The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-30
1he ADVERTISERS
 V HOME STUDY CIRCLE

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 n the United States that the transfer vas pending, the situation became strained. For if Spain had been a troublesome neighbor, 1t was felt that France would be a very dangerous one.
 Jefferson to Livingstone.
 April IS, 1902, soon after ne hal learn ed of the French acquisition, Jefferson wrote to Livingstone. the American Minister at Paris: "The csssion of Louisiana and the Floridas by Spain to France works most sorely on 'the United States. It completely rtverses all the political relations of the ..jnited States. There is on the g,Jbe ore sim gle spot the possessor of which is our natural and habituai enemy. It IS New Orleans. 1t is impossible that France and the United States. can continue long friends when they meet ir So irri- table a position. We must be very im- provident If we do not begin 10 make arrangements on that hypothesis. The day that France takes possession of New Orleans fixes the sentence wnic h Is to restrain her favor within her l,w- water mark. It seals the union of two nations, who in conjunction, can msiri- tain exclusive possession Of the ocean. From that moment We must marry ourselves to the British fleet and na- tion."
 Country in Ferment. >
 The whole country was in ferment. The Federalists, the party out of DOW CT, tried to hurry the Administration into war. But Jefferson had once said, Peace is my passion" and he was de- termined to find a peaceable way out. Secret sessions of Congress were held At last the whole matter was left to the discretion of the President and he was provided with the sum of 5000, 900 with which to begin the negotiations At this stage Jefferson does not seem to have dreamed of obtaining from France all her American possessions. What he wished was a free use of the Mississippi. This he was quite willing to share with France. If he could only secure the eastern bank of the river, with all the rights of navigation at tending such ownership, he was quite willing that France should front us on the west bank. His proposition, there- fore, was that possibly as high as $10,- 000, 900 might be given for the island of New Orleans and little more to the eastward. Jefferson did not care to
 
 mind, so he sent Monroe as envoy ex- traordinary to France, charged to set tie the matter as best he could.
 Napoeon's Change of Heart.
 Meanwhile Napoleon had experienced change of heart. His colonial scheme, so far as America was concerned, had centered upon San Domingo. That island, with its 800, 900 rebellious ne- groes, became a veritable graveyard for his armies We think that our recent Cuban campaign caused heavy losses by disease. The records of the West Indian campaigns of France and Eng land are as midnight at noon in that regard, compared with the experience of our army of liberation. Sickness and the negroes called halt to Napoleon's S scheme. Louisiana suddenly became an intolerable load to him. Moreover, he saw fresh European wars approach ing and needed funds. This state of affairs brought an unexpected problem before the American commissioners. Saul once went forth to find his fa- ther,s asses and found a Kingdom. In our recent history we sought to free the Cubans and became ourselves an Asiatic power. The American commits sioners of 1903 sought to buy an island. For a sum not much larger than the amount which they had been willing to offer for that island they secured the heart of the continent, an empire in itself The story of the purchase and it's consequences will form our next lession.
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