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 foreigjy policy 
 
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 CO 
 
 im M io k ioaopr^lion cf FraDtlin Fifice 
 
 Sl'ATr'-'TTOS or SPAIN. 
 
 1^ OF THE ISLAND OF CUBA, &C.. &C. 
 
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 N E W-ORLKAIV^S: 
 Prioteil hy J. L. SolUe, Ul rjwvtrr!^ shret. 
 
 
 
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 1854. 
 
 fe^' 
 
 
Glass. 
 
 
 Book. 
 
 hJ 
 
 i^^ 
 
THOUGHTS 
 
 UPON THE 
 
 l^ 
 
 / 
 
 OE THE UMTED-STATES, 
 
 FROM 1784 TO THE INAUGURATION 
 
 OS 
 
 ^^: 
 
 STATISTICS OF SPAIN, 
 
 OF THE ISLAND OF CUBA, &C, 
 
 BY 
 
 S3> •m.^'S. 
 
 i 
 
 NEW-ORLEANS 
 
 ^unte^ Lj J. Si. S^offee, ^37 ^flattie^ .Ucet 
 
 18i"54 
 
a'/ 2^ 
 
 Entered ar;cording to act oi Congraas in tho year 1854 (May 10th) 
 bj B. Mauiokt, in tho Office of tho Clerk of Uie District Court of the 
 U. S. for the Eastern District of Louiisiaaa. 
 
 m 
 
'^ 
 
 To the Honorable the members of the d^eneral 
 Assembly of Louisiana* 
 
 ^ IWEoie^een i>iCL55itucc6 natHnO/ ()e|itn>c^ me 06 a ccnin- 
 
 ^ f^uwle M>ttM.u6, J fvaue \yeen comlietle^ to cwanx^ti t^ 
 
 hottttcat cateet UHtim nao lyeen to rtte KecatutUU/ altiactioa. 
 
 ^on^Lonea to a»t otpicej um^eie mvb (Uiheiy teauite mu. [rtc- 
 
 ^CHce^ J fvaue c^ootea a teu> n-oiti^ of leiditie to a ivot^ 
 
 Mmim, J ItM-it, ii>iu/ at teo^t ^Keiv ma attacRm^ent to mu. 
 
 itatiue Unw cv o^ouii>ianaj o4 luett a6 mu, ^ei>otto»t to tRe 
 Imuied t7 tate^ op ^^mettca. u luiy woir, Uy ^e^teated to 
 
 tae ^Weiai ^mDiyiyettvblw of oLpout^iowa. ^6 \JUaied. 
 
 ttenlKcmerVj paootaUUi/ to accekt it, a* a Rum&le kfe^oe of 
 
 mu/ liatuoti6m/<' 
 
 BERNARD MARIGNY 
 

 uuA\<-,^) 
 
 i,.uy.> ■ Mir^ij6 .imiuwrt ^Si'J^Miijf. !>r) iirj.-.)j jrt ir 
 
 iyJnU .ill ijifo^ 
 
Thoughts upon the results of the \var Avhieh terminated in 1748 
 (peace of xVix la Cliapolle), after the battle of Fontenoy — also, upon the 
 war of 1*754, closed by the treaty of the 10th of February 17G3, (peace 
 of Fontahiblcau) — -Influence of those wars upon the destinies of the 
 British colonies of North America — Thoughts upon the war waged 
 against England by France and Spain, during the struggle of the former 
 with her North American colonies, and which Avas terminated by the 
 treaty of the 3d September 1784 (peace of Paris) — Recognition of the 
 Independence of the United States of America, by the principal powers 
 of Europe, and subsequently by all other powers — Foreign Policy of the 
 United States — Statistics of Spain, her population, her armies, her navy 
 and resources; character of the Sj^anish joeople — Statistics of the Island 
 of Cuba; elements of her population; her harbours, army, and naval 
 armament — Means that might bo employed to determine the sale of 
 Cuba to the United Stattes by the Court of Madrid — Thoughts upon 
 the charges directed against the United States, by the European powers, 
 in relatioa to their territorial aggrandizements — Comparative statement 
 of these aggrandizements with those of Russia, of England, and of 
 France under the Republican and Imperial governments — Thoughts 
 upon the doctrine of armed intervention as urged by turbulent spirits in 
 the United States — Moral Influences depicted, and their eft'ects since 
 1784 — Henry Clay in the Congress which adopted the compromise 
 measures of 1851 — His health enfeebled, his last illness, his words to 
 Kossuth, his death — The remains of Henry Clay are carried to Ken- 
 tucky; his toomb I — Impressions produced on visitsing it. 
 
 By Bernard' Marigny, born in New Orleans on the 25th October 1785, 
 Aid-de-Camp to Laussat, French Commissioner, when that officer received 
 possession of Louisiana from the Spanish authorities, on the 30th No- 
 vember 1803, in order to transfer it to Claiborne and Wilkinson, ame- 
 rican commissioners, on tiio 20th December of the same year ; volunteer 
 aid to Genl. Wilkinson in the American army from 1804 to 1808; — 
 Member of the Convention of 1812, which framed the 1st Constitution 
 of Louisiana; — Chairman of the Committee of defence appointed by the 
 House of Representatives when a British army invaded Louisiana in 
 1814; — President of the Senate in 1822; — Member of the Convention of 
 1845, which gave to Louisiana a new Constitution, estabhshing the prin- 
 ciples of imiversal suffrage, and of taxation for purposes of Public Edu- 
 cation, as well as greater equality in other respects. 
 
 e^f^=^vj) 
 
PART FIRST. 
 
 The consideration of the embarrassing circumstances that 
 might, at some future day, befal the United States, and conse- 
 quently my own native State of Louisiana, has alone induced 
 me to publish tlvese pages^ which are the result of my study of 
 the causes that have brought on the independence of the British 
 Colonies now the United States of America, as well as of the 
 tendencies of the foreign policy of our government, since the 
 Peace of Paris in 1784. I have taken as my point of departure 
 the battle of Fontenoy, lought and won by the French against 
 the Anglo-Austrian army in 1745 — an event which determined 
 England to prepare for the war of 1754. 
 
 Before entering into the merits of this work, it must be re- 
 membered that the English,, during the reign of Louis the 15tb 
 lost in 1745ithe battle of Fontenoy. The victory of the French 
 over the Anglo-Austriart arms, was followed by the peace of 
 Aix la Chapelle in 1748, between Austria, England and 
 France. 
 
 Louis the 15th elated by his successes, imagined that he had 
 secured a lasting peace. He allowed the springs of his go- 
 vernment to be loosened, neglected his navy, and bestowed but 
 little care upoii his vast possessions in North America, known, 
 by the name of New-France or Canada. This Sovereign pos- 
 sessed also in Northern America an. immense territory beyond 
 Canada,, as well as the Isle RoyaI,.at the entrance of the gulf 
 of St. Lawrence, and the boundless expanse of Louisiajia,, 
 
 Whilst the King of France was wasting his life in luxury 
 and voluptuous pleasures, England, meditating her vengean- 
 ce, was increasing her navy, and making every necessary pre- 
 paration for a dreadful war, which she could not wage against 
 France, without encountering Spain also as a foe ; for Charles 
 the 3rd, King of Spain, detested the English,, and he imagined 
 
— 8 — 
 
 that his alliance with France would ruin the preponderance of 
 England. 
 
 In 1754j quite unexpectedly to France, hostilities broke out 
 in Canada. A British force fell upon Jumonville de Villiers, 
 whom they massacred together with a portion of the French 
 detachment under his command. The war between England 
 and France, (called the seven years Avar) continued for five 
 years in Canada, and two years longer in other parts of the 
 would. The Canadians, after a most gallant contest, were 
 conquered by the numerical superiority of their enemies j fpr 
 the English haying made themselves masters of. the seas, pre- 
 cluded aU reinforcements in troops or arms from France to 
 Canada. The death of the marquis de Montcalm, in the battle, 
 of Abraham's plains, where Wolfe, the British Commander 
 was also slain, occasioned the capitulation of Quebec in 1759. 
 Montcalm should have awaited the reinforcements that could 
 have been sent to his aid by General Levis, who was then in 
 Montreal with three thousand men. But impelled by a chi- 
 valrous valour, and remembering that in the preceding year, 
 with 3,500 men, he had defeated, at Carillon, a British force 
 of 12,000 veterans, Montcalm sought the battle, and fell in the 
 first onset. In this action the Canadians used the jbaltlq, q,xe, 
 in lieu of the sword. ::;'';) nl >•.•/. 
 
 General de Levis, uniting the remains of Montcalm's 8i,rmy 
 with hiiS own forces, determined to attempt the recapture of 
 Quebec by storm ; he commanded about 7,000 men;— but 
 the English, \vith a force of 15,000 men, had had time .a, ud 
 means to fortify themselves, and the French failed in their at- 
 tack. The two armies then resumed their respective positions. 
 The English ventured not to attack the French — both await- 
 ing with anxiety the fleet from the mother country which was 
 to decide the contest. The English fleet was the first to appear, 
 and the French authorities surrendered Canada (1760). 
 
 Spain was not more fortunate than France ; she lost in the 
 Mediterranean the island of Minorca, and port Mahon its cita- 
 del. The English also captured Havana; these successes over 
 their two formidable foes enabled them to dictate the terms of 
 the Peace of Pontaineblcau, on the lOlh of February 1764- 
 
— 9 — 
 
 By ibis treaty France, ceded to England 1st. Canada and all 
 her possessions norlh of that province, as well as the Isle Royal; 
 — 2d. beginning at the rivei' Perdido, four leagues from Pen- 
 sacola, all that part of Louisiana, comprehending the bay of 
 Mobile, and following the coast to the entrance of Bayou Man- 
 cliacin lake INIaurepas; thence ascending this river to the Mis- 
 sissippi; thence all the left bank of the Mississippi to its sources, 
 fixing the middle of the stream as the limit between the two 
 nations. Spain in order to obtain the retroncession of Havana, 
 ceded to England the Floridas, from the Perdido to Georgia. 
 
 England had reached the zenith of her glory — her ambition 
 was gratified — she possessed North America. There remained 
 to France only a portion of Louisiana, which was now at the 
 mercy of the British arms. D'Abadie, the governor of that 
 province at that time, caused the forts of Baton-Rouge, of Nat- 
 chez and of Illinois to be delivered to the English, of whose 
 arrogance that officer complained in his letter to the Court of 
 Versailles. 
 
 The Choctaw nation, the most numerous and the most 
 powerful of the Indian tribes, had been the ally of the French, 
 since the time when Iberville and others took possession of 
 Louisiana in 1699. But this nation being settled on a part of 
 the territory which had been transferred to England, it became 
 impossible to France to secure the permanent possession of 
 Louisiana ; she therefore ceded it to Spain by the act of 17^6. 
 
 Spain, at that time powerful in the new hemisphere by her 
 vast possessions in South America, had a considerable milita- 
 ry establishment in Mexico, and a strong garison in the Island 
 of Cuba. The Cabinet of Madrid accepted with some hesita- 
 tion these vast possessions, whose maintenance increased by 
 at least a half million of dollars the expenditures of the Spanish 
 monarchy. But it accepted them only from the fear that they 
 might fall, into the hands of England, and that the English 
 would thence introduce their merchandize into the rich Spanish 
 possessions of Mexico by the practises of smuggling, which 
 offer such temptations to Mexicans. — This assuredly would 
 have caused considerable injury to the manufactories of Spain. 
 The left bank of the Mississippi therefore, from its head \va- 
 
— 10 — 
 
 lerstothe river Marichac, remained to England, with its na- 
 vigation in common with Si:)ain. The government of Madrid 
 had then to support the expenditures of Louisiana — whilst 
 England, under the pretense of purchasing the products of 
 Spanish subjects, carried on Avith them a lucrative trade in con- 
 traband commodities; for she could supply them with her mer- 
 chandize at a much cheaper rate, than that which was de- 
 manded for articles manufactured in Spain, and imported by 
 Spaniards. 
 
