Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-11-26

Jefferson addressed letter to Mr.. Living
ston, the American Minister in France.
In that letter we find these strong ex'
pressions
"There is on the globe one single spot,
the possessor of which is our natural and
habitual enemy. II is New Orleans,
through which the produce of three
eighths of our territory must pass to mar
ket, and from its fertility it will ere long
yield more than half our whole produce,
and contain more than half of our inhabi-
tants. France, placing herself in that
door, assumes to us the attitude of def
ance."
Mr., Jefferson, not satisfied with the
progress which Mr.. Livingston was max
ing, determined tOsend Governor Monroe,
Of Virginia, to France, clothed with a
still higher grade of ministerial functions
than Livingston In letter to Mr.. Mon
roe, dated January l3,h, 1903, urging him
10 accept the mission, the President said
eff We cannot, by a purchase Of the
country, insure to ourselves a course of
perpetual peace and friendship with all
nations, then as war cannot be distant, it
oehooves US Immediately to be preparing
for that course without. however, hasten
ing it,"
Henry ). Randall in his life Of Thomas
Jefferson, in speaking of the negotiations
with France, says;
eve went boldly to the then strongest
nation on earth, and Informed her if she
persisted in colonizng at a point which
gave her the KEY of our western possessl-
ons, she must prepare for war with us and
such friends as we could secure to our
alliance
Then on the oath Of May, 1903, Presi-
dent jefferson wrote to Mr.. Claiborne, the
Governor of the Territory of Mississippi,
as follows:
81 consider war between France aud
England as unavoidable. In this
conflict our neutrality will be cheaply pur
chased by cession of the island 'of New
Orleans and the Floridas; because taking
part in the war, We could so certainly seize
and securely hold them and more. And
although it would be unwise in US to let
such an opportunity pass by of obtaining
the necessary &C 'ession to our territory,
even by force, if not obtainable otherwise,
vet 1t is infinitely more desirable to obtain
it with the blessing of neutrality rather
than the curse Of war"
1t was claimed at the time that the
morality of President Jeferson's attitude
was based upon necessity-the right to do
that which was indispensable for the
preservation Of the future commercial
Interests Of the great Mississippi Valley.
Every step he took in the transaction was
fully ratified by the American people, aud
next year the greatest Worlds Fair that
has ever been projected will be held al st,
Louis to celebrate the acquisition of the
territory of Louisiana.
The News Leader, nor the Virginian-
Pilot, would not now dare to question the
morality, justice and wisdom of Mr. JeIer-
sons course What just reason can they
give for assailing Mr.. Roosevelt so harshly
when he has secured for the United States
an acquisition that will, no doubt, prove
to he proportionately Of as mucn COM
mercial value as has that obtained by |
Jefferson?
Our country stands in great need com
mercially Of canal across the Isthmus,
and the world needs it. The people of
the United States will stand by Mr.. Rose
welt just as they upheld MIR. Jefferson.
Critics and obstructionists will be power
less in their effort to take from the Presi-
dent the prestige which success has won
for him in the Panama transaction.