The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-30
TODAY IN HISTORY
SAIIIRQAX ApRll 40. 1910.
The Louisiana Purchase.


when the United States purchased
Louisiana II was one OF the greatest
land bargains ever heard Of. but ~ was
no doubt accomplished through Mapole-
on's desire TO do England an iH-turn'
The sale was consummated on April ~
1903 one hundred and seven years aEo
today. The vast territory Of Louisiana
extended from The Gulf of Mexico 70
Canada. and from the Mississippi rivor
10 the Rocky mountains. II gave 10 inI
United States nearly double It's na.,ona, "a,
president Jefferson was si5.ooo. 600. OF
less than sl2 a square mile. The qucS-
ton Of the constitut!onality of the sale
was raised at the ume, ,., pns ,hSnd Napoia9d and
the validity OF their action mas never
been ovcrrulcd.
The necessity for the Louisiana pur
chase grew out OF the demand for sea
liport for the northwestern territory, inc
Mississippi territory and the states al
ready formed in that section OF the coutl .
discovery and occupation. When sIIe
was Obliged TO strip herself OF her Amerl-
| can possessions she released 70 Eng
| land, In addition 10 Canada. the couh-
try cast Of the Mississippi down TO TN"
| Spanish possession In Florida, The vast
domain west OF the Mississippi she gave
TO Spain to repay that power In her iosses
In 1902 it became known that France
| had made a secret treaty WIN sPaln
| under which Louisiana was 10 he re
| stored 10 France upon ceI ld'h .''p, a.
Napoleon was then consul, and wlsh !mis m
| contemporaries shared an amnltion Iol
| distant possessions for colonies "nos'
trade he might monopollze- LOUIS Louis'are, re,
| with Its vast extent and naturai re
| sources, would give him foothold ~
America. and. as nc believed, the con-
troll Of the Mississippi river. But oeiore
| Napoleon could carry out his plans .n'
| indiscreton OF the Spanish othclals al,
lowed the news OF tho negotiations 20
reach the British eovernment: mas iass
! Of obstacles were at once thrown ihtg
NapoIeons path and In 1908 he found
himself on the eve OF a war WIN 're@'
| Britain. A..
In the event Of war at that tnc time
| Louisiana was vulnerable; TO say noun.
| Ing OF what the United states might o.
tempted to undertake, the English wou!c
surely strike there. There was not
| French soldier on American soil, anc
none could be spared from other quar-
ters A message from George III 70 M
parliament, showing preparasions ns,onIa %
war, dspel)ed all Napoleon oNo eoio'' "a "a
dreams. He then decided To dispose o
Louisiana to the best advantage, selnhe
1t TO the United states would supply
him with needed money ana 90 an ~,
make the United States more friendly I,
| France and make them power %hici
sooner or later would humble England
pride, s,,o,,,,,,
| was a burning issue In this country
| Washington had only averted poshl
bile secession OF the western states ~
war with Spain by the treaty ot lI2o
and John Adams stopped at forco ON;
because Spain yielded. spain: stana,uI'
as watchman at the mouth OF the MS
sIssipp, unfrIendly In policy. was dls
tasteful to the American people Irap' afi
down the river almost ceased and IN
pressure upon the national adTninlsira
fion became almost too strong TO DC Win
stood. Party feeling was high ana uh
| reasonable Annexation met Win nittc
opposition from the Federalists. put tn
mass OF the people. particularly thos
OF the south and west, heartily approVc'
of it. The acquisition OF Louisiana VA
n great help In bringing about the SUP SUP
ordination Of the state TO the nation
THAT step was ratified by congress AM
stands as a precedent today
Today In 1852 Washington was lnau
rurated the first president OF the Cnlte'
States The first temperance society wa
organized in New York In lSos, Jon,
lIogan's family was killed in lI74; Whlc'
caused the Logan war. 1t Is the ga.
on which Louisiana was admitted mt
the Union In 1912. II is the birthday
Queen Mary IT, OF England, in 1867: an
Charles s. Fairchilds. secretary OF IN
treasury under Cleveland. In 1882, an
the day on which James Montgomery III
| poet died I'm 1854.