 The successes of England over France and Spain had in- 
 creased her power; but to meet the exigencies of a seven 
 years war, the British government had exhausted its finances. 
 After some years ofrepose, as a means of increasing its reve- 
 nues, it undertook to establish a system of taxation upon its 
 North American colonies. It imagined that the terror of its 
 late victories would command obedience to its exactions among 
 the american colonists, and a heavy duty was ordered to be 
 levied upon tea and stamped paper. 
 
 The British government had formed a mistaken opinion 
 of the people of these colonies — they were composed of the 
 choicest elements. The persecution of protestantism in Eng- 
 land had induced men of education to emigrate with their 
 capital and energies to New England ; the catholics op- 
 pressed in their turn, also sought refuge in these regions ; and 
 the revocation of the edict of Nantes, decreed by Louis the 
 14th in 1685, had occasioned the settlement of many lutherans 
 and calvinists in the British colonies. 
 
 Amid this population, schools and colleges had been estab- 
 lished. It was in their aspirations for liberty, that these com- 
 munities were destined to produce, not only soldiers, but the 
 most distinguished chieftains, statesmen, and orators. The 
 Americans first addressed their remonstrances to the mother- 
 country, in regard to the course it was pursuing towards the 
 colonies ; but their complaints however reasonable were dis- 
 regarded. The British government ordered its troops to 
 America, and raised further recruits among the Hessians 
 and in other german States. The news of these menacing 
 preparations having reached New England, discontent arose 
 
— 11 — 
 
 into general indignation, and bloodshed soon followed. Then 
 arose a citizen, who afterwards rendered himself immortal 
 in the eyes of his countrymen and of all men Avho value li- 
 berty — Thomas Jefferson presented to the congress assem- 
 bled in Philadelphia the Declaration of Independence, which 
 was adopted on the 4th of July 17761 — masterpiece of mo- 
 rality and eloquence! destined to equal among the people of 
 America, the effects of the Gospel among christians. The 
 Americans felt themselves invincible; and George Washing- 
 ton, a native of Virginia, Avhose name is immortal, was pro- 
 claimed commander in chief of the American armies. Having 
 been an officer in the service of England in America, he was 
 destined to conquer those who had taught him the art of 
 war. 
 
 When the declaration of independance became known in 
 France, the nobility and gentry declared themselves in favor 
 of war against England. Lafeyette, a young nobleman, em- 
 barked for America. He became there the apostle of liberty, 
 and his letters increased the enthousiasm of the French. Un- 
 der these circumstances, Franklin was deputed to Paris, 
 where his talents and his simple and engaging manners made 
 him w.elcome and agreeable in all classes of society. Se- 
 duced by Franklin, Mr. de Vergennes, then prime minister j 
 of Louis the 16th, persuaded that monarch to join in the war 
 against England. The king of France himself was however 
 disinclined to it : he said that it was immoral to sustain sub- 
 jects who had revolted against their mother-country. 
 
 In Spain, the ministry was inclined to disapprove the war ; 
 but Charles the od pronounced himself in its favor. This 
 monarch, who had commenced his career in the Neapolitan 
 armies joined with those of Spain, to rescue a portion of Italy 
 from the Austrians, was still influenced by a great hatred to 
 the English. The count of Aranda, a head strong Arragonese, 
 eloquent and sometimes arrogant, protested against the war 
 proposed to be waged against England. He maintained that 
 the establishment of a Republic in North America Avas cal-" 
 culated to attract hither, all the discontented spirits in the mo- 
 Jiarchies of old Europe. That a great nation would arise 
 
— 12 — 
 
 •there, whose moral influeuce would become dangerous to the 
 Spanish possessions in America. Charles the 3d whose j30wer 
 was great in Europe as well as in America, laughed at 
 what he termed the "panic terror" of the count d'Aranda. The 
 count of Florida Blanca joined in the opinion of the king of 
 Spain ; and so far from persuading France into neutrality, 
 the cabinet of Madrid intimated to that of Versaillesj that 
 Spain was disposed to unite her arms with those of France, 
 to secure the independence of the United States of America. 
 War was therefore commenced. Spain captured the island 
 of Minorca, and the citadel of Mahon. Galvez marched to 
 Manchac and Baton R-ouge in west Florida, and took pos- 
 session of those territories. The British commander surren- 
 dered to the Spaniards the fort of Natchez, whose command 
 was then given to Don Carlos de Grandpre, one of the most 
 distinguished men I have met with. Galvez then directed 
 his march to Mobile, took possession of the old fort Conde, 
 and from success to success, he . appeared before the fort of 
 St. Michel, at Pensacola, which he took by storm. 
 
 Less fortunate in this war than Spain, who had thus re- 
 covered all that she had lost by the treaty of Foutainebleau 
 in 1764, France made no attempt to recover Canada, which 
 had been taken from her by the above named treaty. The 
 count de Gras encountered at Cape St. Vincent the British 
 fleet under the command of Admiral Rodney. An obstinate 
 fight then occured, and the French fleet was defeated. The 
 count de Gras who commanded the ship, "Ville de Paris," 
 bearing 130 guns with 1,500 men, struck his flag at the last 
 extremity, when there remained to him about lOO men only 
 and wounded for the greatea^ part. The English did justice to 
 this gallant officer — his carriage was drawn by the people in 
 the streets of London. 
 
 Amid these circumstances, a French fleet appeared on the 
 American coast, which succeeded in landing General Rocham- 
 beau with about 8,000 men, and blockaded the Chesapeake 
 bay. General CornAvallis thought prudent to retire under the 
 fortifications which he had raised at A^orktown, but being at- 
 
-^ 13 — 
 
 tacked by the united French and American armies, he sur- 
 rendered with about 7,000 men, after a .siege of eight days. 
 
 This aftkir put an end to the war of American Indepen- 
 dence; plenipotentiaries met in Paris in 1784. Spain, repre- 
 sented by the count d'Aranda, retained Minorca, the Balea- 
 res and other islands, and England conceded to her, besides, 
 East and West Florida to the limits of Georgia. On the eve 
 of signing the treaty, d'Aranda addressed the following letter 
 to Charles the 3rd : 
 
 "Sire, your Majesty doubtless remembers, that I was opposed 
 to the Avar undertaken by Spain and France against England, 
 to determine the question of the Independence of the British co- 
 lonies, and to establish upon these territories a nation to be 
 designated as the United States of America. I do not wish to 
 be a prophet; but I much fear that before* a half century will 
 have elapsed, there will remain to your Majesty, of all your 
 vast possessions in America, only the islands of Cuba and 
 Porto-Rico." 
 
 Forty years had scarcely elapsed, when the prophecy of 
 count d'Aranda was accomplished. The letter of count d'A- 
 randa is in Madrid ; I have read a copy of it, in the hands of 
 the marquis de Tallaru, French ambassador to Spain under 
 Louis the 18th. 
 
 The Independence of the United Slates had been recog- 
 nized; but much remained to be done — the wounds occasioned 
 by the war were to he healed ; agriculture was to be restored 
 to the hands of men, who, after having been soldiers for 
 nearly ten years, had contracted other habits of life — a debt 
 was to be met, which, compared with its pecuniary resour- 
 ces, Weighed heavily upon the nation. To accomplish this last 
 difficult task, loans were to be negociated, and high interests 
 to be paid — commercial relations abroad w ere also to be es- 
 tablished, and treaties to be made ; — but the united abilities 
 of a Washington, a Hamilton, a Jefterson, a Franklin, an 
 Adams, and other great citizens, were equal to all these exi- 
 gencies. 
 
 It may be supposed that these stalesmen, being aware that 
 the United States had succeeded to the rights of England in 
 
-. 14 — 
 
 all hev North American possessions from Cunada to the Ohio 
 and Mississiyjpi, should have demanded the settlement of their 
 limits towards the Mississippi. But the time was not oppor- 
 tune. It would have been impolitic to give umbrage to Spain 
 
 a nation, at that period, powerful, governed by Charles the 
 
 3d an able king, possessing a hundred shipsof war or frigates, 
 one of the finest armies in the world, and nearly the whole of 
 South America. The question of the South Western limits was 
 therefore left in abeyance. 
 
 The Republic of the United States was naturally destined 
 to invite European emigration towards its favoured regions ; 
 and this emigration became considerable. The better por- 
 tion of the land in the Atlantic States, much of which, was of 
 arid and inferior quality, had already been granted to indi- 
 viduals. The Americans therefore and the new comers espe- 
 cially, turned their views, to the crossing of the Alleghany 
 mountains, to take possession of the lands yet occupied by 
 the Indians, between the Ohio and the Alleghanies ; but a ter- 
 rible war was there to be encountered against numerous 
 savage tribes, already aware of the ambitious objects of the 
 whites, who had driven them from the Atlantic coast. Some 
 Yankees better advised, emigrated to the Cumberland Rivera- 
 in the country of the Chickasaws. This tribe had always been 
 friendly to the English, and many of them spoke the English 
 lant'uage. The Yankees were received without difficulty ; they 
 established there a farm, made a few barrels of flour, butter, 
 hams, potatoes — and in 1785, at hap-hazard, they embarked 
 their products upon a small flat-boat, floated down the Cum- 
 berland, and descended the Mississippi, 
 
 The inhabitants of the lower valley were quite amazed at 
 beholding such a craft, go\erned by a huge oar, in the hands 
 of two men. The Yankees at last reached New Orleans. 
 The officers of the Custom House, after having affixed the 
 seals as usual, to the doors of the flat-boat, conducted its own- 
 ers to the Intendance office, there to receive their permit to 
 discharge the cargo; — but the Intendant refused the permit. 
 The population exhibited agitation and discontent at the re- 
 fusal ; — the Intendant alleged that it was not advisable in the 
 
interest of the Spanish monarchy, to encourao-e establitsh- 
 ments in the upper country, calculated to attract there a nu- 
 merous population, who might at some faturc day invade low- 
 er Louisiana, and snatch it from the Spaniards, Don Este- 
 van Miro, then governor of that province, assuming the res- 
 ponsibitity upon himself, acceded to the wishes of the Loui- 
 sianians, and allowed the owners of the flat-boat to land their 
 cargo. The inhabitants greeted with joy, this determination 
 of the governor, for they rightly thought that these products ar- 
 riving in large quantities, their prices avouM be reduced, es- 
 pecially that of flour, lard, hams and ix)rc. So soon as it was 
 known in the Atlantic States, that the western products were 
 admitted in New Orleans, the emigration to the West became 
 considerable ; for the Indians had been for the greater part ex- 
 pelled from Kentucky. 
 
 In 1792, this territory, numbering already more than fifty 
 thousand souls, was erected into a Stale, whose laivs super- 
 ceded the Lynch-law. During the same year, Francis Louis 
 Hector, Baron de Carondelet, was appointed governor and in- 
 tendant of Louisiana. This man of high ability, after cast- 
 ing bis eyes upon the map of the Louisianas, and inquirino- 
 into the progress oi population in the western country^ easily 
 perceived that the Spanish possessions of Louisiana were ex- 
 posed to be invaded at some future day by the enterprisino- 
 people of that region. But it was too late to think of depri- 
 ving a population which had already attained a hundred 
 thousand souls, of the advantages of reaching a market for 
 their products through the Mississippi, which was their only 
 outlet ; for the Alleghanies could not be crossed in .wao-o-ons 
 to carry these products to the ports of the United States. Ca- 
 rondelet conceived that the only possible remedy, was the se- 
 paration of the western territories from the Union. To at- 
 tain this end, great inducements were to be offered to the in- 
 habitants of that region. He communicated his schemes to 
 two men of intelligence and influence in Kentucky, Generals 
 James Wilkinson and Adair. These gentlemen, for the ad- 
 vantage of their countrymen, appeared to lend him a willing- 
 year, but were well determined to do nothing ; besides, it 
 
— 16 — 
 
 was not in Uieir power to Induce tlie Americans ta renonnce 
 their nationality, nor to determine them to a separation from 
 a great Republic, in order to establish an inferior one, under 
 the protectorate of Spain. The Baron de Carondelet was 
 destined to be disappointed in his hopes ; but it is difficult 
 for the most astute European to conceive the patriotism of. the 
 Anglo-Saxon race. n^^iii. 
 
