The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-03-06
it p,omptly ovcrshadowed every

mensity OF the acquisition anu lealeu
DISASTROUS changes might result. he,
the leader of the strict contrictionlsts,
realized that this purchase was the eS-
ercise of power in excess OF nat
delegated to the federal government
nv the states. And yet there was no
choice. it must be exercised. Notwlth-
standing the sneers Of the Federalls1s'
who cried out against his lnconsls-
tency, Jefferson caused the ratification
of he treaty and the necessary legls-
lation, needed under the new cond:-
tons, to be rushed through without DE-
bate and inside Of a few days. Il
Jefferson could have seen through the
hundred years of his %country's history
that were to follow this purchase he
could have seer that out OF that fruit
full trans-Mississippi soil, should spring
all the burning issues that were to
embroil in fiercest conflict the people
of the nation, and strain more than
once to the breaking point the bonds
that united the sovereign states.
One of the most interesting things
about this first. acquisition OF territory
was the fact that a great statesman,
that is what Jefferson certainly was,
for the first time realized that there
come times when the spirit rather than
the letter of the constitution must be
regarded. This fateful Louisiana oc.
casioned the first imperialistic act of
Napoleon, and the first test, by Jeffer.
son himself, of the elasticity Of his
cherished constitution.
Although Jefferson at first felt grave
misgivings as to the adding to the
union the vast, unknown, underlined re-
gion west of the Mississippi, it was
not long before he began to be &C.
tuated by q keen desire that the I'M
known boundaries wherever they were,
be pushed pushed as far west as posi-.
BILE, and the great region, the vast
ness of which had at first so astounded
him, grew eager to have as extensive
as possible. In the furtherance of this
desire he pressed with all possible
speed the preparation of the exploring
party which should go up the Missouri
river and penetrate If possible to the
Pacific, thus securing for the union
the land lying west of the unknown
western boundary Of the northern por-
ton of the purchase and the Pacific.
Nothing can be more certain than that
we would never have had the Oregon
region had it not been for the timely
acquisition of Louisiana. When Lewis
and Clark wer in winter camp at
Mandan in 1906, Simon Frazier an off.
Ger of the Hudson Bay company visited
them and learned of their objective
point. AS OOH as spring opened he
was off for the Pacific on a more
northern route designing to strike the
head waters of the Columbia first and
precede the American explorers down
the river. But fate was against him
and the stream upon which he
launched his canoe whirled the daring
adventurer through the gorges and
canyons Of the mountains and out to
the sea hundreds of miles north of
the mouth of the Columbia; but the
river that deceived him and diverted
a conflicting claim to the land "where
rolls the mighty Oregon" has in a
measure compensated the explorer by
bearing his name to this day.
When5the first state carved out of
the Louisiana territory, bearing the
name Louisiana, knocked for admis.
sion to the union, the long struggle
between the north and the south be-
gan which was to continue intermit-
tingly with growing virulence. Dur.
ing the early years of this strife the
New England states freely threatened
secession; and during the latter years
the southern states were fated ia en-.
uuiS q lIldl VI Tie secession 0XD9ri.
ment. But Louisiana was admitted
and the burning question smouldered
for a time only to break out again
lercer than ever when in 1920 Mis-.
souri, demanded statehood. The north.
ern states were becoming alarmed lest
the slave states, reinforced from time
to time by new states carved from
the southern portion of the Purchase.
should dominate the union. Henry
Clay this time saved the union from
possible disruption by bringing for
ward his famous Missouri Compro.
mise.
For fortyyears after this nearly eyerv
question that deeply stirred the Ameri-
can people sprung as it were, from the
soil Of this Louisiana purchase. The
question as to establishment Of slavery
in the new states, coming into being
the west side of the river, grew
more and lore vexed and heated. un.
til the country was divided into two
sections confronting each other in hos.
2 - ~ - 49,