The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1903-05-24
THOUGHT THEY HAD
= GOT A GOLD BRICK
LOUISIANA PURCHASE WAS lot Considered A BAR.
GAIN BY THE MEN WHO MADE IT
wrI,,sn for III. star,

(Wrlttsn fof the start
The country has heard lot of late
lpbeut the almost divine foresight Of
fthe fathers Ia purchasing the I.ouisl-
ana territory, We are told 0f
lNnndrouHly nhfewd bargain driven
Iby our statesmen OF i00 years ago
with Napoleon, in which that gentle
Imam WAS outwitiad and Induced 90
sell a mighty empire for a more
song.
All this IL very pleasant TO hear
Hand Il lends peculiar interest a. the
Idedieafion Of the ~. Louis esponl=
ton. nut e IL unmiligated rot.
J. II II was for a song that Napoleon
sold A. certainly Il was doieful
SONG that our statesmen put up Ia
lpaynent
yries of nmnKanent and wrath re-
Bounded from one end Of the couns
Itry ta the other. President Jefferson
himself was the nfat Co resent what
The called the unwarranted aaaumps
ltian OF authority upon the part Of
eur ambassadors, Livingston and
/ Monroe. wha made the deal
n the accredited uttsraneeH Of that
day are authentic the careful ntus
dent must conclude that there were
hardly half dozen prominent men
/ in the country east OF the Allegheny
mountai who did not regard the
tfanas ction as the purchase OF a
gold brick" Ths purchase treaty
would never have been ratified had
Jefferson had the courage Of his 81
pressed convictions Hut Napoleon.
ON the verge Of war with England.
needed the money. and n roN With
| FH.N l4F NHa NEHfIH
was nbt deemed prudent ~ the
United States accsptsd what u ola
not want. paying fof u what was
considered an outfakeOuriY eftof=
tionats pFicc.
To appreciate the complications Of
the situation one must set into touch
with the political and Industrial
troubles of that time.
Ia 1908 many who had seen the
American constitution created. con-
ndeatiy expected alHo Go see u dts.
solved Like fresh set mesthf, II
held but loosely Time had not sea
soned Il nor common interest given
a cohesion. Inlen Wna Notd
empty Of real meaning. fndspcHes
ones existed Ia name emily, The sGN=
eminent could not aaord 10 the aails
ora Of the cuast protection against
nrltiHh lnpfsusnent. nor could Il So
cure passage through the Spanish
ports an the aulf for the products Of
the growing and restless West. and
popular sre@atmcnt vas directed as
much against che weak and Nariiia-
tius government at Washington -
AGAINST the foreign tofmentefs,
| -a.nll u rebellion Il you will. naid
naniafnin Franklin. ''tha war for
Independence IL yet TO be fought
PROM the Atlantic coast 90 the
furthsst fringe 81 the fEontisr. dis.
Hrnslan was rife. aisanion was IN the
| mind aud revolution Was Ia the
heart. Nrw England and the South
\ were fsaioaa Of eltch other. and the
The wilderness from the Ale
| Eheniss 90 the Mirsissirri Sas fast
| growing into an empire. Here was
/ the mast fertile region ON the globe.
/ FOE a rlpensd civilization wac beins
seeded in virgin soil.
New Orleans IVES the subject Of
fi~rea contention. II was an indus.
trial empires only gateway 20 The
outer wvfid, and for two decades
the 4psniAFAs had he'll u shut The
diseaatent that had Sssu siudiinE
thfoaE bout tie faht-f1lii,sk valleys OF
re a.s.. .as 49,. 1855. !. ~ - .t,Nt.99.
ctaekiing into flame.
Il ThrueEh. terrible years Of Indian
Mafa thsae settlers hal ia vain aps
| paaie.t % the government for troops.
ard uhsn at last the army had come
aad military posts had beer uatab.
fshea ln the West. their commander.
| General James MlsklBnou, had been
| The usaai active % al IN tanning the
forest fires 81 secession. Faifhisss
4 - A.. =
self 90 thc Spanish YIcSroY ard ca
and hasi@ning thr separation Of the
West from thr Union and the forfnA-
| ton 81 q nsW government utth bifss
elf a. lie had az s4s Washing
| ton Of Tire West THIS scheme " as
| the mere seductive since " carried
1 promise 60 the SETTLERS Of trade
alliance with the Hpaniarsin that
should free the curFrnt Of the Mia.
sissippa 90 carry their conmsfce TO
the open sea.
This seed had not died In the sell
Some favored complete inacpend.
encei some ssonid have gone back
with eqaanirsity 10 England. Some.
again. were ready 10 connect them
selves with spain ana thus gain ae-
crss To New Orleans and thence TO
/ the outer world.
To the back oodsmsn there VS.
no sacfrd charm Ia a union that en-.
acted tarcs without giving benefits
whose offices were usonopoiis@d by
IN. politicians Of the east and whose
capital was q two-months' journey
distant.
Nor was the doctrine % aisunion
| without hiah authority. when ths
Fr1etaiiats had been In power had
not jefferson written the Kentucky
resolution Of tfpR the eighth one II
which favored notification. and had
not Madison followed with the vir-
girls resolutions. little less dis
iuuinuisfs tn tempefT And then. when
the Republicans had gained eantfal.
hnd not the Fadefaliatn. In turn,
taikesf secession without conceal
| rnentf
Il was the .urrharr~d moment.
The political ntnoaphere Of the
world was humid with the spirit OF
revolt Republicanisfn. born Of the
American revolution and trans
planted In Europe by Pain and
Franklin and Jay. vas learning 20
strain sta new but xirile strength.
Throughout Christeudom thrones
trenhisd and kings we're concerned
for their crowns and heads Every
where irreptesaibie yearning for po-
iitiCai equality was stirring to their
deeps the autckenlnE souls Of men.
land by resistance and oppression
was being melted 10 active resolve
aud revolution. Charlotte rar,iay.s
poiaard. thrust 20 the heart of
mafnt. opened tine veins OF France.
and the quick starting flames OF In