 So soon as Wilkinson and Adair returned to Kentucky, 
 the news was circulated that the introduction of goods would 
 be freely permitted in New Orleans, and that religious tole- 
 rance would be exercised. Emigration to the West then be- 
 came immense ; merchants from Philadelphia came to settle 
 in New Orleans — an American consul was even received 
 there : which was not allowed at that period in the other Span- 
 ish possessions. This consul was Mr. Hewling, who did not 
 leave Louisiana 'til 1805. 
 
 In 1776, Tennessee was erected into a State. The ques- 
 tion was settled : Spanish Louisiana was in fact but an 
 American province. The Spaniards bore all the burthens, 
 all the expenses of government ; the Americans carried on all 
 the trade. Out of two hundred vessels in the harbour of New 
 Orleans, nine tenths were American; and under the plea of 
 coming to purchase American products, their vessels intro- 
 duced merchandize. 
 
 Another circumstance occurred, to favor the citizens of the 
 United States. Don Manuel Gayozo de Lemos Avas at that 
 time governor at Natchez. Of high stature, and stoutly built 
 this man spoke English, and was quite American in his man- 
 ners. He was fond of horses, of good cheer and madeira. 
 Carondelet having made known his intentions to Gayozo, 
 his lieutenant, made considerable concessions of land to Ame- 
 ricans in the Mississippi territory. Stephen Minor received 
 there, from the Com-t of Spain, the appointment of major- 
 commandant of the militia. The Anglo-Saxons planted cot- 
 ton in Natchez, which was sold at that period at fifty cents 
 per pound; for that was the only point on the Mississippi 
 where it was gathered in any considerable quantity. In 
 Pointe-Coupee and otlier places, cotlon was but little cultivar 
 
— 17 — 
 
 ted, even in 1794. Tlie male slaves imported Irom Afrjca 
 could be bouglit al that time for $250, and the females for 
 $180 ; so that it was easy to make a large fortune in a short 
 time. Major Minor, through his fortune and his rank in the 
 Spanish army,^ acquired great influence among the American 
 settlers. I was well acquainted with him. He married his 
 daughter to one of my intimate friends, William Kenner, whose 
 son, Duncan F. Kenner, was president of the Convention in 
 1852, which framed a new Constitution for the State od' Loui- 
 siana. 
 
 The time had come for the United States to turn their at- 
 tention to the settlement of their boundaries on the Mississip- 
 pi. The main object had been accomplished : the inhabitants 
 of the western country, formed a population sufficiently strong 
 to- secure for themselves the navigation of the -Mississippi, and 
 an emporium for their merchandize in New Orleans — in de- 
 fault of which, they could have seized upon lower Louisiana, 
 which had a population of only forty thousand souls, and two 
 thousand regular soldiers, scattered over the whole terri- 
 ritory. 
 
 A fortunate circumstance for the Americans, had induced the 
 Spanish government to seek to conciliate them. In 1794, 
 whilst Spain was involved in a war with France, in conse- 
 quence of the execution of Louis the 16th upon the revolu- 
 tionary scaftbld, on the 2lst January 1793, the Committe of 
 Public Safety, influenced by Robespierre, had commissioned 
 as dmrge d^af aires to Washington, a young revolutionist by 
 the name of Genet, whose brother had voted the death of 
 Louis the 16th. This young man, who was ardent and talent- 
 ed, had imagined that he might induce Washington to de- 
 clare war against England, through a sentiment of gratitude 
 for the aid which the British colonies had received from 
 France, whilst they were engaged in their struggle for inde- 
 pendence. Genet did not belong to Young America, but his 
 allegiance was to Young- France. Washington, Adams, Ha^ 
 milton and the other great men who where then at the helm 
 of the United States, were prudent, wise, and already of ma- 
 ture age — they were such men as woiild be now called o/d 
 
 3 
 
_ 18 — 
 
 fog'g'ies. The propositions of Genet were declined. He was 
 made to understand tliat the United States contracted no of- 
 fensive or defensive alliances Avith foreign governments. That 
 their policy was neutrality in the Avars of other nations Avhom 
 they respected, and from whom they knew how to secure the 
 respect due to themselves ; that they warred only for the rights 
 of their commerce and agriculture, unless in cases of insult, 
 or aggression against their nationality or honor. Genet un- 
 derstood with difficulty these principles of wisdom and mo- 
 rality, which are the true causes of our increase, of our wealth, 
 and of the respect which all nations have observed towards 
 our government, always faithful, in the accomplishment of its 
 treaties, as it has been regardful of the rights of other na- 
 tions. 
 
 Genet perceiving that he could not influence the cabinet of 
 Washington, conceived the project of fomenting insurrection 
 in Spanish Louisiana. He became acquainted with a creole, 
 Auguste de la Chaise, who had been a colonel in the Repub- 
 lican armies. This creole who belonged to one of the luost 
 influential families of Louisiana, was reputed for his courage 
 and fine personal appearance. They both repaired to Charles- 
 ton, where they met with many French privateers, who had 
 brought hither the prizes captured from the English, then at 
 war with France. Bold and enterprizing, these two men 
 soon obtained adherents among the Americans of the Caro- 
 linas. They also despatched emissaries to the West. Advised 
 betimes of these machinations, the Baron de Carondelet pro- 
 claimed that all men were called upon to take up arms in Loui- 
 siana. He caused the militia to be organized by Philippe 
 de Marigny de Mandeville ; Joseph de Pontalba Avas ordered 
 to call out those of Lafourche, Iberville and des Allemands. 
 Bat Washington, true to the noble maxims he had pro- 
 claimed, caused Genet and de la Chaise to be informed, that 
 if they did not immediately disarm, the American navy would 
 blockade Charleston, and the troops Avould be ordered to dis- 
 perse tiieir armaments Genet submitted, and left the United 
 Slates. The honest course of the American government was 
 duly ajiprcciated by that of Louisiana and of Spain, and Avas 
 
— 19 — 
 
 calculated to strengthen the bonds of amity between the two 
 nations. 
 
 Had Washington been a man capable of approving or 
 adopting unfair means of attaining an end, lie would have 
 allowed Genet and de la Chaise to pursue their course, for 
 these men had not the pecuniary resources, necessary to the 
 maintenance of a Republic in Louisiana — a province which 
 had no revenues, and could not create any ; for its lands were 
 almost Avithout value, the culture of the sugar cane was 
 yet unknown there, and but little cotton was raised. Hence- 
 forward, the annexation of Louisiana to the United States be- 
 came certain ; but such calculations could not enter into the 
 mind of the greatest citizen of modern times. The immortal 
 Washington must be regarded as a new Messiah, preaching 
 the rights of man, morality and honesty. 
 
 Washington retired from the presidency of the United States 
 in 1796 : he might have been elected a third time, but he de- 
 sired to establish the principle, that no citizen should occupy 
 the presidential chair for more than eight years. His exam- 
 ple has always been respected by his successors in office. 
 
 John Adams was then elected president of the United States. 
 It devolved upon him to discuss the question of boundaries 
 towards the Mississippi. The Americans could claim with 
 justice, all that had been ceded by France to England in 1764, 
 to wit: the left bank of the Mississippi to its headwaters, 
 from the river Manchac — w^ith the exception however of what 
 had been conquered by Galvez, that is to say Baton Roage, 
 as far as the line of the 31st degree of latitude, a few leagues 
 from Bayou Sarah — for this line had been determined by 
 Thomas Pinkney, United States envoy, and by the Prince of 
 Peace representing Spain, in the treaty of 1796. The Baron 
 de Carondeiet, who had still indulged in the hopes of a separa- 
 tion of the Western States from the Union, — who had corres- 
 ponded with the cabinet of Madrid in regard to this great pro- 
 ject, was much surprized and disappointed at the claim of the 
 American government. He immediately despatched an Irish 
 officer in the service of Spain, by the name of Thomas Power, 
 to Generals Wilkinson and Adair, in the hope that they might 
 
— 20 — 
 
 realize their Ibrmer promises to him. But these two skilful 
 lucu had attained the only ends they had in view : the wes- 
 tern country already contained a numerous population. They 
 made known to Baron de Carondelet that nothing of what he 
 had proposed could be undertaken ; that it was impossible. 
 General Wilkinson after having caused Tomas Power to be 
 arrested, also informed Carondelet, that he was prepared to 
 march to Lower Louisiana Avith ten thousand men, and to cap- 
 ture it. The Baron clearly saw that he had been out-w itted, 
 and that he had mistaken the character of the Anglo-Saxon 
 race. He asked to be recalled from his government in Loui- 
 siana. The court of Madrid was astonished at this result. 
 The Spanish government did not prove itself grateful for the ser- 
 vices which that governor had rendered to Louisiana, by his 
 wise and wholesome administration. From the grade of 
 camp marshal in the armies of the king, Baron Carondelet 
 was appointed president of the audience of Quito. This po- 
 sition was beneath his talents and the rewards that he de- 
 served. 
 
 There was no longer any cause for hesitation ; the bounda- 
 ry lines had to be drawn between the United States and the 
 Spanish possessions. Colonel Elliot appeared with a re- 
 spectable force before the fort of Natchez ; the Americans 
 settled in that district, declared to Don Manuel Gayozo -de 
 Lemos, that resistance was vain. Besides, the treaty of 1764 
 between England and France justified the claim of the United 
 States to the territories which had been ceded to the first 
 named power ; the United States had succeeded to the rights 
 of England. The boundary line was therefore fixed. It start- 
 ed from the Mississippi, on the 31st degree of north latitude 
 near Bayou Sarah, and following that line within about fifteen 
 leagues from Mobile, it reached fort Tombigbee, since called 
 fort Strander, and thence passed at a distance of about four- 
 teen leagues from Pensacola. 
 
 There remained to Spain, in that direction, but the arid 
 shores of Florida, where the many good harbours to be found, 
 were destined soon to fall into the hands of the American 
 Union, without any deviation however on l!ie part of the 
 
— 21 — - 
 
 government of Washington, I'roia its principles of moderation 
 and justice. 
 
 Don Manuel Gayozo de Lemos was appointed governor 
 of Louisiana in the beginning of 1798. At the same period, 
 Don Carlos de Grandpre was also commissioned as governor 
 of Baton Rouge and its dependencies as far as Pearl river. 
 The court of Spain having become convinced that Louisiana 
 could not be preserved to Spain in the condition of a colony, 
 resolved to transform it into an independent kingdom, as is 
 reported by the Prince of Peace in his memoirs. Troops were 
 to be sent there ; the military establishment in Mexico offered, 
 in case of need, facilities for reinforcements ; and q.\\ infante, 
 son of Charles the 4th, was to be crowned, under the title' of 
 "King of Louisiana." But as Spain happened to be at the 
 time at war Avith England, the cabinet of Madrid were de- 
 terred by the danger of expoj'ing an infanle to be captured. 
 Other means were subsequently devised to establish a barrier 
 between the L^nited States and the rich possessions of the 
 Spanish crown in the New and Old Mexico — these were to 
 transfer those vast regions to the French, who had long envied 
 them ; for at the time of the treaty of Baden in 1795, the Exe- 
 cvitive Directory of France had despached hither Barthelemy, 
 to negociate peace with Spain. 
 
