The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-30
HOW THE UNITED STATES
 HAVE EXPANDED.
(By Dana c. Munro, A. M., Univer- sity of Pennsylvania and William Fairley, Ph. D.
| CHAPTER III. The Louisiana Purchase.

ming of our national independence the of the United States re- mained as they had been fixed by the treaty of Paris, in 17S3. To the north were the British possessions; our west ern boundary was the Mississippi, from it's source to the island of New Or leans. That island and all west of the Mississippi belonged to Spain, as did also the two Floridas-East Florida to the present State and West Florida, which was a strip along the gulf, cutting off what is now the southern portion of Alabama and Mis- sissippi. The first addition to this do- main was Louisiana; not merely the territory in the present State of that name. but in the whole basin of the Mississippi west of that river. The ac- quisition of this vast region practically doubled the area of the young republic. The story of that acquisition involves many considerations-geog po- litical and commercial. First, we must see what Louisiana was; we must study its history, it's peoples. its importance.
 Marquette and La Sale.
 The Spaniards had first discovered and very slightly explored the region, as the story of DeSoto's burial in the Mississippi reminds us. Spain's nomi- nal claim was undisturbed for nearly two centuries. Then from the north the French began to explore, and in 1873 Pere Marquette f1oated down the great river from the Wisconsin to the Ar kansas. and thence slowly worked his way northward again. In 1882 the Chevalier de Le Sale pushed down the river to the gulf, and on its shores took possession of the whole region in the
 lr;y Ty,.nV ItVlo Louisiana in his honor. Settlements soon followed, and Biloxi. Mobile and New Orleans were founded. The last named city became the French metrop- oils. The character of the French col onization was very much the same as in Canada. There. were nobles seeking to mend their, fortunes or in quest Of adventure; there were peasants, sober and industrious, and there was con- siderable proportion of those who had been swept up in the streets and lanes of cities and deported for their coun- try's good.
 Louisiana Jagged.
 Growth in population was never as rapid in Louisiana as in Canada, and the latter Jagged far behind the Eng fish colonies. One of the earliest ana most famous attempts at boom was made by John Law and his Ms sissippi scheme. It was an age of com- merciaI bubbles. His company gov erned Louisiana for several years, but their ag.erations and financial ex- cesses hurt instead of developed the country Keen-eyed Frenchmen saw the commercial and political import snce of the control of the Mississippi, hut the genius of the French people does not lie in colonization. They have never colonized successfully on large scale. and Louisiana was a burden rather than a help to France.
 It proved a burden to it's next owner also. Our first lesson showed us that as a result of the seven years war France, by a secret treaty gave NEW orleans and all her possessions west of inc Mississippi to Spain. This was in 1763. The actual transfer was nos made till 17S9. Bitter was the mortitl- cation of the French settlers and ne roic. though ill-judged, their resist ance. Some of. the noblest of the col onv. who had dared to demand the credentials of a Spanish Governor when he came to take over the oomln- ion, were brutally executed, and by the name of "Cruel O'Reilly," the Irish Spaniard who was guilty of inhuman- ity is branded with infamy.
 Vast Wave of Emigration.
 Spain now had all the waterways 10 the gulf And in those days water ways were the only avenues or trans portation. The power that controlled the outlets from all the great central pa sin controlled the commerce or that region. Meanwhile the united states sprang into existence. and In the clos- ing years of the eighteenth century vast wave of emigration crossed the AIleRhanies. The valley of the Onlo contained eight Americans to one Franco Spaniard on the Mississippi in 1s00 In Kentucky alone there were lS,- GOO whites and 10000 negroes; in Ten nessee 20 900 whites and 14,OOO negroes. Louisiana could muster less than 4O'- OOA whites; and yet, as the latter pos sessed the only great artery or com- merce. the men of our new west were naraIyzed in their endeavors to carry on trade with the West Indies and the outer world. which was the market Tor their products. If they were to devel- op and get anything more than pare living for themselves they must nave free access to the high seas. me con- trol of the Mississippi was not a mere matter of national pride; # was an economic necessity, and such necessi- ties are the imperious creatures of po- litical demands. In the Ohio vSlley discontent grew apace with Spanish restrictions. American goods going down the river for export had to- be unloaded at New Orleans and pay duty of 14 per cent. and when reloaded in the seagoing craft had to pay per cent more Thus Spain took one bush el out of every five bushels of wheat or corn that the farmer could send away. President Washington was ap- pealed to but government action was difficult and slow. F1libusterlng schemes were organized. The pioneers wanted to fight their own battles and the local governments were on their side.
 When Jefferson came to the Presi- dency in 1901 he recognized that the control of the Mississippi was burning question and that he must deal with If. or in all proba the people west of the Alleghenies would set up for themselves a separate government. h. deed. this had always been his fear, as he noted the great stream of set tiers going westward In our day of railroad and telegraph we can hardly realize the severance caused between sections by remoteness and difficulty of communication. Steam was soon to shorten distances, but It's reign was not vet dreamed of, and the problem pressed.
 Some slight conce ssions in favor of American commerce had been won from Spain in 1795. But all hopes and schemes were thrown into confusion when the announcement was made that Spain