Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-05-07

AN l7a9 the Spanish governor at New
Orleans ISSUED an order closing the port
of.NewIQrleaus to the trade of the Ohio
nrer.ssIhis was contrary to our treaty
with the Spanish and was severe blow
t6lour western settlements, and our
Congress resolved to rebuke Spain; but
in October of 1900, the Spanish Gov
ernment. by-a secret treaty, ceded the
whole of the province of Louisiana
back to France. which had originally
settled both New Orleans and St Louis.
This became known to our Ministers
at Madrid, Paris and London, and ne
gotiations were opened with the French
government for the purchase of that
part of the province east of the Missis-
sippi river, including New Orleans
Minister at Paris, Mr.. Livingston, being
especially active and sagacious in the
matter.
Mr.. jefferson was President at that
time and in March of 1903 he sent Mr..
Monroe over to Paris to aid Mr.. Living
ston in the matter.
General Bonaparte was at that time
First Consul of France. He was about
to engage in another war with the al
lies, of which England was one, and he
feared England's naval power-feared
she would send fleet to New Orleans
and take possession-so our ministers
were suddenly met with the proposition
to buy the whole province, and though
this exceeded their instructions, they
closed the bargain at eighty millions OF
francs about sixteen millions of dol
lars.
The President Immediately agreed to
this and Congress soon after ratified 1T.
The negotiations in Paris were COM
pleted on the Both of April, 1903, and
the papers signed on the Sd of May.
Congress ratified the proceeding in Oc-
tober, and France appointed Commits
sioner to formally receive the province
from the Spanish and transfer it to the
United States, which was done in De
cember, when the Spanish troops en-
barked for Spain and the Americans en-
tered New Orleans.
St Louis, at that time qS03) was al
ready quite town A Jesuit mission
had been established at that. point on
the river as early as 1885; and in 1764,
after the country east of the Mississippi
had been ceded to the English. as re
suit of the French English war, some OF
the French in Canada and Illinois, es
tablished the town of st. Louis, under
the lead of man named Laclede, presi
dent of The Louisiana Fur Company.
The st. Louis Of today is a city o
nearly million people, and they, will
state and National aid, propose giving
the people of the world the greatest Elk
position or Worlds Fair in all history
The site was selected last year and worl
begun. Some of the buildings are com
pleted, and last Friday april 30, 1908
1.-THE centennial anniversary of the dat
OF the completion of the negotiations TO
tie purchase of the territory, of which
st. Louis is part-was selected as tb,
date to dedicate them.
The day was made holiday, twenty
fine thousand people assembled in th
Hall of Liberal Arts, and President
Roosevelt and ex-President Cleveland
were there and made speeches, both be
ing careful in their historical remarks
as representatives of both Spain ant
France were present, and the Juggling
transactions between those two coun
tries a.. hundred years ago not being
credftable to either.
sDrring'the coming year the fifteel
great exposition buildings will be com
pleted and stocked, and the grounds pu
in.;order, and the whole opened for pub
/. liG Ginspeetion and for public instruction
I abont the 1st of May 1904