 The French government of that time, as well as those that 
 had preceded it, were aware that Spain was their natural ally, 
 and that by her harbours, her navy, and a renewal of the 
 maratime treaty of alliance of 1761, she could, if combined 
 with France, check the preponderance of the British navy. 
 Barlhelemy, who was a statesman and an honest man, exacted 
 nothing from Spain, and in Europe, the fraction of territory 
 which had been conquered in the peninsula by the French 
 armies, was relinquished. Nor did France demand any pe- 
 cuniary indemnity, but she proposed the retrocession to her 
 of Louisiana, which had been ceded to Spain in 1766. 
 
 The cabinet of Madrid declined acceding to the proposi- 
 tions of the French government, (see Memoirs of the Prince of 
 Peace) but the progress of the Anglo-Saxon race in the West 
 of the United States was not yet fully foreseen. Spain offered 
 
— 22 — 
 
 as indemnity for the war, the Spanish portion of St. Domingo, 
 which had already lost its value, for the French portion of that 
 island was in open insurrection ; and many of the whiles had 
 been massacred by the blacks. A priest, the abbe Gregoire, 
 had exclaimed in the national assembly : "Let the colonies 
 perish, rather than a principle." Paul Verrel and Santonax 
 were then sent to St. Domingo, where they proclaimed the 
 freedom of the blacks. Nine hundred sugar plantations were 
 set on fire in the plains of the Cape, and in the midst of these 
 conflagrations, arose, amongst others, Toussaint Louverture, 
 proclaiming himself as the messenger of Christ, destined to 
 avenge his countrymen. This negro performed in that island 
 a part truly extraordinary both as a general and administra- 
 tor, until 1802, when General Leclerc arrived there, with or- 
 ders to re-establish slavery. Toussaint would not obey, and 
 hence, followed war and murders. 
 
 The evacuation of the island by the French army, took 
 place in 1804; out of forty thousand men, six thousand only 
 returned to France. To the ravages of war however, must 
 be added the still greater destruction occasioned by yellow fe- 
 ver in this army. The Spanish portion of St. Domingo, which 
 had been ceded to France by the treaty of Baden, was there- 
 fore of no value, as time has sufficiently shown. But the Di- 
 rectory of France accepted it, in the hopes of obtaining the 
 maritime alliance of Spain, which was accordingly effected 
 in 1796. 
 
 The cabinet of Madrid, clearly perceiving the difficulties 
 resulting from a state of war in the establishment of a mon- 
 archy in Louisiana, turned its policy towards the transfer of 
 these vast regions to France at a proper time, with the expec- 
 tation that they would be held by that power, and would thus 
 form an insurmountable barrier between the Anglo-Saxons of 
 America and the Spanish possessions of Mexico. In 1800, 
 this opportunity presented itself France asked of Spain the 
 cession of Louisiana, and proposed to her, in exchange, Tus- 
 cany, which was to have been united to the duchy of Parma. 
 The duke of Parma himself was to have married an infante 
 daughter of Charles the 4th, and the kingdom of Etruria was 
 
— 23 — 
 
 to have been re-established in his favor. The cabinet of Ma- 
 drid fearing that England might send an expedition against 
 Louisiana, required that this arrangement should be kept se- 
 cret. The Spanish cabinet, jealous and fearful of the encroach- 
 ments of the Americans, required further, that it should be 
 stipulated by secret articles, that France should never transfer 
 Louisiana to any other power, and that in case at any future 
 time, she did not desire to hold it, it was to be retroceded to 
 Spain. Napoleon consented ; the details of this treaty are 
 set forth in the Memoirs of the Prince of Peace, as Avell as in 
 the book of Barbe Marbois upon Louisiana, and its cession 
 to the United States in 1803. 
 
 In 1802, at the time of the peace of Amiens, Napoleon, de- 
 sirous of being well informed as to the value of Louisiana to 
 France, appointed a commission to repair hither, and to ex- 
 plore and examine it. They reported that a colonial system 
 could not be established there — that the Western Americans 
 having the enjoyment of the navigation of the Mississippi, it 
 was impossible to deny them a place of deposit, either at 
 New Orleans, or at some point nearer to the gulf of Mexico, 
 and that this population progressing with giant strides, would 
 before many years take possession of the whole of Louisiana; 
 Avhere France Avould have wasted her expenditures in estab- 
 lishments and fortifications. Napoleon being aware that a 
 Louisianian of high intelligence, Joseph Delfau de Pontalba, 
 was at the time residing in Paris, thought proper also to con- 
 sult him, as to the advantages and resources that Louisiana 
 might offer to France. Pontalba, who had been a lieutenant, 
 colonel in the service of Spain in Louisiana, was well inform- 
 ed as to the progress of the Western States ; he fully demonstra- 
 ted in a precise and detailed memoir which I have seen, that 
 the report in regard to this colony, made by the commissioners 
 who had been sent there by Napoleon, was wise and conclu- 
 sive beyond a doubt. The result of these inquiries had dis- 
 posed the mind of the 1st. Consul towards the sale of Louisia- 
 na to the United Slated, and there only remained to be brought 
 about the propositions to that effect. Already, in the year 1801, 
 a great excitement had been created in the West of the United 
 
— 24 — 
 
 States, although it was as yet unknown that those regions had 
 been ceded to France. 
 
 The Intendant of liouisiana announced that the term during 
 which the inhabitants of the West had been allowed the privi- 
 lege of a deposit for their products in New Orleans, was about 
 to expire. The Legislature of Kentucky thereupon convened, 
 and declared that if the government of the United States did not 
 choose to protect the Western people, the Kentuckians would 
 lake up arms themselves, and march to Lower Louisiana, forci- 
 bly to take possession of it. The Legislature of Tennessee made 
 declarations to the same effect, as also the Grand Jury of the 
 Mississippi territory. The Intendant withdrew his decree ; 
 but as he might at any moment renew it,, the people of the 
 West were not quieted; the future appeared to them dark and 
 uncertain. 
 
 On the 17lh March 1S02, the peace of Amiens having been 
 signed by England, France and Spain, the treaty of St. Ilde- 
 foiiso, by wliicli Louisiana had been ceded to France, became 
 public. It was a matter of astonishment in Europe, that the 
 French government did not now prepare any military expe- 
 dition for Louisiana — they who in lb02 had sent an army 
 of forty thousjand men to Saint Domingo under general Le- 
 clerc. 
 
 Napoleon only made some insignificant demonstrations in 
 order to induce the United States to enter into negociations 
 relative to Louisiana. The government of the colony was 
 first proposed to general Bernadotte ; but he was purposely 
 denied what he thought necessary there, to maintain his au- 
 thority. But the United States making no overtures, Laus- 
 sat was sent to Louisiana in 1803, with the title of prefect. 
 He was accompanied by adjutant Burlhe, and by lieutenant 
 Dominique Burthe, his brother, by colonel Vinache, of the en- 
 gineers, and by captain Castille, of the artillery who brought 
 with him six field pieces. Laussat was a bearer of a letter 
 to me from my relative de Pontaiba, whom I have already 
 mentioned; he invited me to lender the use of my house to 
 Laussat and to his wife, a woman of remarkable beauty and 
 wit. Madam Ijanssat was accompanied by lier two daugh- 
 
— 25 — 
 
 lers aged fourteen and twelve. D'Augereau was the secre- 
 tary of the prefect. As ray house was large, I had reserved 
 for myself two apartments : Laussat had tendered me a seat 
 at his table and the entrance of his saloons ; I was therefore 
 one of his intimate society ; and I have often heard him ex- 
 claim : "The French troops arrive not." It was known that 
 after the refusal of Bernadotte, general Victor had been ap- 
 pointed to the government of Louisiana, and no preparations 
 were made either for the departure of that officer or of any 
 military force. 
 
 Chancellor Livingston, then United States minister in Paris,- 
 was rather a man of learning than a diplomate ; he had paid 
 thus far but little attention to the question of the navigation 
 of the Mississippi. Under these circumstances, two mer- 
 chants from New Orleans arrived in Paris, they were James 
 Pitot, a man of learning and judgment, who was subsequent- 
 ly for many yeai-s mayor of New Orleans, and Daniel Clarke, 
 an Irishman by birth, of an active and restless spirit, who was 
 reputed at the time as the largest land-holder in Louisiana. 
 In consequence of the representations of these two citizens 
 to the American minister, of the grievances of the people of 
 the Western part of the United States, Livingston addressed 
 a letter to the minister of foreign affairs, Talleyrand de Peri- 
 gord, in order to ascertain the intentions of the French go- 
 vernment as to the navigation of the Mississippi, and the 
 mart which was indispensable in Louisiana, for the products 
 of the Western country. Talleyrand expressed, in his answer 
 to the American minister, the desire that the existing har- 
 mony between the two nations should not be interrupted ; but 
 he promised nothing positively. Livingston, although with- 
 out any authority from his government, thereupon thought 
 proper to enter into negociations with the French cabinet in 
 relation to Louisiana. He offered a sum of three millions of 
 dollars for the Isle ol Orleans, from the head of the river Man- 
 chac to lake Maurepas, then following a line in the middle of 
 said lake, and of lake Pontchartrain, through the middle of 
 the Rigolets,and turning around the coast of the Mexican 
 Gulf to the Mississippi, and thence continuing up said river 
 
 4 
 
— i^6 — 
 
 to the point of departure. The answer of Talleyrand to this 
 proposition was less evasive, --'i---""^- ••. ■ ■ 
 
 In Louisiana, the people werc'uneaby as to the'new govern- 
 ment about to be established in the country. The former 
 French administration had left unpleasant reminiscences, and 
 the mild and paternal government which Spain had estab- 
 lished there had given general satisfaction; for Avith the ex- 
 ception of the Governor, the Intendant and the Chief Judge, 
 nine tenths of the employees, both in the civil and military ser- 
 vice, in New Orleans, as well as in the country, were natives 
 o[ Louisiana. In the West, excitement had reached its high- 
 est point, and nothing less than the invasion and conquest of 
 Louisiana, to prevent the French from taking possession of it, 
 was talked of. — ^Thomas Jefferson advised his fellow-citizens 
 to be patient, and to await the result of the great transaction 
 he was meditating, in a mi«d as comprehensive, as his -pa 
 triotism was great. Being informed that Livingston had met 
 with but little success, he addressed to James Monroe a press- 
 ing letter : "He urged upon him to depart without delay for 
 France, giving him unlimited powers on account of the great 
 distance, and setting forth the eminent services he might ren- 
 der his country." Devoted to the interests of his country, 
 Monroe immediately departed "on his mission; but the season 
 being unfavorable, he did not reach Paris until April, after a 
 long and tedious voyage. Napoleon awaited him with impa- 
 tience. Barbe Marbois, th-en minister of the treasury, was 
 entrusted on the part of France with the negociations "which 
 were about to be opened in relation to the navigation of the 
 Mississippi. At the first interview between the Representa- 
 tives of the two countries, Livingston and Monroe were sur- 
 prised at the propositions of Barb6 Marbois : '^'you desire," said 
 he, "the navigation of the Mississippi and a mart at New Or 
 leans ; Avell I we will sell you the whole of Louisiana, with its 
 p^rimitive boundaries, such as France first possessed it ; that 
 is to say, we will sell it as we received it from Spain by the 
 treaty of St. lldefonso in the year 1800." The price was soon 
 agreed upon, and was fixed at 80 millions of francs, of which 
 twenty millions Avere to be retained by the government of the 
 
— 27 — 
 
 United States, as an indemnity to those of its citizens, who 
 had suffered losses from seizures of their goods or vessels, 
 made at different periods by French ships. 
 
