Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-03
The Magnificent Adventure
A Stirring Story of the Northwest.
BY EMERSON HOUGH.
Copyright. BY D. Appleton Z CO..
BY EMERSON HOUGH.
Copyright. 1s2s, BY D. Appleton 4 Co..

captain of this magnificent adventure.
| In years he Is not yet thirty, but he
Is and always was: leader, mature.
wise, calm and resolved. OF courage
| urdaunted. possessing a f1rmness and
, perseverance OF purpose which moth
| ing but impossib:lities can divert
! from its direction; careful as father
of those committed to his charge, and
| yet steady in the maintenance Of or
: der AID discipline; intimate with the
| Indian character, customs AMI pr.n-
J ciples; t~bltuated TO the hunting Lie:
/ guarded by exact observation OF the
| vegetables and animals of lis c'rn
country against duplication of objects
! already possessed % honest, disinter-
ested. liberal: of Sound understanding,
! and Of a fidelity 10 truth so scrupu-
lous that whatever he shall report
! Will be as certain as if seen by our
selves-with all these qualifications,
I say, as II selected and implanted
/ pose. ! could have no hesitation In
confiding this erterprise--the most
J cherished enterprise OF my admins
tration-to him whom now you have
/ seen here before you"
| The President bowed deeply to the
young man, who had modestly re-
sumed his place: Then, for Just a
moment. Mr.. Jefferson stood silent.
absorbed, rapt. carried away by his
own vision.
! and now for my news" ne said
at length. Here you have it,"
scrap of paper.
(, had this news from New York
F, this morning. 1t was dispatched yes
terday evening. Tomorrow 1t will
reach all the world. The malls will
bring 1t to you: but news like this
could not wait for the mails. No
horse could bring it fast enough. II
was brought by a dove-the dove of
peace, I trust: Let me explain
briefly what my news concerns.
| LAS you know, that new country
yonder belonged. at first to any one
who might find ito England. II
she could penetrate 1t first: 10 Spain,
If she we're first to put her Tag upon
it; to Russia. IL first she conquered
it from the far northwest. But mono
of these three eyer completes acqui-
sition by those means undar which
nations take title to the new terri
tories of the world. Louisiana, "a we
term 1t. has been unclaimed. un-
known. unowned-indeed. virgin ter
ritory SO far as definite title was
| concerned.
I'm the north. such title as might
be was conveyed to Great Britain by
France after the latter power was
conquered at Quebec. The lower re-
gions France-supposing that she
owned them-conveyed, through her
monarch, the fifteenth Louis, to Spain
Again, in the policy of nations, Spain
sold them to France once more in a
time of need. France owned the ter
lrttory then, or had the title, though
Spain still was in possession. 1t lay
still unoccupied. still contested-un-
til but now.
My friends, ! give you news. On
the I'd Of May last Napoleon Bona
parte, first consul of France, sold to
this republic, the United States Of
America, all of Louisiana, whatever
1t may be, from the Mississippi to
the Pacific! Here are seven words
which carry an empire with them
the empire of aumanity--a land in
which democracy. humanity, shall ex-
pand and grow forever. This is my
news:
Gen. Bonapsrte signed May 3
fifteen miiiions--Rejoice""
! A deep sigh rose as If in unison all
along the table. The event was too
large for instant grasping. There
was no applause at first. Some
many-dtd not understand. Not 80
certain others.
The minister from Great Britain
the minister from Spain, Aaron Burr
and few other men acquainted with
great affairs. prominent IN public life.
! turned and looked at the Presidents
tail ngure at the head OF the table.
| and then at that Of the silent Young
man whom Mr.. Jefferson had publicly
honored.
| Continued Il, To,,a...-., 60