New-York tribune., 1902-05-10


Of New-orleans offers an attractive opportunity
for the historian of occasion, and Dr. Hosmer
has improved il by coming early into the field
with spirited account Of the transaction which
has Influenced so profoundly the course of Amer
ican history His book is frankly Intended Tor
popular reading, and the picturesque and Ora
matte elements Of the story are emphasized
the best authorities are followed the historical
significance of events grasped and fair ap-
probation of relative values in the work OF
various actors is shown. This is as welcome as
it is uncommon in popular American history.
For the next few years shall hear much
about the great accession Of territory made by
Jefferson and the wonderful growth of wealth
and power to which it opened the door Little
attention will be given to the event as some
thing more than the purchase Of a vast do
MAN. as the first great step in the transforma-
zion of our country from league into a nation.
.Dr Hosmer does not dwell on this, hut he indi-
Gates it, perhaps as clearly the scope of his
work would allow.
This fact has been much obscured by the
curious position of parties with reference TO the
purchase. The party processing principles Of
State Rights and strict construction in
power and favored the treaty. while the Federal
lists opposed il on constitutional grounds. Conse-
quentIy the acquisition passed into tradition as
This was the more natural, because, the shock
once over and the Federalists quieted. the new
territory developed under the old form: and
while the country expanded. there was no ap-
pearance Of charge in the scope and power Of
the general government Yet the change had
taken place. the government had departed from
the express letter Of its grant. had assumed
national powers; and half a century later it
was realized by the State Rights party, when
ate slavery Justice Campbell in his Dred Scott
opinion put his finger on the treaty of 1903 and
the legislation which followed it the causes
which had made a consolidated empire of what
its rulers all along believed was a loose govern
rnent Of strictly enumerated powers.
When Livingston and Monroe sent home their
treaty jefferson was nonplussed. He had sent
them 10 negotiate free navigation of the Missis-
sippi with authority to purchase a small strip
Of territory on the east bank, if that the
best way to keep open the river. They had
bought for him a vast, unknown land, and had,
moreover, regardless of their instructions, COW
enanted to incorporate its inhabitants into the
Union. Jefferson avowed that neither he nor
Congress had authority TO acquire this region,
and asked for a constitutional amendment to
indemnify the usurpation But his party, hav-
ing control. preferred call as little attention
10 the usurpation as possible and TO reap the
fruits thereof The Federalists unlike Jeffer-
son. did not question the power 10 acquire. but
objected to incorporation. holding that extend
ing the Union beyond the territories contem-
plated in the original compact introduced new
members into the partnership and could only be
done by unanimous consent. They were un-
doubtedly right if the Union was partnership
and not a living, growing, sovereign govern
mental organism. They happily beaten.
however and Louisiana was accepted with all
the treaty provisions Of doubtful constitution
|. ality; and a government was established for
IL which the Constitution knew nothing Of with
the distinct avowal by the Jeffersonian party
in Congress that the constitution was made for
States and not for dependencies. A real revo-
luton wrought by Jefferson from the gov
eminent of his own principles making what was
much more after the Hamilton ideal than Ham
ilton's partisans themselves had attempted.
Who is entitled TO the credit for opening this
door of national development? Certainly not
jefferson, author rightly believes. II the
Louisiana Purchase is to be dedicated for a
monument TO any American that honor belongs
10 Robert R. Livingston. He it who had
the vision of American dominion in the West.
Forgetting his narrow instructions. he had made
this daring proposition:
Let France cede to the United States so much
of Louisiana as lies above the mouth of the
Arkansas. BY this a barrier will be placed be-
tween the colony Of France and Canada, from
which she may otherwise be attacked. .
Let her retain the country lying on the west
bank Of the Mississippi and below the Arkansas
Rivera country capable of supporting fifteen
millions of inhabitants.
How far he influential it is impossible to
determine. but it is more than probable that the
First Consul was by him directed in the course
of thought which eliminated in his astonish-
ing offer to withdraw France from the North
American Continent
For reasons of their own jefferson and Madi-
son did their best TO give Monroe the credit for
the Louisiana Purchase He was one Of their
set while Livingston belonged TO the New York
wing of the party. which had ambitions Of its
own which did not contemplate the continued
ascendency Of the Virginians. Moreover, when
the negotiations dragged Monroe had been sent
as a special envoy to satisfy popular feeling.
and il was good politics 10 let people think
that Louisiana had been through the ad-
ministration's foresight in rising to emer-
gency Monroe, however. did not arrive in Paris
until after the offer of the whole territory had
been made by Marbois to Livingston. and the
questions at issue were those of detail and of
price.
But, after all. neither Livingston nor Monroe
ACQUIRED Louisiana. The former may have sown
the seed and been quick to take advantage of
opportunity and gather the Unexpectedly rich
harvest. but II was Napoleon who showered the
gifts of the gods upon us. His the vision
of a great nation which should one day rival
his rival He acted for his ends, not ours
He felt he could not defend Louisiana against
England He wanted money. With the bold
ness and foresight of genius he determined 10
place the territories which he could not use
himself where they would surely weigh in the
scale against his enemy. DR.. Hosmer gives
.,a sid of