 An obstacle presented itself to the execution of this treaty, 
 which might have been considered difficult to overcome ; but 
 Napoleon, on this occasion, disregarded the obligations es- 
 tablished by the law of nations. By a secret treaty, bearing 
 the same date with that of St. Ildefonso, it had been stipulated 
 that France should not transfer Louisiana to any other nation, 
 and that if it so happened that she could not or woi^ld not 
 keep it, she should retrocede it to Spain. This precaution on 
 the part of Spain is an evidence that already at that period, 
 the cabinet of Madrid were fearful of the encroachments of the 
 4.nglo-Saxon race towards Mexico. Napoleon doubtless feared 
 that impediments would arise on the part of Spain, but these 
 would be but slight, when I. aussat would have been put in 
 possession of Louisiana by the Spanish commissioners, Don 
 Manuel de Salzedo and the Marquis of Casacalvo. The 
 choice of these commissiojiers was injudicious: Salzedo was 
 an infirm octogenarian; Casacalvo had but little ability. His 
 estates, his family, his dearest habits were in Cuba, and he 
 longed to return to his house-hold gods. 
 
 Napoleon had despatched to Washington, with the treaty 
 which had to undergo the formality of ratification by the 
 Senate^ a distinguished young officer by the name of Landais. 
 This officer had been instructed not to lake the usual con- 
 veyai;ces from Washington to New Orleans. Landais tra- 
 versed on horse back and at full speed the Indian territory, 
 and arrived in New Orleans on the 23d November. He de- 
 livered immediately to Laussat the despatch of the French 
 government, urging him to take immediate possession of 
 Louisiana. I witnessed the vexation as well as the surprise 
 of Laussat. He said that he had been sent to Louisiana only 
 to awaken the attention of the Western people and to arouse 
 their passions, 
 
 Laussat repaired immediately to Salzedo's quarters, where 
 he met also with Casacalvo. The old man wished to delay 
 action until they had received further orders ; but Casacalvo 
 
— 28 -^ ■ 
 
 having declared his opinion that Louisiana should be imme- 
 diately delivered over to the French authority, orders were 
 given to that effect. Laussat had not a single soldier. The 
 French, under the command of Mr. Charpin, a retired officer, 
 formed a militia company ; the Anglo-Saxons formed under 
 Daniel Clarke. Gabriel Viller^ and B. Marigny were the 
 aids-de-camp of Laussat ; — and on the 30th November 1803, 
 the Spanish flag was succeeded by the French. 
 
 At Washington-City, so soon as the bearer of despatches 
 who brought the treaty of cession had arrived, the Marquis 
 Casa y Rouco, the Spanish minister, laid his protest before the 
 United States Senate ; it was based upon the violation of the 
 secret treaty, by which France could cede Louisiana to no 
 other power but Spain. When France delivered Louisiana in- 
 to the hands of the American government, universal astonish- 
 ment was expressed. It could not be conceived how a nation 
 who, at diflferent periods, had so much desired and envied 
 Louisiana, could have bartered for 80 millions of francs, a ter- 
 ritory almost as extensive as the continent of Europe, and 
 valuable by the fertility of its soil and the production of 
 timbers for naval constructions. Napoleon alone was aware 
 that Spain had ceded those vast territories to France, with 
 the sole object of establishing a barrier between the United 
 States and Mexico. He knew also that France however de- 
 sirous of possessing Louisiana, could not have preserved it 
 for more than a few years — that she would be burthened with 
 all the expenditures of this colony, whilst its commerce would 
 inure to the benefit of Ihe Americans. However, the first Con- 
 sul desirous of securing to himself some merit in the eyes of 
 the United States, ostensibly pretended to set aside french in- 
 terests, in order to afford the American Union the means of 
 becoming one of the greatest nations on the globe, and the 
 only one that might, from the genius of its people, success- 
 fully compete with proud Albion for the supremacy of the seas. 
 On the other hand, the friends of the 1st Consul maintained 
 that the English might have taken Louisiana by way of the 
 lakes, by expeditions from Canada, or by ascending the Mis- 
 sissippi. These were not the true motives that operated upon 
 the French cabinet in regard to the cession made to the Uni- 
 
- ^ -^ 
 
 ted Stales. For it may be easily demonstrated that it was 
 scarcely possible for England to have conquered Louisiana as 
 alleged. In the first place, to conquer this colony by passing 
 over the lakes from Canada, would have required an army of 
 at least ten thousand men, to be transported over a distance 
 of nearly five hundred leagues, with all its materials of war 
 and subsistance. Then, on reaching the Mississippi, the con- 
 struction of a great number of boats became necessary. Who 
 can believe that the American people, so proud of their rights, 
 and their nationality, would have suffered a British army to 
 violate their territories in its march against a friendly nalionj 
 who had aided them in the achievement of their indepen- 
 dence ? This is an absurdity which could not have been ap- 
 prehended by the strong mind of Napoleon. The other sup- 
 position, although more plausible, is scarcely more rational, to 
 Avit : that Louisiana might have been taken by ascending the 
 Mississippi. When the Mississippi is at high water, the 
 opening of the dikes would suffice to arrest a whole army in 
 its march to New Orleans. At that period, steam vessels had 
 not yet been invented, to contend against the current of greaJ. 
 rivers ; an army, between the gulf and the point now called 
 the English Turn, would have been soon decimated by disease, 
 intermittent fevers, and especially by yellow fever. During 
 the season of low water, the space comprised between the 
 English Turn and the sea," is intersected by bayous and 
 swamps. Admitting that France would have had but three 
 thousand men in Louisiana; this force, united with the in- 
 habitants of the country, who were natives for the greater part, 
 active and adroit in the use of fire arms, would have sufficed 
 to check a British army of 10,000 men. Thousands of Indians 
 also could have been obtained as auxiliaries, who, in the 
 swamps of Lower Louisiana, would have been useful sharp- 
 shooters. 
 
 At a later period, it has been shewn that European armies 
 were not successful in America. It seems that providence 
 has determined to protect since eighty years, the regions that 
 had been so long oppresed by Europe. In the last war be- 
 tween Spain and England, from 1803 to 1808, Lord Beresford 
 
— 30 — 
 
 ascended the la Plata with 8000 men, and took Montevideo, 
 An officer of the Spanish navy, by the name of de Liniere, 
 placed himself at the head of the Creoles of the country, and 
 gave battle to the British army. Defeated by de Liniere, 
 this army abandoned the Plata and the province of Buenos- 
 Ayres. Subsequently Lord Abercromby with 5000 men, hav- 
 ing taken possession of a portion of the island of Porto-Rico, 
 some Spanish officers at the head of the militia, ventured to 
 attack him; his force being routed, Abercromby was forced 
 to reembark. And finally on the 8th of January 1815, we have 
 beheld 12,000 veterans from old England, before the Jackson 
 lines, repulsed by 4000 men, among whom scarcely more than 
 500 regular soldiers could be counted. 
 
 The reader may now understand the true motives of the 
 cession ol Louisiana by France. He may now above all, just- 
 ly appreciate the wisdom of our government, its sagacity and 
 moderation. From 1784 to 1803, our government, both in 
 Congress and in the cabinet, avoided the agitation of the boun- 
 dary questions towards the Mississippi ; they awaited until 
 the tide of population had reached its shores, and until the mo- 
 ment had arrived, (for him who bides his time, all turns out 
 well). John Adams, Washington's successor in office, in- 
 sisted upon the settlement of the boundaries, and they were 
 at last established. The people of the western country were al- 
 ready numerous and powerful; they carried on nearly the whole 
 import and export trade of Louisiana, and the navigation of 
 the Mississippi could no longer be denied them. 
 
 Spain having become convinced that the country was no 
 longer to her but an object of considerable expenditures, ce- 
 ded the vast territories of Louisiana to France who had long 
 desired them. Scarcely had the latter power recovered them, 
 when she perceived in turn that they would be of no value, if 
 not onerous to her, and she transferred them to the United 
 States. Presumptuous spirits of all classes ! Avho in your hot 
 haste and indiscreet ardor, would take e\ery thing by storm, 
 often even at the sacrifice of right and good faith I render your 
 tribute of homage to the wisdom of those ancient law-givers, 
 of those immortal citizens, who without bloodshed, without 
 
— 31 — 
 
 interrupting the regular progress ol' our agriculture and com- 
 merce, had in the course of twenty years, enlarged by more 
 than double their original extent, the terrttories of our beloved 
 country ! 
 
 The eight years of Thomas Jefferson's happy administration 
 expired in 1808. James Madison then assumed the Presi- 
 dential chair ; his a<iministration was arduous, he had many 
 embarrassments to meet, many difficulties to overcome. But 
 his 'Wisdom, his ability proved equal to every emergency. 
 
 At that period, England was mistress of the seas ; no power 
 could raise against her a. fleet of 30 ships. She could be met 
 only in single combats of ship against ship, or frigate against 
 frigate. 
 
 Napoleon, in tlie Prussian campaign of 1806 and 1807, hav- 
 ing won the battle of lena, entered Berlin, and proclaimed 
 feis continental system (which was to conquer the seas by land). 
 The English, by way of retaliation, proclaimed their "orders 
 in Councilj" called .the paper blockade. Neutrality was not 
 respected ; all vessels were liable to be searched ; the flag did 
 not cover the merchandize, and our seamen wer-e impressed, or 
 otherwise vexed. Madison addressed his remonstrances to the 
 cabinet of St. James,but they were unavailing. With the view 
 of bringing England into measures of moderation and justice 
 the government of Washington in 1808, laid an embargo upon 
 tlie ports of the United States. Our commerce was paralysed ; 
 the products of our agriculture were without means of expor- 
 tation ; our bread stuffs, our salt meats, tobacco and cotton 
 remained in the ware-houses without value, and were Anally 
 sold to pay storage ; our ilo.ur ferraentedj and was thrown into 
 the water. 
 
 This state of things had lasted for three years, when the 
 Americans having exhausted their patience and modera- 
 tion, declared Avar against England. Tlie English exerted 
 against the United States all the forces they could dispose of 
 Our means of defence at that period were quite limited: we 
 had but Jive frigates, and some gun-boats upon our lakes and 
 riA'crs. This war however was not inglorious to the American 
 arms.- Wherever our frigates encountered a British frigate. 
 
— ^2 ^ 
 
 victory was ours. A single oile, the Chesapeake, succombed 
 after a dreadful combat. Being mortally wounded. Commodore 
 Lawrence was heard to utter the noble sentiment: "My friends 
 don't give up the ship." On lake Erie, the British fleet was 
 destroyed by Commodore Perry, At last, the campaign of An- 
 drew Jackson in Louisiana, which was closed by the battle 
 of the 8th of January 1815, drove for ever the British Leopard 
 from this land of liberty. Peace between the United States and 
 Great Britain had been concluded at Ghent, on the 24th t)e- 
 cember 1814. England relinquished her odious pretentions 
 upon our ships, and we Avere placed in our commercial rela- 
 tions with her upon the footing of the most favored nations. 
 
 In 1816, James Monroe was elected to the Presidency of 
 the United States ; he had been one of the signers of the treaty 
 of cession of Louisiana, on the 30th April 1803. By his vvis- 
 dom and persuasive arguments, Monroe convinced the cabinet 
 of Madrid that Florida was but a useless burthen to Spain. 
 This power, embarrassed in its finances, had to bear the ex- 
 penditure of maintaining forts and garisons in a country which 
 contribvited nothing to its revenues, and was destined by the 
 force of circumstances, at some future day, to be lost to Spain; 
 whilst it was of value to the United States, on account of its 
 harbours on the Mexican Gulf. Spain who at the time, yet 
 entertained hopes of preserving or reconquering Mexico, was 
 induced to sell Florida to the United States, upon the condi- 
 tion that the river Sabine would form our boundary towards 
 her Mexican possessions. We therefore came into possession 
 of those excellent harbours : Key- West, Tampa-Bay, Pensa- 
 cola and St. Joseph's bay, all of which were necessary to our 
 merchant vessels as well as to our ships of war. The United 
 States have since caused to be established naval depots and 
 navy yards in some of those ports. 
 
