instructions from their government, while it was necessary to act promptly, as delay might defeat their whole plan. The Treaty of Amiens might be broken at any day by England, in which case an English fleet might sail up the Mississippi river, take New Orleans, and thereby secure Louisiana to the British Crown, against which attack the Americans were defenseless. Spain was still in possession of New Orleans. The Treaty by which she had ceded it to France two years before being a secret Treaty, a formal transfer of this territory from Spain to France had never been made, the better to preserve this secrecy. Meantime the American negotiators were well aware that inasmuch as Spain might protest against the transfer of it to France by the United States, it was quite possible that Spain might refuse to surrender the territory in question to the United States. In this exigency the American negotiators took upon themselves responsibilities unknown and unpracticed by plenipotentiaries acting for their government. Nothing definite as to the western limits of Louisiana could be arrived at, but the negotiators on each side agreed to leave such limits to be decided in the future, using only the general expressions, that the boundaries of the province should be the same as existed. in former transfers between Spain and France. The great issue at stake, and points to be settled, were harmoniously made by the negotiators on both sides, without providing for incidents that might arise in the practical fulfillment of the Treaty, and April 30, 1803, each of them signed it with a genuine feeling of good fellowship towards each other, as well as with a consciousness that they had served the best interests of the two nations which they represented This done, they all arose and shook hands, when Mr. Livingston said: "We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our whole lives. The treaty which we have just signed has not been obtained by art or dictated by force; equally advantageous to the id Living Louisiana ton said 29 * two contracting parties, it will change vast solitudes into flourishing districts. From this day the United States take their place among the powers of the first rank. The English lose all exclusive influence in the affairs of America. * But if wars are inevitable, France will hereafter have in the New World, a natural friend." The English Government did not suspect that a cession of the United States had been made; and they did not know that Spain had ceded Louisiana to the French two years before, owing to the well kept secrecy as to the terms of the treaty of San Ildefonso. Four days after the signing of the Louisiana Treaty, Napoleon made a demand upon the British Government that the Independence of the Island of Malta should be guaranteed by Austria, Russia and Prussia, the allies of England; an issue which had been pending between France and England a long time. "If this proposal is rejected," said Bonaparte, "it is manifest that England has never wished to execute the Treaty of Amiens." On the 22nd of May, less than a month after the signing of the Treaty, England commenced hostilities by the capture of some French merchantmen. On the same day Bonaparte ratified the Louisiana Treaty of Cession, as it was important that this formality should take place on the part of France, in order to leave no ground for considering Louisiana as still French. When the English Ministers had been informed of the object of Mr. Monroe's mission (previous to the publication of the treaty), they made a proposition to Rufus King, the American Envoy at London, to the effect that they take the province of Louisiana with the concurrence of the United States, in which case Mr. King was given to understand that if his government gave its consent to this design the province should be retroceded to the United States after having been taken from France. Of course, such a proposition was rejected, nor was it necessary to state the reason why. Soon after this the British Government were officially informed by the United States of the ceding of Louisiana by treaty, when Lord Hawkesbury gave a satisfactory answer respecting the cession. The treaties were forwarded to Washington for ratification, arriving there July 4, 1803. M. Pichon, the chargé d'affaires of France, had orders to transmit them to M. Laussat, the prefect of the Province of Louisiana. Meantime the Spanish Minister at Washington stated that he had orders from his government to warn the United States against the ratification of the treaties, on the ground that France had contracted an engagement with Spain not to cede it to any other power without the consent of Spain. Pending these attempts on the part of Spanish officials to prevent the consummation of the treaty, President Jefferson called an extra session of Congress, which was opened on the 17th of October. Measures were immediately taken to justify and carry into effect the treaty, but not without some opposition. No provision had ever been made by the Constitution of the United States for accession of territory, notwithstanding which the Senate approved the treaties by a vote of 24 against 7. President Jefferson ratified the treaty October 21, 1803. The House of Representatives, after some opposition, concurred. This prompt and hasty action of President Jefferson was not consistent with his intense democratic convictions. 2 But the end justified the means. Imperialism could hardly have taken a greater responsibility than President Jefferson was obliged to take for the general welfare of the nation, and any opposition that either England or Spain could make would have caused a war with the United States, a result which neither of these powers dared to face in the unsettled condition of Europe at that time. This firm action on the part of the American Congress had its effect upon Spain, who did not dare to take the respon |