The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-12-01

detachment OF United States
army troops Facing them on the
other side of the fagpole were Spanish troops
and few French officers.
A few hours before, Pierre Clement Laussat
French project of louisiana Gen. James Wilkn-
son of the United States army and William G.
G. Claiborne, former governor OF Mississippi Ter.
ritory, had met in the famous old Cabildo, which
faces on the square. There the credentials OF the
two Americans were read as was the authority
OF the Frenchman to hand over to them official
possession of certain tract Of land the keys OK
the city of New Orleans were given to Claiborne
and he, dissolving the allegiance of the inhabt-
tants Of New Orleans to France. welcomed them
as citizens OF the United States.
Then the three men stepped out into the
Place d. Armes. At a signal the Tricolor OF
France began to descend and the Stars and
Stripes of the United States to ascend. Midway
on the flagstaff the two banners met and were
saluted. And when the American flag had
reached the top of the staff and the French BAN
ner the bottom 1t meant that the Louisiana Ter
ritory had changed hands for the sixth and last
time and was henceforth American SOIL
Thus the fitting climax to this biggest real
estate deal In history" In which Napoleon Bona
parte the First Consul of France, had sold to
Thomas Jefferson President Of the United States.
for $15,OO0,O0O a veritable empire of 1,171,931
square miles. 1t doubled the original area OF the
new Republic and gave to that Republic the land
which in the future was to be the following
states: Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa. the
part of Minnesota west of the Mississippi, North
Dakota, South Dakota Nebraska, and most Of
Oklahoma, Kansas Montana, Wyoming and
large part of Colorado. 1t extended our boun-
daries from the Canadian border to the Gulf Of
Mexico and from the Rocky mountains to the
Mississippi river, which henceforth was to be
ours freed forever from the menace Of foreign
hold ma Of sfnncf fnrN Qnf
ways to the sea-New Orleans.
Like so many important events in American
history, the Louisiana Purchase had its origins
IN European politics and intrigue. The Louisi-
ana Territory had first been claimed for France
by the explorer, La Sale. who in 1852 had taken
possession of it In the name of Louis XIV In
1712 the Grand Monarch had Harmed" Louisiana
to Antoine Crozat, the greatest merchant monop-
olist of his day, but Crozat, unable to make use
of 1t, had turned 1t five years later to John
Law, the Scotch adventurer. whose bursted mis-
sissippi Bubble" had almost overnight trans
formed him from hero In France to the most
hated man in that country. So In 1871 the Lou
lsiana Territory went back to the French crown
again and in 1862 Louis XIV had coded 1t to Spain
Spanish territory IT had remained all the time
the English colonies the Atlantic seaboard
were winning their freedom from Great Britain
and taking. their first faltering steps as new
nation. In the meantime stirring events had been
taking place in France. The Bourbons had been
dethroned. the horrors of the French Revolution
had run their course and new world figure had
risen above the horizon-Napoleon Bonaparte
the First Consul Of France.
Within year after. he had become virtually
the master of Europe. He had crushed Austria
and the states Of the Italian peninsula. Peace
with England was in sight and six weeks after
his victory at Marengo Napoleon sent demand
to Spain to cede Louisiana back to France The
main reason back OF that demand was his de-
sire, along with his other plans to dominate the
world, to rebuild the French commercial power
IN America and begin upon policy of colonial
expansion.
The treaty by which Spain coded Louisiana
back to France In 1902 was kept secret but soon
after Thomas Jefferson became President in 1901
he suspected what going on across the At
lantic French control of New Orleans and
French domination of the Mississippi would have
a serious meaning for the United States. espe-
cially to the settlers of Ohio Kentucky and Ten
nessee AS early as 1899 they were sending down
the river 10000 pounds of tobacco. 10000 bar
reis Of -four. $4,000 pounds Of hemp. 500 bar.
rels Of cider and as many more of whisky for
shipment abroad.
So long as the Spanish were in control, this
commerce would not be seriously affected for
even though there had been matters of annoy
ance between American commercial interests and
tho spanish authorities. In general the Ameri-