
This treaty was not ratified by the
Senate and House of Representatives
OF the United States without ,imated
debate. The Northern, or New Eng
land States, opposed the incorpora-
ti0n Of Louisiana into the Uuited
States. Their representatives deciar-
ed that the session of SO large u terri
tory In the South and West would be
to the advantage Of the South, politi-
cally and commercially. ut the expense
Of New England.
1t seems that Jefferson conceded
the point raised that the Constitution
did not warrant the acquisition of
foreign territory still less its incor-
Incorporation into the Union. He
wrote to Senator Breckenridge of Ken
tucky, August IL, 1903: "But sup
pose they (both houses of Congress>
must then appca! to the nation for an
additional article to the Constitution,
approving and confirming an act
which the nation had not previously
authorized. The Constitution has
made no provision for our holding
foreign territory, still less for incor-
porating foreign nations into our
Union The executive, in seizing the
fugitive occurrence which so much ad-
vances the good Of their country, have
done an act beyond the Constitution.
The Legislature, in casting behind
them metaphysical subticties, and
risking themselves, like faithful SER
wants, must ratify and pay for it and
throw themselves on their country for
doing for them unauthorized what we
know they would have done for them
selves had they been in a situation to
do it.
All objections to the possession of
Louisiana by the United States, we're
met By a decided vote in favor of the
treaty. Thus the Louisiana purchase.
so franght with meaning to America
and to the world. was ratified, and the
United States took mp anew the cause
of progress. Well might Napoleon
say: 'T have signed away an Em-
pirc!''