The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-15

The power that controlled the outlets
from all the great central basin controll-
ed the commerce of that region. Mean
While the United States sprang into, ex-
istence, and in the closing years of the
eighteenth century a vast wave of emf
grafton crossed the Alleghenies. The
valley of. the Ohio contained eight Amer
leans to one Franeo-Spaniard on the Mis-
sissippi in 1900. In Kentucky alone there
We're 10000 whites and 1000 negroes; in
Tennessee, $4,000 whites and 1000 negroes.
Louisiana could muster less than 40 900
whites. And vet. as the latter possessed
the only great artery of commerce. the
men of our new West were paralyZed in
their endeavors to carry on trade with
the West Indies and the cater world.
which was the market for their products
Il they were to develop and get anything
more than a bare living for themselves,
they must have free access to the high
seas The control of the Mississippi was
not mere matter of national pride 1t
was an economic measure, and such ne
cessities are the imperious creators of
political demands. In the Ohio valley dis
content grew apaee with Spanish restric-
tons. American goods going down the
river for export had to pay duty of IA
per cent, and when reloaded in the sea-
going crafts, had to pay per cent more
Thus Spain took one bushel out of every
five bushels of wheat or corn that the
farmer could send away. President Wash
1ngton was appealed to, but government
action was difficult and slow. Filibuster-
ing schemes were organized The pioneers
wanted to fight their own battles, and
the local governments were on their side.
When Jefferson came to the presidency
in 1901 he recognized that the control of
the Mississippi was a burning question
and that he must deal with 1t, or. in all
probability the people west of the Ale
ghenies would set up for themselves a
separate government. Indeed, this had
always been his, fear, as he noted the
great stream of settlers going westward
In our day of railroad and telegraph we
can hardly realize the severance caused
between sections by renoteness and diff
Guilty of communication. Steam was soon
to shorten the distances, but its reign
was not yet dreamed of, and the problem
pressed.
Some slight concessions in favor of
American commerce had been won from
Spain in 1795. But all hopes and schemes
were thrown into confusion when the an
nouneement was made that Spain had
given back to France all of Louisiana,
and that, pending the transfer, the Span
ish governor had withdrawn all CONNER
cial privileges from the Americans. The
treaty of San ndefonso. by which the
transfer was agreed upon, stipulated that
Napoleon should secure a kingdom in
Northern Italy to the son-in-law of the
king of Spain, and that France should
never cede Louisiana to any other power.
This negotiation was entered into secret
ly in 1900. and it was some time before it
transpired. The motives of Napoleon in
urging this retrocession had probably
been his dream Of starting France on a
new colonial career as the rival, and, if
possible, the supplanter, of England. AS
soon as it became known In the United
States that the transfer was pending. the
situation became strained. For. if Spain
had been a troublesome neighbor, it was
felt that France would be very danger
Gus one.
April Is, 1902, soon after he had learned
of the French acquisition, Jefferson wrote
to Livingstone the American minister at
Paris: 1.-The cession of Louisiana and the
Floridas by Spain to France works most
sorely on the United States. 1t complete
ly reverses all the political relations OF
the United States. There is on the globe
one single spot the possession of which
is our natural and habitual enemy. 1t is
New Orleans 1t is impossible that
France and the United States can con-
tinue long friends when they meet in SO