 The detractors of Monroe maintained that he had committed 
 an error in the Florida treaty, by accepting the Sabine as our 
 boundary, when by inquiring into the past, we might have 
 claimed the Rio Grande as the limit of Ancient Louisiana. 
 But James Monroe, judged rightly, that it was urgent above 
 all to obtain the ports of Florida and to secure to us beyond 
 
— 33 — 
 
 dispule the bay of Mobile, for the advantage of the State of 
 Alabama. Besides, his experience had given him a deep fore- 
 sight into the tendencies of the Anglo-Saxon race. He had 
 beheld it climbing over the Alleghanies, traversing the OhiOy 
 the Cumberland, and subsequently the Mississippi, 1h« Mis- 
 souri, ths Arkansas, the Red River, all of them large and 
 powerful streams;^ho\v could he not forsee that this active and 
 enterpi-izing race, would soon leap ov€r the small stream of 
 the Sabine, to tarry but 'a moment on the banks of the Rio 
 Grande? Results have shown that this ancient citizen, ripened- 
 as he was by experienceand public service, had formed a better 
 judgment of things, than the turbulent spirits who blamed him^ 
 for having consented to the Florida treaty. The services of 
 James Monroe will forever be highly appreciated in America. 
 
 I shall pass over the administration of John Quincy Adams, 
 which succeeded that of Monroe, and lasted but four years, du- 
 ring which nothing of remarkable interest occured.- After John 
 QjLiincy Adams, Andrew Jackson was called to the Presiden- 
 tial chair. His disposition was generally feared ; ho w^as 
 Uiought too ardent and irascible ; — but his well known pa- 
 triotism and the nature of our institutions offered sufficient 
 guarantees. Under his successful administration, the public 
 debt was extinguished, and indeed a surplus of funds which 
 remained in the treasury, was divided between the States. It 
 is the first instance in modern times of a great nation being 
 found free from all debt. The government of the United States 
 had claims of long standing against France, against Spain 
 and Portugal. These were all adjusted upon eqiiitable prin- 
 ciples. It was in relation 1o the claims against France, our an- 
 cient ally, and in order to avoid obstacles and sensitiveness on^ 
 her part, that Andrew Jackson declared in a Message, "That it 
 would be as preposterous to suppose that he had intended to 
 insult France, as it would be ridiculous 1o imagine that she 
 would allov,'- herself to be insulted.'' Louis Philip, a WMse and 
 enlightened king, contributed greatly to arrangements calcu- 
 lated to preserve the friendly relations of tlie two nations. I 
 have seen but few men, who entertained a greater admiration 
 of our institutions, and a higher opinion of the American jjcople. 
 
— 34 — 
 
 htan ihc King of the French-. In liis youth, he had travelled 
 over the United States ; he had seen and studied every thing 
 there. Loujs Philip was really a man under the garb of royal- 
 yt; he was a republican King. 
 
 The administration of General Jackson was however marked 
 yb an event, which illustrates the prejudice that may ensue to 
 the policy of our government from the absence of moderation ; 
 but this circumstance, not to say this error, must be attributed 
 in him, to the painful reminiscences of Ms fatigues and suffer- 
 ings during the arduous war against the Crpeks and Semi- 
 noles. James Monroe had acquired Florida for the price of 
 five millions of dollars. It was necessary, in order to invite 
 mAerican settlements there, that the Creeks and Seminoles 
 should emigrate to the Indian territory. I amenclined to think ^ 
 that if the Indian chiefs had been conducted to that fine region, 
 to examine it for themselves, and become convinced that its 
 soil was richer than that of Florida, and its wild game more 
 abundant — that if some sacrifice of money had been made to 
 buy up their cattle, which could not be carried with them — 
 that if, in short, an. amount of a million of dollars had been 
 given them as an indemnity for their removal, and to aid them 
 in forming their new. establishments — the Indians might have 
 been removed from Florida without difllculty. But modera- 
 tion did not prevail, and war ensued. This war was carried 
 on for a few years, at the cost of about 30 millions of dollars — 
 a sum almost as large as that for which Ave acquired. Loui- 
 siana, Florida, and subsequently New Mexico and Galilornia. 
 
 This is a striking example ; it- shows that a government 
 should be ahvays disposed to make great sacrifices to avoid 
 war. It is to the condition of peace, enjoyed with but few in- 
 terruptions by the United States, since 1784, that avc are in- 
 debted for our prosperity, and the prodigious increase of our 
 population. 
 
 It is not necessary to dwell upon the administrations whicli 
 immediately followed that of Andrew .lackson ; for nothing of 
 note occurred, until the advent of James K. Polk into power. 
 However, under the administration of John Tyler, who he- 
 
— 35 — 
 
 came President al the. death of General Harrison, the prelimi- 
 naries of the annexation of Texas took place. 
 
 Our attention is now called to the administration of James 
 K. Polk, and to the great events which have rendered it memo- 
 rable. The territory of Texas was annexed to the American 
 Union, notwithstanding the opposition of France and England. 
 This annexation was national. Since tlie battle of -St. Jacinto, 
 during nearly seven years, active hostilities had ceased. Texas 
 had been recognized as an independent State, by the United 
 States, by France, England, and the rest of Europe. This 
 fraction of the American people, who had separated from the 
 great family, spoke the same language, and had preserved the 
 same usages and laws ; it was natural that it should return to 
 the bosom of the mother-country, 
 
 Zacharie Taylor received orders from the government of Wa- 
 shington to encamp wdth his command upon the Rio Grande, 
 the ancient boundary of Louisiana. The Mexicans then provok- 
 ed by their acts the commencement of hostilities. They crossed 
 the Rio Grande, and massacred some of our ofHeers. Hence 
 the war, and our triumps ! Taylor won the celebrated battle 
 of Buena- Vista, and Scott planted the star spangled banner 
 upon the walls of Mexico, the ancient capital of the Monte- 
 zuma s. 
 
 This war and its results were calculated to elevate the cha- 
 racter of our people in their own estimation, 'as well as in that of 
 the world. Our magnanimity was equal to our courage. Ins- 
 tead of following the examples of Europe in such cases; ins- 
 tead of keeping forcible possession of any portion of the con- 
 quered territory, and requiring re-embursement for the sums 
 which the war, provoked by the Mexican Republic, had cost 
 us, we gave fifteen millions of dollars for New-Mexico and 
 California. The former, a useless possession and even a bur- 
 then to Mexico, who, like Spain formerly, was obliged to main- 
 tain there an army to prevent the devastations of the barbarous 
 Comanches upon the cultivated lands of Mexico ; whilst Ca- 
 lifornia had been but an improlitable territory, scarcely con- 
 taining fifteen hundred inhabitants, most of whom were under 
 he infiuence of the most idle habits. What greater example 
 
— m ~ 
 
 can be presented of generosity and moderation? — What more 
 convincing proof, that in the territorial aggrandizements of the 
 United States, there is nothing repugnant to morality, or to the 
 Jaws of nations? 
 
 The administration of Millard Fillmore was signalized by 
 an event much to be regretted : I allude to the invasion of 
 Cuba by a number of adventurers from the United States. 
 :Surely, no one more than myself, deplored the unfortunate end 
 which my misguided fellow-citizens there met with. I re- 
 member to have told several of them that they were rushing to 
 certain destruction ; that they would not find in the population 
 of Cuba the necessary elements to achieve the independence 
 of that colony. The government of the United States were 
 xDpposed to the expedition against Cuba. — They did not suc- 
 ceed however in preventing its departure. But what was its 
 fate? inquire into the history of the times, and that history 
 will tell you that it met the fate under which succombed the 
 army of Toledo in 1811, and subsequently those of Colonel 
 Mina, of Iturbide, of Mejia, and others. 
 
 Let us throw a veil of mourning upon this sad episode of 
 •Cuba, whose catastrophe was the death of our brave and un- 
 fortunate country-men ^ . . .. 
 
 The inauguration of a new President is invariably the oeba,- 
 sion of nunaereus conjectures as to his measures, and especially 
 in regard to his foreign policy ; the idea was accordingly en- 
 tertained by many, that Franklin Pierce would tolerate the 
 expeditions of adventurers. The condu^ct of this Magistrate in 
 assuming the executive power, has shewn that he was firmly 
 opposed to such movements ; for in his first message, he de- 
 clared that he would exert all the power vested in him by the 
 laws to suppress all armed expeditions against a friendly 
 power. The policy of Franklin Pierce is not opposed to the 
 annexation of Cuba to the United States, — far from it ; but he 
 as aware that the cabinet of Washington, without impairing 
 its reputation of probity, can reach this result, by adhering to 
 the principles adopted by Washington and by John Adams, to 
 obtain the left bank of the Mississippi, from the 31st degree of 
 latitude to its head waters: principles which have been sue- 
 
o/ 
 
 cessively observed by Jefl'crson, Monroe, and Polk, in relation 
 to the acquisition of Louisiana, the Florida?, New-Mexico 
 and California. Those great statesmen, enlightened as they 
 themselves were, felt that they should obey the precepts of 
 George Washington, the father of his country, who had esta- 
 blished our foreign policy upon the basis of justice, morality 
 anJ probity. Whoever departs from those precepts, will be 
 looked upon by the American people as an Atheist in politics. 
 
 I am proud and happy to share the opinions of Franklin 
 Pierce, and of the illustrious men who preceded him. 
 
 I have sufficiently dwelt upon the foreign policy of the Uni- 
 ted States in relation to their territorial aggrandizements ; 
 upon the treaties between France and Spain, and upon the 
 causes which have gradually led to independence the British 
 colonies and the Spanish colonies in America, w^ith the ex- 
 ception of the islands of Cuba and Porto-Rico. I desired in 
 the first place to vindicate our government, and in the next, 
 to show to other nations, that in (he history of past ages, there 
 is nothing nobler and wiser than the principles of adminis- 
 tration which have guided the cabinet of Washington. Pro- 
 vidence has thus far protected the American people. Its ter- 
 ritory, honorably enlarged, is susceptible of containing more 
 than a hundred million of inhabitants. Its possessions upom 
 the Pacific Ocean will permit the establishment of the most 
 advantageous commercial relations with the nations of Asia, 
 and its progress in commerce, agriculture and manufactures, 
 assumes gigantic proportions. During our wars, the militia 
 shewed themselves equal to veteran soldiers, and great Generals 
 sprang lap; our merchant ships are innumerable, and our 
 military navy is respected and admired. Honor then to our 
 government ! honor to our Presidents ! honor again and again 
 to the memories of the immortal Washington, of Jefferson, Mon- 
 roe, Jackson, Polk, and of many other great men, Avho have 
 thrown lustre upon our beloved and noble country. 
 
S^ECOND PART. 
 
 The disturbances of which the^ Island of Cuba has been the 
 theatre, and the desire manifested hy. the American people to 
 acquire this colony, having given rise to apprehensions of dif- 
 ficulties between Spain and the United Slates, it may not be 
 out of place to entes inio some views oi' the Spanish peninsula, 
 as well as of its resources and the character of i^s peopls. 
 
 In Spain, the population amounts to sixteen millions. In 
 1808, it did not exceed eleven millions. Notwithstanding 
 the wars with the French from 1S08 to 1814; notwithstand- 
 ing the excesses of Ferdinand the 7th, who caused many 
 Spaniards to perish or to emigrate,, and finally, in spite of 
 civil war, the population of Spain haa inspeassd by five mil» 
 lions of souls in the space of thirty five years. Tranquillity 
 has been restor€d in Spain, only since the retreat of Don Car- 
 los from the peninsula together with his adherents, in conse- 
 quence of the capitulation of General Maroto in 1839. This 
 nation, enjoys a representative government; there is a Senate 
 and a House of Representatives, to w-hom the -ministry are 
 accountable. The press is fr^e, with tlie exception of a few 
 restrictions, and public education, is in a course of progress. 
 Tlifi lands of the clergy have been sold and are now under 
 cultivation ; the extensive plains of Castille,. formerly reserved 
 for the pasturage of sheep, have been, divided, and are now 
 cultivated. New districts have been established ; catholic 
 Switzers and Irishmen have been settled there, and railroads 
 are in progress of construction. The lands of Spain are fer- 
 tile — its mountains contain mines of iron, quicksilver, gold 
 
~ 4(3 — 
 
 and silver. The Carthagenians as well as the Romans had 
 worked ihose mines. The Spaniards have ceased to work 
 tJiem only since the discovery of America. 
 
