The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1904-04-16
A BIT or HISTORY.
Jefferson, Monroe and Livingston
BuiIded Better Than They Knew.

6uiIded Better Than They Knew.
Mr. Jefferson was president OF the
Omitted States at that time and he was
man who hated war of any descrip-
| ton. He certainly did not wish to
fight with his own countrymen, and he
as certainly did not wish to fight with
! any other nation, so be searched
around for some sort of a compromise.
He thought that if America could own,
even one port on this useful river and
had the riglt Of Mississippi naviga-
| ton, the matter would be settled with
satisfaction to all parties. So he sent
| James Monroe over to Paris to jOlI, ur
minister. Mr.. Livingston, and see if
the two Of them together could not
| persuade France to sell them the ISL
| and CT New Orleans, en- which was the
city Of the same name.
Now Napoleon was the ruler Of
France, and he was dreaming dreams
and seeing visions in which France
was the most important power in
America, because she owned this won
derful Mississippi river ard all this
Louisiana" which stretched back
from the river to the Rockies. He al
ready held forts along the river. and
he was planning to strengthen these
and build some new ones. But YOU
know what happens to the plans of
mice and men sometimes. Napoleon
was depending upon his army to help
thnca n1a h11t
in San Domingo were swept away by
war and sickness. so that on the day
he had set for them to move UP into
Louisiana not man was able to 60
At the same time Napoleon had on
hand another scheme against Eng
land, which was even more important
than his plans for America, and which
demanded men and money. Besides
this, he was shrcwd enough to know
that he could net hold this faraway
territory for any long time against
England. which had so many more
ships than France. He suddenly
changed his mind about his American
possessions, and nearly sent Mr.. Mon
roe and Mr.. Livingston into state OF
collapse by offering to sell them not
only New Orleans. but also the whole
province of Louisiana.
There was no time to write to Pres
ident Jefferson and ask his advice, and
this was before the days Of the cable;
SO Monroe and Livingston took ths
matter into their own hands and
signed the contract which transferred
the Louisiana territory to the United
States for the consideration OF $15,
100000. They were severely criticised
by many OF their own countrymen. and |
they had some doubts Of their own |
about the wisdom OF their action. You |
see, nobody knew then that corn and |
wheat would grow SO abundantly In |
this territory, or that beyond the Mis-.
sissippi there were such stretches OF
glorious pasture lands. or that under
meath it's mountainous regions there
we're such mines OF gold. silver and
copper. Americans saw only the com
mercial possibilities Of the river. and
ali they wanted was the right of navi.
eating it and the permission to explore
the unknown country to the westward.
But Jefferson and Monroe and Liv'
irgston builded better than they knew.
All this happened hundred years ago;
and today that old Louisiana territory
is, in natural resources, the wealthiest
part of the whole United States. With
out that territory in our possession We
should have no Colorado and no wy
oming, no Dakotas, or Nebraska, or
or Montana. or Missouri. or
Iowa, or Kansas, or Arkansas, or Lou
isiana, or Oklahoma. or Indian Terri
tory; and. naturally, no fair at St
Louis next year.-From Helen Lock.
wood Cofin's "How We Bought Lou
siana" in St. Nicholas.