New-York tribune., 1903-04-30
THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE
TREATY OF TURNABOUTS.
Memorable ReUersaLs of Policy By
Hen and Nations.

x,etsarce," "a great soul has simply nothing to
90" That sentence might we'll be chosen by
come compiler OF Year Book Of Quotations to
80. opposite the date of April 80. For that
date exactly one hundred years ago signed
zbat we might well call the Treaty Of Turn
abouts seeing that the making Of it marked
complete reversal OF policy and principle the
-art OF nearly every prominently concerned
therein That was the treaty by which France
csdea TO the United States the so-called Louisi-
sra Territory. comprising practically the whole
western half of the Mississippi Valley, d-
r!ded and developed into dozen States-prob-
ably the greatest real estate transaction in the
history Of the world.
The first great turnabout involved in that
bargain was in the attitude OF France toward
this country. Twenty years before, when the
Treaty Of Paris which ended the Revolutionary
War. was being negotiated France opposed in
the strongest manner the westward and south
ward extension of the United States. II is true
that she had been ally in the Revolution
and noninally our friend and counsellor in the
negotiation Of terms of peace in 17SS But as
matter Of fact, she did her utmost to prevent
or dissuade England from granting to US the
boundaries to which were entitled. and
which England herself quite ready to con-
oede 10 US. Especially did France try to keep
the United States from all access to the Mis-
sissippf River at even a single point. In those
unfTiendly designs she defeated by the
daring resolution Of John Jay and his col
leagues. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin
the American Peace Commissioners Now in
1903, France exactly reversed that attitude
and herself proposed a measure which gave the
United States not only enlarged access to the
Mississippi, but complete control and owner
ship Of that river throughout fits entire course
from source to mouth
Another turnabout was the personal one ef-
fected by Napoleon Bonaparte. then First Consul
for life Of France. Louisiana had been to him as
dear as the apple Of his eye His first diplomatic
transaction with Spain had been to secure that
splendid territory for France. He planned the
development there Of great French empire
which should overshadow Canada and the
United States and dominate the Western Hemi-
sphere. Whatever nation he said shall hold
the valley OF the Mississippi VIII be the most
powerful nation the earth" And he laughed
With scorn and contempt at the first proposals
of the United States for a purchase of even a
small part of that territory. Yet OF a sudden
he turned squarely about. ignoring the pro-
tests Of his brothers and their threats TO appeal
10 the convention, and defying the probable op-
position of that body. he personally offered to
sell 10 the United States the whole Louisiana
TerritoTy-an offer which. happily, was accepted,
and the acceptance Of which proved to be one Of
The most momentous facts in all our history
France and her ruler were not alone. however,
in such self-reversaL Jefferson, then President
Of the United States, was equally changefuL
he had strongly opposed the continental pol
icy" Of his great political rival. Hamilton which
contemplated acquisition of the Mississippi River
ard Of the lands beyond it, and the making of
the United States the dominant power of this
continent Now he frnpetuously and resolutely
embraced that policy and adopted it for his own.
He had been partial to France and had regarded
her as our best friend. but Just before she
offered 70 sell Louisiana TO he declared her to
be "our natural and habitual enemy" He had
been antagonistic to England. Now ne said.
I'VE must marry ourselves to the British feet
end nation" He had austerely deprecated the
formation of "entangling alliances with any
foreign nation. Now he urged the formation Of
offensive and defensive alliance with Eng
land for the purpose Of making upon
France. He had opposed the construction OF a
navy. Now he advised the building Of one that
would give US the sovereignty OF the seas.
Nor was Jefferson less contradictory of self IN
his attitude toward domestic Institutions He
the founder Of the strict constructionist"
school Of expoun3ers Of the Constitution holding
that the federal government could do nothing !
that not explicitly authorized by the Con-
stitution Yet IN this act he. by his ad-
mission, vastly transcended his constitutional
powers. He had written in the Declaration Of
Independence IN 1776 that governments derive
their just powers from the consent OF the gov
erlled-" Yet in the Louisiana treaty he pur-
chased sovereignty over tens Of thousands OF
people as he would have purchased ownership
10 SO many sheep or oxen, not only without
their consent but even without their knowledge,
and for g time thereafter he personally, or
through his own appointee. governed them with
all the absolute autocracy OF Spanish captain
general We shall search history in vain for a
more complete and sweeping reversal Of policy
aad Of principle than was effected by ihonlas
jefferson in the Louisiana episode.
One other distinguished name must likewise
Ia added to the roll Of turnabout statesmen
It Is that of John Randolph OF Roanoke he
TOO was strict eonstructionist' like JEFFERSON
But he reversed himself even more notably on
hat point than did jefferson. For. while the
latter held that the Louisiana Purchase was
unauthorized by the Constitution and that an
amendment should be made to that instrument
by way Of ex post facto authorization, Ran
,5oIph thought no amendment was necessary
hut that the Constitution il stood could de-
spite his strict construction Of IT, be stretched
10 cover and TO sanction the transaction. and IL
v,ss his view and not Jeferson's that prevailed,
for m such amendment was ever made. Even
7,,ore rernarkab bic was Randolph's self-reversal
on the subject Of States Rights He was the
founder OF the States Rights school. and the
rnost extreme upholder Of it. So strongly did ne
relieve ,o the sovereignty of the individual
States that he held no new State could be con-
stitutjonally admitted TO the Union without the
,,g,aninoous consent of all the existing States
30, e,,ch grounds he refused to vote for the ad-
.--,~s,on Of Kentucky Tennessee and Ohio. Yet
10. was the foremost champion Of ratification OF
. Louisiana treaty, with its provision that
fo1isiana should be admitted TO Statehood re-
gardless Of the wishes Of some of the e1lsuhs