 The coasts of Spain comprise an extent of seven hundred 
 leagues ; along them are to be found the following harbors, ca- 
 pable of receiving either ships of war, frigates or large steam- 
 ships: Algesiras, Malaga, Carthagena, Alicante, Valencia, 
 BarceJona, Rosa,^ Moquere, Cadiz, Corona, Vigo, Ferrol, 
 St. Ander, St. Sebastian and Bilbao. Her regular army amounts 
 to 90,000 men. She possesses about 30 ships of war of va- 
 rious sizes, of which 30 are under steam power^ and a consi- 
 derable number of merchant vessels. The number of her sea- 
 men of the 1st, 2d and 3d classes, amounts to about 40,000, 
 including those engaged in the coasting trade of Europe and 
 the fisheries. The population of her islands is in the follow- 
 ing proportions :— Cuba, 1,300,000 ; Porto Rico, 600,000 ; the 
 Baleares in the Mediterranean, 400,000 ; the Canaries 500,000; 
 the Philippines, 600,000 at least ; forming a total of 19,400,000 
 souls. 
 
 The patriotism of the Spaniards is as great as their courage. 
 When the Ramans subdued them, they caused their right 
 hands to be cut off, in order to secure their fidelity. The 
 Moors remained for nearly eight centuries in possession ol a 
 part of Spain ; they had invaded it through the treason of the 
 countess of St. Julien in Andalusia. , The Avar against the 
 Moors was unceasing until it ended ; and the race of the Pe- 
 lasgian Kings was compelled to retire into the mountains oi 
 Asturia. Conquered at last by the Spaniards, the Moors sub- 
 mitted to the sway of Ferdinand and Isabella, as their sove- 
 reign princes. The Avar undertaken by Napoleon against 
 Spain lasted six years ; to maintain it, the Spanish people rose 
 in mass. Four hundred thousand Frenchmen perished in this 
 national Avar; and the armies of Napoleon Avere compelled to 
 abandon the peninsula. 
 
 In stating these facts, my object has been to make known 
 the character of the Spanish nation, as Ave.ll as its power. 
 But this is no reason for avoiding Avar Avith Spain, if any pro- 
 'socation or injustice on her part should require us. to take 
 
— 41 — 
 
 up arms against her. With the Americans, with a free peo- 
 ple, the maintenance of the national honor withoui a stain, is 
 pararriount to every other consideration. . . 
 
 Let us pass now to the statistics of the Island ot Cuba. 
 This colony extends in length 220 leagues; its breadth in the 
 narrowest part is 7 leagues, and in the widest 39 ; making an 
 average of 23 leagues in breadth, and a superficial area of 5,066 
 leagues; or 35,703,360 arpents. Cuba possesses 41 harbours, 
 rnany of therh capable of admitting ships of Avar, frigates or 
 steamships. It is traversed by mountain ranges which con- 
 tain copper mines ; its climate is uniform, and frosts do not 
 vikit it. The sugar cane there may yield for twelve year.9 
 ■Ivithout being replanted. Coffee grows extremely well in 
 the mountain region, as well as cotton, which may be picked at 
 least during eight months in the year, and not during four 
 months only as in Louisiana'. The tobacco of this island is 
 of superior quality, and may even be called the best in the 
 world, especially for cigars. According to the best data, only 
 one tenth of the land iii this colony is under cultivation. 
 
 The Island of Cuba is situated at the entrance of the Gulf 
 of Mexico, iiear the point of Florida. The Florida channer 
 can scarcely be passed, without giving a view of Havana, a 
 strongly fortified city, whose population amounts to nearly 
 200,000 souls.'' .In this island, are found immense forests of 
 mahogany and of iron wood, the best of all timbers for the 
 construction of vessels of war. The population of the Island 
 of Cuba is thus divided, to wit : 100,000 European Spaniards, 
 engaged in commerce and fisheries; 400,000 Creoles; 200,000' 
 free persons of color, and 600,000 slaves. Among the 100,000 
 European Spaniards are included 22,000 men in the regular 
 troops, and about 4,000 on the vessels of Avar, Avhich number 
 about 24. The free people of color are faithful to the govern- 
 miferit on account of the little prejudice entertained by the 
 Spaniards against casts. The nobility, the Avealthy gen- 
 try, who oAvn the real estate, and Astho cultivate the sugar and 
 coffee plantations, support the government, through the fear of 
 losing their estates, either by an invasion, by a revolution, 
 of b)' the liberation of the blacks, which the go\'ernm6ivl 
 
 6 
 
— 4a — 
 
 threatens constantly to proclaim. The people in the towns 
 and the peasantry, generally devoid of all education and ef- 
 feminate, do but little work, and pass a great portion of their 
 time at balls or religious ceremonies. This part of the popu- 
 lajtiori are kept in awe by the army, the police and the clergy. 
 TPhe young men of the middle classes, those of them especially 
 who have been educated in the United States or in Europe, 
 are in favor of independence. The Cuban nobility are nu- 
 merous and wealthy. Their fortunes cannot be lost under 
 the present system, for their revenues only are subject to sei- 
 zure, and the entailed, estates in that privileged class are pro- 
 tected by the laws. It is therefore evident that the elements 
 of a revolution capable of snatching it from. Spaiu^ are^ not to 
 be found in Cuba. :..,. 
 
 Admitting that it be necessary or indispensable to annex 
 this colony, to the United Stales, only two modes of attaining 
 this end present themselves : "either to wage war upon Spain, 
 or to purchase Cuba from her." The Americans doubtless 
 might take possession of the island by force of arms ; but the 
 Spanish government remaining with nothing to be defended or 
 protected in America, would cause to be equipped a great 
 number of privateers. Spain is situated in the Southern ex- 
 tremity of Europe. The American vessels navigating in that 
 region, being almost invariably compelled to reconnoitre the 
 coast of the Peninsula, either to enter the Mediterranean or 
 to pass into the Northern seas, would be exposed to be cap- 
 tured. Our commerce and agriculture would suffer, a,nd we 
 would be compelled to maintain very considerable arma- 
 ments. For it is not only against Spain that we might have 
 to contend, but probably also against France and England. 
 Even if it lasted but five years, such a war would cost our 
 exchequer more than a thousand millions. To this sum,, 
 should be added the losses of our citizens, for according tathe 
 spirit of our institutions, the people are not in the government,, 
 but the government is rather in the people who are sole so- 
 vereigns. The idea of acquiring the island of Cuba by force 
 of arms should therefore be abandoned — it would cost too 
 dear; and we should choose rather, the process adopted by 
 
 .;'if)'/<"'T-. 
 
_ 43 — 
 
 the preceding administrations that have enlarged our territory 
 —"We must buy it." 
 
 Let us inquire now into the value of Cuba to the United 
 States. As a maritime position, Cuba is invaluable. It has 
 a front of 220 leagues to the Ocean towards the North, and the 
 same to the South. Commerce and agriculture are making 
 stupendous strides in the valley of the Mississippi and its de- 
 pendencies. 'Erelong, St. Louis will be united to the Pacific 
 by a rail road, and our revenues will be considerably in* 
 creased. We must therefore be masters of the gulf; but we 
 cannot be so, without possessing Cuba. From Norfolk to 
 Key West, we have no harbours capable of admitting ships 
 of war. Those coming from the Atlantic States, have to paas 
 before Havana, which is the key of the gulf 
 
 A nation so wealthy as the Americans, whose future' des*^ 
 tinies are beyond the previsions of the most glowing fancy, 
 should indeed make great sacrifices to come into possession 
 of Cuba. Spain could not yield it for a trifle ; and to attain 
 this happy result, arguments must be use dsufficiently strong to' 
 convince the cabinet of Madrid, that without any unfair means 
 on our part, without connivance in the expeditions of adven- 
 turers, this island must cease, at some future day, to form 
 a part of tlie Spanish dominions ; the attention of the Spanish 
 ministry should especially be brought to bear upon the predic- 
 tion of Aranda, one of the greatest statesmen of Spain, who'^ 
 on the eve of signing the treaty of Paris of 1784, wrote to 
 Charles the 3d : "I do not wish to be a prophet, but I much 
 fear that before fifty years will have elapsed, there will remain ' 
 to your Majesty, out of all your vast possessions in America', 
 only the Islands of Cuba and Porto-Rico." Forty years later," 
 as I have saiJ, the prediction was accomplished. '^\ 
 
 We should not lose sight of the fact that our populatiori^.. 
 which, seventy-six years ago, scarcely amounted to three mil- 
 lions, now numbers twenty-four millions of souls, and that in 
 ten years, it will • probably have reached thirty -five millions. . 
 For emigration alone gives an increase of 500,000 souls each 
 year. 
 
_ 44 — 
 
 Now, if we calculate fully the large revenues which might 
 accrue to the American government from the Custom Houses 
 of Cuba; if we take into consideration the value of her lim- 
 ber for for naval constructions, her copper mines, as well as 
 her superficial extent, which is capable of sustaining a popu- 
 lation of sixteen millions of souls (admitting that one fourth 
 of that population will inhabit the towns) — we may afibrd be- 
 yond question, to allow for this colony a liberal price, payable 
 say in fifty years, and bearing only 3 0[0 interest per annum. 
 'Dhegold of Australia and California are destined to cause 
 the rate of interest to fall. Besides, the holders of Spanish 
 bonds bearing 5 0[0 interest, are subjected to a loss varying 
 from 30 to 40 per cent, when they wish to realize^ because the 
 interest is not punctually paid, and they have occasion to fear 
 the loss of a portion of the capital. Lenders are naturally 
 inclined to be uneasy, rand these would willingly exchange 
 the Spanish bonds for American securities bearing 3 0[0 
 interest. Now, admitting that the revenues derived from the 
 Island of Cuba should yield annually but four millions <of 
 dollars to the United States, we would fall short but *a Sew 
 ^millions of dollars each year. But the revenues from Cuba, 
 regularly increasing, as they do in the United Stales, this 
 deficit would soon be filled up. I have seen the time when 
 the State of Louisiana had but 50,000 dollars of revenue; now, 
 it has nearly $1,300,000. IN^ew Orleans, forty years ago, had 
 ibut $30,000 revenue; it has ixp\y more than a million. We 
 are a people of giants, we must go onward. The millions 
 we might, have to pay to Spain for the j^sland of Cuba will be, 
 much lighter to the Uriited States in fifty year^, t^an fifty mil- 
 lions would be, if payable now. Our resources, our credit^ 
 our commerce, pur institutions are perpet.ua], and ^he corrx- 
 proraise laws have dissipated foreypr,.!the .f^a^s of .disun;ion. 
 Besides, among an enlightened people, their real interests 
 will always prevail. The Northern States are engaged in 
 mahufactiiires ; ihey possess a great aniount'6rca!pita1,ianid 
 they own, besides, three fourths 'bf our ' merchant ships ; the 
 Southern States are agricultural: the North and the South are' 
 itfeereiore boiind together "BSr' indissoluble"' ties '*of'in'terest 
 
— 4-5 — 
 
 These interesls. Avhich require the mainleimnce of the Union 
 Avill surely increase, so .soon as a rail-road will have facilitated 
 communications with the Pacific Ocean. Asia will soon open 
 its gates to us ; China is undergoing a revolution ; and in the 
 present age, revolutiojis are made in the name of liberty, com- 
 merce, and substantial interests. 
 
