The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-25

| ~>~@e~heSAkRa
 to keep a receiving and shipping sta-
 tion open at New Orleans or some
 other treaty. secured and equally con- I venient point on the lower river, | October l. 1900. the King of Spain had | retroceded the island of New Orleans. | and the adjacent country, together | with ali of Louisiana. west of the river.
 to France. The retrocession was secret
 and the government at Madnd deluded
 the United States minister. Charles Pinckney. with a misleading answer
 when that officer approached it with
 certain suggestions from the President
 to project American trade more effect
 lively. In fact. MT. Jefferson directed
 Pickney to offer to buy all the land
 owned by Spain in Louisiana east of
 the Mississippi, incft&ng the Island of New Orleans. conditioned that the
 United States should agree to guaran-
 tee protection in Spain to the west side
 of the river. If the purchase could not
 be made. then the minister was ordered
 to request the Spanish King to permit
 a representative. consul. as we have it 1 now. to reside at New Orleans for the benent Of American traders there. The government at Mathd. without inti- mating the accomplished retrocesion to | France. eighteen months before, evaded | the question by the objection that to do as MT. Pinckney desired would
 bring all nations to Spain for similar | concessions. and the colony would be overrun with foreigners! Very speedily. | April 2. 1902. the Spanish Intendant,
 still in authority at the French port of New Orleans. annulled the Spanish
 treaty of 17s5. by refusing the Missis- sippi Valley American farmers and l traders their treaty rights of shipping i and receiving goods through that port. | Thus the settlers could neither find a selling market or bring in their SUD-
 plies. Their sufferings were severe | and maddening. They had been for | years victims of Spanish bad faith at | New Orleans. Remonstrance followed by petition upon petition for relief by Congress had been all in vain. With
 this latest instance of direct and avow-
 ed outrage upon their treaty rights, the
 settlers formally and vigorously served
 notice on Congress that patience with
 them was no longer virtue. No pro-
 lection. no allegiance" was the defiant
 message sent to Congress from the
 eastern banks of the Mississippi.
 The President offered no word of rep-
 rlmand. He began prompt movement
 of relief of the settlers. In January,
 1905. he wrote to Governor Monroe: | work night and day to arrange your
 private affairs, for on tomorrow I shall nominate you to the Senate for an ex- | traordinary mission to France" Robert R. Livingston, the minister resident at | Paris. had already been instructed to | sound the French government upon its | readiness to sell the Island of New | Orleans and the two Floridas. While | thus preparing at home and abroad | within his own sphere of the govern
 ment. the President had confidential communication with Congress, as we shall see later on. Again he wrote to Monroe: If we cannot by a purchase | Of the country insure to ourselves a course of perpetual peace and friend | ship with all nations then, as war can- not be distant. it behooves us to be i'm | mediately preparing for that course" etc. To Livingston he wrote, of Mon roes prospective mission: Should We fail in this object of the mission, a fur , ther one will be super added for the
 other side of the channel!" That is, if 1 France refused to settle the dispu @ 1 amicably. the United States would pro- pose an alliance. offensive and defens- | i've with England. At this stage of the preparations for approaching the First Consul. the President found that aA in-
 timate N'iend of the French ruler, NJ Dupont oe Nemours, having completed his tour of the United States, was mak- | ing ready to depart. To him he wrote for effect at home: The country, too. which we wish to purchase, except the portion already granted, and which
 must be confirmed to private holders, Is barren sand 800 miles from east to l west. and from 30 to 40 and 50 miles from North to South. formed by deposi- l tions of the sand by the Gulf Stream
 in its circular course," etc.
 The First Consul was deeply interest I.iUin1Gfnn'd
 made them known to his brothers, Jos- eph and Lucien. He called M. Talley-
 rand dnto conference on the subject, and with him. the director of his tinan- ces. Marquis de Marbois Now the l Marquis had resided at the American government under the Directory He
 had married an American, in PhiladeI-
 phia. and there was an ardent feeling | ot sympathy in his heart for the Re public. Bonaparte said to his minis tera;
 They (the English) shall not have
 the Mississippi, which they covet |" The conquest of Louisiana would be
 easy if they only took the trouble to make descent there. 1 have not a
 moment to lose in putting 1t out of
 sheir reach. I think of ceding it to
 the United States. : They only ask Of
 me one town in Louisiana, but I al- ready consider the colony as entirely
 lost: and it appears to me that, in the hands of this growing power. it will be more useful to the policy and even the commerce of France. than if I should
 attempt to keep it." (The Louisiana Purchase, Gov'nt. print, 1898, D. 2S.)
 Joseph and Lucien protested; Talley- rand objected outright; De Marbois warmly embraced the suggestion. The French had lost heavily at San Domin-
 go; the English maintained large arma- ments in these waters adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. and England was upon
 the verge of gigantic war with France. To De Marbois the First Con- suI said:
 Tt Is not only New Orleans that I will cede. it is the whole colony with out any reservation. To attempt to restrain it would be folly. I direct you to negotiate this offer with the en- voys of the United States. I will be moderate. i reconsideration of the ne- cessity in which l am, of making sale. But keep this to yourself" (Supra.)
 The First Consurs fancy was for f100. GOO. coo His astute financial advis-
 CT warned him the purchaser could not pay so much.
 Livingston continued to labor in total ignorance of the stormy interview the first Consul had had with Talleyrand. and the declared purpose he had ex-
 brothers opposition and the opposition
 will you give for the whole?" was the Hs1ll