The National tribune., 1903-05-14
THE LOUISIANA
PURCHASE.
The Presidents Story Of the Ac=
quirement of Our Great Vest
ern Territory.
BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT.


Vest 1t is very timely, in view of the
recent dedication services of the Louisiana
Purchase Worlds Fair at st. Louis:
AT the beginning of the century
Napoleon was First Consul; and the
France over which he ruled was already
the mlShtieSt nation in Europe, and vet
had not reached the zenith of her power
1t was at this time that the French in
iluence over Spain was most complete
Both the Spanish King and the Spanish
people We're dazzled and awcd by the
Splendor of Napoleons victories Napo-
Icons magnificent and wayward genius
was always striving after more than mere
~ European empire. As throne after
throne went down before him he planned
conquests which should include the inter
mlnable wastes of snowy Russia, and the
sea-girt fields of England; and he always
dreamed of yet vaster more shadowy
trlumphs, won in the realms lying east
ward OF the Mediterranean, or among the
Islands and along the coasts of the Spanish
Main. In 1900 his dream of Eastern CON
quest was over, but his lofty ambition
was planning for France the reesta blisll-
ment i'll America of that colonial empire
which generation before had been
wrested from her by England.
"The need of the Spaniards seemed to
Napoleon his opportunity. BY the bribe
OF Il petty Italian prncipality he persuad-
ed the Bourbon King of Spain to cede
Louisiana to the French. at the treaty
of san lldefonso, concluded in October,
$500. The cession was agreed to by the
SpanIards on the express pledge that the
territory should not be transferred to any
other power; and chiefly for the purpose
of erecting barrier which might stay the
American advance, and protect the rest
Of the Spanish possessions.
Every effort was made to keep the
cesslon from being made public, and owing
to various political complications it was
not consummated for q couple of years;
but meanwhile it was impossible to pre-
vent rumors from going abroad, and the
mere hint of such project was enough to
throw the West into a fever of excitement.
Moreover, at this moment, before the
treaty between France and Spain had
been consummated, Morales, the Inten-
dant of New Orleans. deliberately threw
down the, gage of battle to the Western
erS.
"On Oct. 16, 1902, he proclaimed that
the Americans had forfeited their right Of
deposit in New Orleans. By Pinckney's
treaty this right had been granted for
three years, with the stipulation that it
should then be extended for n longer
period, and that if the Spaniards chose to
revoke the permit so far as New Orleans
was concerned. they should make some
other spot on the river n port of free en-
try. The Americans had taken for granted
that the privilege when once conferred
would never be withdrawn; but Morales
under pretense that the Americans had
slept on their rights by failing to discover
some other spot as a treaty port. declared
that the right of deposit had lapsed, and
wonld not be renewed. The. Governor,
Salcedo-who had succeeded Gayoso,
when the latter died of yellow fever, com
plicated by drinkingbout with Wilkn-
son-was not in sympathy with the move
ment; but this mattered little.
THE MIGHTY WEST AROUSED.
''Under the cumbrous Spanish colonial
system, the Governor, though he disap-
proved of the actions of the Intcndant,
could not reverse them, and Morales paid
no heed to the angry protests of the Span
lsh Minister at Washington, who saw that
the Americans were certain in the end to
fight rather than to lose the only outlet
for the commerce of the West" 1t seems
probable that the Intendant's action was
due to the fact that he deemed the days
of Spanish dominion numbered. and, in his
Jealousy of the Americans, wished to place
the new French authorities in the strong
est possible position; but the act was not
done with the knowledge of France.
"Of this, however, the Westerners were
ignorant. They felt sure that any altera-
ton in policy so fatal to their interests
must be merely a foreshadowing of the
course. They believed that their worst
fears were justified. Kentucky and Ten
nessee clamored for instant action. ana
Claiborne offered to raise in the Missis-
sippi territory alone force of volunteer
riilemen sufficient to seize New Orleans
before its transfer into French hands
could be effected.
Jefferson was President, and Madison
Secretary of State. Both were men of
high and fine qualities who rendered. at
one time or another, real and great service
to the country. Jefferson in particular
played in our political life n part of i'm
mense Importance. But the country has
never had two statesmen less capable of
upholding the honor and dignity of the
Nation, or even Of preserving its material
well-being, when menaced by foreign foes.
They We're peaceful! men, quite untitled to
grapple with an enemy who expressed
himself through deeds rather than words
When stunned by the din of arms they
showed themselves utterly inefficient rul-
ers.
1t was theSe two timId. well-meaninS
statesmen who now found themselves pit
ted against Napoleon, and Napoleon's Min
ister, Talleyrand; against the greatest war
rior and lawgiver, and against one of the
greatest diplomats, of modern times:
against two men, moreover. whose sodden
lack of conscience was but heightened by
the contrast with their brilliant genius and
lofty force Of character; two men who
were unable to so much as appreciate that
there was shame in the practice of venali-
ty, dishonesty, mendacity, cruelty, and
treachery.
NEGOTIATIONS WITH FRANCE.
Jefferson was the least warlike of
and he loved the French with
a serviie devotion. But his party was
in precisely those parts of the
country where the mouth of the Missis-
sippi wasih held to be of right the property
Of the United States; and the pressure of |
public opinion was too strong for Jeffer-
son to think of resisting it. The South |
and the West were a unit in demanding |
that France should not be allowed to es- |
tablish herself on the lower Mississippi. |
Jefferson was forced to tell his French |
friends that if their nation persisted in !
its purpose America would be obliged to |
marry itself to the navy and army of Eng |
land. Even he could see that for the |
French to take Louisiana meant war with |
the United States sooner or later; and as |
above all things else he wished peace. he |
In nt I'm