The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-11-29
LOUISIANA.


To-day have given to England mari
her pride" Thus spoke Napoleon Bona
parte, who was at that time First Consul
of France, when he in 1903, on the part of
that Government, sold the vast tract of
territory then known as Louisiana to the
United States.
I'VE have lived long, but this Is the
noblest work of our whole lives. The
treaty which we have just signed
will change vast solitudes into fiourishing
districts. From this day the United States
take their place among the powers of first
rank" said Robert r. Livingston, the
American Minister to France, to Marbois,
the French representative, after each had
signed the treaty which transferred the
ownership of Louisiana to this country,
which more than doubled the area of the
United States.
It was memorable transaction. 1t was
an affair destined to have the mightiest
consequences for the United States. By it
We acquired a vast domain extending from
The Gulf of Mexico to the British posses
yions in Canada, and from the Mississippi
River TO the Rocky Mountains, and near
Its northerly extremity stretching from
that mountain range onward to the Pacific.
AS will be seen here, we acquired more
by the Louisiana purchase than the region
now called Louisiana. The tract contained
iii VI Tie DItstul koldNtS VI lOulo-
lana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Mime
sofa, Kansas, Nebraska, South and North
Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Ore
gon, Washington, part of Colorado, Okla
homa and the Indian Territories. We
gained everything west of the Mississippi
except the territory claimed by Spain,
which now comprises what are known as
the States of Texas, California and Ne
vada, Utah, the Territories of New Mex
leo and Arizona, part of Kansas and Colo
RADIO, and the Republic of Mexico.
This was the largest acquisition of ter
fity ever made at any one time, either by
purchase or conquest, since the world be-
gan. As real estate speculation it was
more profitable, even, than that by which
old Peter Minuit bought Manhattan Island
from the Indians for $24. The price paid
10 France was about 60,00O,0O0 francs, a
sum in American money amounting to a
little less than $12,000,000. In addition
the United States Government agreed to
assume certain monetary claims which its
citizens had against France. These claims
have figured before most of the Congresses
which have met in the past twO-thirds of
a century, under the head of the French
Spoliation claims" and which have not
been liquidated in full. They amounted to
little more than S., 600; therefore the
territory of Louisiana may be said to have
cost about $15,000,000. Cheap as it was,
there were men in those days who grum-
bled at the price and opposed the purchase,
just as there are men to-day opposing
every possible advancement of our Gov
ernments territory. The land cost lit
tie more than two cents an acre. The Gov
eminent has figured extensively in the
land-buying business since with Spain,
Mexico and Russia, but it has never struck
q better bargain than the Louisiana pur-
chase.
There were men in 1903 who objected
IL.
monetary grounds. They declared that
the law did not give the President the
power to make the purchase. jefferson
acknowledged that he had stretched his
power It'll it cracked" He had misgiv-
ings as to his authority under the law TO
do what he was doing, but he was quite
clear as TO the wisdom of the transaction
from a political and social standpoint. In
giving his reasons for the purchase he
said:
There is on the globe one single spot
the possessor of which is our natural and
habitual enemy. 1t is New Orleans,
through which the produce of three-eighths
from its fertility it will ere long yield more
than half of our whole produce and CON
tain more than half of our inhabitants"
He conquered his Constitutional scru-
pies and made the acquisition. The ma
jOrity of the people were on his side
throughout lHe NuOle aUalr.
The Louisiana purchase was the crown
ing act in JehcrSon's career as states
man. 1t revealed his sagacity, decision
and courage. The affair justified the fore
sight Of all the men who figured promi-
nently in it, and made their prophesies the
history of later day. Through this abb
sorption of territory England, as predict
ed by Bonaparte, found maritime rival
that may sooner or later humble her pride.
Livingston, who signed the treaty COM
plotting the TRANSFERABLE Livingston who
was one OF the five men selected by the
Continental Congress 10 draw up the Dec
laratiOn of Independence, who. later on,
as Chancellor Of the State of New York,
administered the oath of Office to Presi-
dent Washington on taking the Chief Mag
istracy on April 80, 1883, and who was one
of the greatest statesmen and jurists Of his
time, could well have said, as he did say.
10 the French representative, that this is
the noblest work of our whole lives" As
he f0resaw, the treaty has changed the
vast solitudes into dourishing districts
and has placed the United States among
the powers OF the first rank"
There were three essential reasons for
France dispoSing of this valuable tract of
land. First, France was on the eve of
engaging in q terrible war with England
and AS Bonaparte had no troops or war
ships 10 spare TO defend Louisiana, he
feared it would fall into the hands of the
British. Second, Bonapartc knew that the
United States had designs against Louisi-
ana. and that country might at any time
seize the territory ard hold it rather than
let England get possession of it. Third,
the 100000 in cash which the United
States offered for the territory would be
very convenient at that time, for the treas
ury of France was in an impoverished con-
ditiOn.
The earlier history of this vast region is
picturesque and dramatic, and some knowl-
edge of it is essential to clear under
standing of what is to follow. Louisiana
was evidently first visited by white men
about the year 1911, when DE Soto and
his followers, who. while exploring the re-
gion few hundred miles north of the Gulf
OF Mexico, discovered the Mississippi Riv-