Evening star., 1949-11-04
Truman Hits Stand -Potters' in Minnesota Speech
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
ST. PAUL, Minn., Nou. A.
Tert OF an address BY President
Truman here last night at the
celebration OF the Tooth ami
Dersary OF the creation of Min
nesota as a territory of the
United States:
I am grateful indeed for the
cordial welcome I have received
here today.
I remember that I also received a
cordial welcome the last time I
was here-on October 13, 1913.
That meant more to me then, and
means more to me now, than I
will ever be able to tell you.
L understand that this has been
designated as Truman Day" in
Minnesota. appreciate that very
deeply. And haven't forgotten
that last November the people of
Minnesota, in a somewhat different
fashion. made another day "Tru-
man Day" I also appreciate that
very much.
This is one of the reasons-and
just one Of many-why I have a
strong feeling of friendship for the
people of Minnesota.
am very happy that you have
asked me to come and participate
in this celebration of the Tooth an
niversary of the creation of Mime
sofa as a territory of the United
States. This is ar important an
niversary. 1t is always good for
us to remember the events that
marked our early history as a
Nation.
Recalls Louisiana Purchase.
AS you all know, Minnesota, for
the most part, was carved out of the
territory acquired by the United
States through the Louisiana Pur-
chase in 1903. In fact, 13 States
were formed in whole or in part
from the territory acquired through
the Louisiana Purchase. My own
State of Missouri is one of them.
The Louisiana Purchase opened up
the whole area west of the Missis-
sippi River for eventual settlement
and incorporation into the Union.
The story of the Louisiana Pur-
chase is more than just school-book
history. 1t is story that is filled
with significance for all Americans
today.
In 1903, Thomas Jefferson, who
was then President, sent represent
atives to France who agreed to buy
the Louisiana Territory from Ma
poleon. They agreed that the
United States would pay $4,000 900
to France in return for an area of
nearly million square miles.
1t is hard for us to believe today,
but there was a storm of protest
over this transaction. Members of
the opposition party were against it,
and they dragged in all kinds OF
arguments in their attempt to stop
it. They maintained that President
Jefferson had no power to make
such an agreement. They claimed
that it was unconstitutional. They
said that this new territory would
bring in lot of undesirable people.
They said there could never be any
thing in common between the men
of the wilderness west of the Missis-
sippi and the citizens of the Allan
tic Coast. They said the United
States would fall apart.
Typical of Stand-Patters.
Jefferson's opponents contended
that the Louisiana Purchase would
ruin the country, that we would
need a large standing Army to pro-
tect the new area, and that our
democratic institutions would be
undermined and destroyed. They
said that $15,000,000 was too much
money, that it would greatly in
crease the national debt, and that
it would be years before it was paid
off.
Furthermore-and this is what
really worried them-they protested
that the Eastern States would lose
their political power.
Now, all this was typical OF the
stand -patters and the reactionaries
who are always telling us that
things can't be done. They scrape
up every argument under the sun
to try to stop anything new-any
change in things as they are
anything they think might disturb
their own vested interests.
But in spite of all the clamor,
Jefferson went right ahead. He and
the members of his party foresaw
that the United States was an ex-
panding country, that it was going
to grow indefinitely, and that it
needed the land west of the Mis-
sissippi. They knew. too, that the
sum of $15,000,000, although it
looked big at the time, would prove
to be insignificant compared with
the benefits of doubling the size Of
the Nation. They believed that the
increase in prosperity of the United
States, the growth of its trade and
industry, would enable the Govern
ment to pay off this additional debt
without difficulty-and they were
right.
Little Faith in Future.
Today, We can look back on the
opposition to the Louisiana Pur-
chase and laugh. We wonder how
men could have been so blind as to
oppose this great step forward.
Do you know what one of the re-
ationaries of that day said? He
stood up on the floor of the Con-
gress and not only opposed the in
corporation of the Louisiana Terri
tory into the Union, but he actually
urged that citizens of the United
States be prohibited from ever set
ting west of the Mississippi.
Why did the reactionaries of
Jefferson's time raise these ridicu-
lous objections to the Louisiana pur-
chase? Well, I will tell you why.
In the first place, they had very
little imagination and very little
faith in the future of this country.
They simply coua,d not believe that
the American people would ever be
able to settle that whole area and
create cities, industries and farms
there.
There we're other reasons, too.
Those reactionaries were themselves
comfortably situated. They were
well-to-do-men. They were promi-