 One of the principal reasons which s.hotild induce us to of- 
 fer to Spain a valuable consideration for the Island of Cuba, 
 is to show to the \yorld that the cabinet of Washington is by 
 no means disposed to connive in the expeditions of adven- 
 turers against that colony. We should jjreserve to our govern- 
 ment its chai;acter for morality, and banish from our policy 
 all machiavelian princijjles. Probity in governnients is as 
 laudable, as it is in individuals ; it is a balm which sustains 
 the heart, and vivifies the soul. , . , 
 
 "It must te supposed that the late,' events that,' have occurred 
 in Cuba, have aroused the nationality, and the indomitable 
 pride that characteri^jc the Spaniards. The moment there- 
 fore is not perhaps opportune, to enter into negotiationsi /il- 
 lative to the acquisition of the island. Time must be allowed, 
 for Spanish resentments to be allayed, and the cabinet pf Ma- 
 drid will be brought to understand that a considerable amount 
 to be paid in money, and bearing 3 0|0 interest per annum, 
 would be far preferable, under all the circumstances, to the 
 possession of the Island of Cuba, which now yields to Spain 
 scarcely two millions of dollars per ajcmun;i. after paying the 
 expenses of administration. 
 
 A favorable circumstance is about to present itself, which 
 the cabinet of IVJLadrid Avill doubtless appreciate. England 
 ever ready to take advantage of the passions, the weak- 
 ness, or the emba.rmssments of other governments ; in order to 
 subserve her own selfish and machiavelian policy, /vyi^hes 
 to annul the Island of Cuba, by africanizing it, l^y means of 
 the importation of blacks from Africa, called apprentices^ The 
 men of that color eutertain a natural aversion towards, the 
 
 f.r.t. ■! .1 1-' "^f ■' > '■ ''"li '''!'' '' .' '.I . 'i^' '!■ 
 
 whites, who for asres back have reduced them to a condition 
 of slaverv. Should a revolution break out in that colony, we 
 woulc^ probably witness the rise, pf sucti men a?, Tou?,^a^ii,tf-; 
 
— 46 — 
 
 Louverture, Dessalines, or, atalater period, of a Soulouque ; — 
 the whites would be massacred as they were in the French 
 portion of St. Domingo. Can Spain lend herself to such 
 schemes? I say no, emphatically no I The commerce of the 
 Peninsula is involved for millions with Cuba, and Spaniards 
 are in possession of vast estates there. The lives, as well as 
 the property of both Creoles and Spaniards, would be placed 
 in jeopardy, by the nefarious machinations of Great Britain. 
 
 Having to decide between the selfish views of England, 
 which would cause the Island of Cuba to be lost forever to 
 civilization, and the policy of the United States, which at the 
 same time that it affords protection to the inhabitants of that 
 colony, tenders a large consideration for its acquisition, the 
 cabinet of Madrid, for the sake of its own interests as well as 
 those of its Spanish subjects, is bound to arrive at rational 
 conclusions. It must doubtless reflect that the time is about to 
 come when old Europe must renounce the possession of Ame- 
 rican territories. From the confines of Canada, to the straits 
 of Magellan, the nations have become independent of European 
 control, and they enjoy representative governments, with the 
 exception however of the Guianas, which are too weak to 
 maintain their independence. 
 
 The immense region of Canada yet forms a part of the 
 British dominions. In 1764, when France ceded that territory 
 to England, its population consisted of about 60,000 souls; and 
 there remained in the Peninsula of Acadia, but a*few thousand 
 inhabitants; for a great number, in violation of human and 
 divine laws, had been ignominiously driven away by the Bri- 
 tish government, because they refused the oath of allegiance to 
 the British crown, which would have required of them imme- 
 diately after the oath to take up arms against their countrymen 
 the Canadians. 
 
 The Acadians, like the Canadians, are of Norman origin, 
 with the exception of those from Brilanny. It is easy to dis- 
 tinguish the two original types, among those of the Acadian 
 and Canadian races who are to be found in Louisiana. The 
 Normans in general are above the middle stature ; they have 
 blue eyes, with light and flat hair; the Britains are of lower 
 
_ 47 — 
 
 stature, with dark hair, small eyes, and very black eye balls. 
 The Landry's for instance, whose clan is no numerous, the 
 Heberts the Moutons, the Theriots, the Thibodeaux, and 
 many others in Louisiana ihat might be cited, are of I^orman 
 descent. Any one who has travelled over Normandy must be 
 satisfied of this fact. Whilst the Broussards, on the other hand, 
 who overrun the prairies of Attakapas, like the grass hoppers 
 that occupy the deserts of Africa,, claim their descent from 
 Britany. Their eyes, their hair, their shape, indicate it suffi- 
 ciently. From those two races, no true Briti.-ih colonial sub- 
 jects can issue. Out of the 1,400,000 souls that form the popu- 
 lation of Canada, at least one million may be counted as 
 descending from the Norman or Britain races. 
 
 The British government has understood the character of 
 these descendants of the proud Normans and the Britains ; it 
 has conceived the necessity of granting them rights and fran- 
 chises — such as the liberty of the press, the trial by jury, the 
 habeas corpus, and a parliament. Besides, their property is 
 exempted from taxation in favor of the British government. If 
 Great Britain, deviating from her usual colonial policy, ha.s 
 made all these concessions in Canada, it must be assuredly 
 from fear of the spirit of the Canadians and Acadians. The 
 time is not far distant, when this noble people,. renowned for 
 the valor which it displayed in the wars from 17.54 to 1759, as 
 well as in the war of 1812 against the Americans^ will pro- 
 claim its independence and organize as a nation. At the time 
 of the insurrection which broke out in Canada in 1835^ to be 
 suppressed in 1837, martial law was decreed, and lord Harem 
 launched forth the regular troops against the revolutionists. 
 Thirteen respectable citizens were condemned to be hung, 
 and many others to exile. Among the latter was Papineau. 
 Those condemned to death, asked to be. shot; but lord Harem 
 rejected their application. The chevalier de Loriniere, a scion 
 of an ancient family, established in Canada for more than two 
 centuries, was among the victims. In 1839, I happened to 
 meet, at the house of our Minister General Cass, in Paris, se- 
 veral well informed Canadians, who had been banished from 
 Canada, on account of their political opinions. In answer to 
 
— 48 — 
 
 some- remark.'* whicli I made to ihem as to the movement of 
 1835 in Canada, these exiles told me that they desired neither 
 to remain subject to England, nor to form a part of the Ame- 
 rican colifcderacy ; that they had the sentiment of their strehght^ 
 and thai their population being constantly on- the increase, 
 they hoped that iheir immense territory would be occupied at 
 some future day by a great nation, in whose bosom emigra- 
 tion Irom old Europe would seek i^ refuge. 
 
 Being myself of Norman descent, and ray ancestor, before 
 coming to Louisiana with d'Hibervillc, in 1699, having served 
 in' the army of Canada, I confess that I was happy, and proud 
 to hear such language from these scions of ancient Normandy, 
 of those conquerors of England, who produced renowned 
 Knights for the Crusades, illustrious Generals for the ancient 
 rtionarchy, as well as for the Republic and the empire, and 
 who, conquered Canada and the Louisianas, 
 ^^^'Theiftdependence of Canada will occasion the loss to En- 
 gland of all the territories possessed by that power in North 
 America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. They are 
 almost equal in siiperficial extent to one third of the United' 
 States. I must menlion here a fact which illustrates the cha-' 
 racter of the Norman race. From 1793 to 1795, whilst the 
 Committee of Public Safety were eirecltrtg guillotines in the 
 whole of France, except in Normandy, Fouquier Tainville, the 
 public prosecutor, communicated to Robespierre his intention 
 of erecting the scaffold at St. Germain, a city situated at a 
 distance of five leagues from Paris, on the line where Norman- ' 
 dy commences — "beware of so doing?" exclaimed Robespierre,'^ 
 "the Normans must not be touched." 
 
 Can it be believed now, that these men, proud of their ori- 
 gin, glorying in the valor of their ancestors, are destined to 
 remain subjects of England? No— assuredly not! When Ca- 
 nada Will have become independent, and it must be so'ere long, 
 what will remain to old Europe on the American continent ? 
 the Guianas, (for the empire of Brasil is independent of Por- 
 tugal); in the West Indies, St. Domingo and Jamaica are 
 lost to the white raC6 ; in the French Isles, the emancipation 
 and equality of the blacks have been for some time proclaim.- 
 
_ 49 — 
 
 cd, as well as in the adjacent Islands, through the influence ol 
 British policy. In all these islands, the white race is no longer 
 .secure, and is compelled gradually to abandon them. 
 
 Cuba and Porto-Rico alone therefore, still ofler a foothold 
 to the white race. Is it probable that the cabinet of Madrid^ 
 by examining the past, and reflecting upon a future so easily 
 foreseen, will not at last acknowledge that it is the true inte- 
 rest of Spain to transfer Cuba for an equivalent sum of money? 
 Menaced as that island is, not only by the example of Jamaica 
 in the South, of St. Domingo in the East, and in the North by 
 the adventurers, who in despite of the laws and governemnt of 
 Washington, are likely to be tempted again to invade it, but 
 endangered also as she is by England, the Vv^orst enemy of 
 Spain in the Cuban question; since she desires by africanisino- 
 Cuba, to withhold it from all civilized nations, and to expose 
 its inhabitants to be slaughtered by the negroes. Yes, un- 
 doubtedly, the cabinet of Madrid will understand how delicate 
 is the present position of Spain in regard to the Island ot 
 Cuba. But we must temporize ; Ave must deal gently with 
 castillan pride and nationality; above all, this important ques- 
 tion should be argued with the best informed, and most in- 
 fluential men of Spain. In short let us follow the wise course 
 adopted by BenjamJn Franklin in Paris, at the time of the war' 
 of Independence, and it is probable that Spain, guided by her 
 true interest AviU finally determine to sell Cuba to the United ' 
 States, 
 
THIRD PART. 
 
 ON THE CHARGES MADE BY THE GREAT POWERS OF EUROPE 
 
 AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT OF WASHINGTON, IN REGARD 
 
 TO ITS TERRITORIAL AGGRANDIZEMENTS. 
 
 In order to shew the little foundation for the accusation 
 brought by the great European powers against the government 
 of Washington, whom they charge with immoderate ambition, 
 it becomes necessary not only to make a comparative state- 
 ment of the aggrandizements of Russia, of England, and of 
 France, with those of the United States, by taking the year 
 1764 as the point of departure, — but also to expose the means 
 adopted both by the accusers and the accused, toattain the ex- 
 tension of their respective territories. 
 
 Russia, according to Pierre Charles Leveque, a member of 
 the French Institute, who wrote the history of that vast empire 
 and of its government, contained, in 1764, nineteen millions o 
 inhabitants. 
 
 Before dwelling more at length upon this subject, it is pro- 
 per to sketch the character of the house of Romanof, beginning 
 with Peter the 1st, called the Great. It would seem thatnature 
 exhausted herself, when she produced this great man ; for, 
 from the time of his death until the advent of Nicholas the 1st, 
 we are amazed at the moral weakness, or the vices of that fa- 
 mily. Alexis, son of Peter the 1st, was acknowledged as un- 
 worthy the throne by his own father, as well as by the grandies 
 of the empire. He was a man abandonned to debauchery. 
 Peter the Isl, having greatly promoted ^civilization, commerce 
 and the arts of navigation and of war, among the Russians, 
 
— 52 — 
 
 and fearing that his son would cause the nation to retrograde, 
 caused him to be put to death: a great example of patriotism 
 rather than of cruelty ! Peter the 1st died in 1725. Catherine, 
 who Avas originally but an uneducated peasant girl, and whom 
 he bad married on account of her beauty and good sense, was 
 proclaimed Empress, Duriijg her reign which lasted two 
 years, her wisdom and benevolence obtained universal appro- 
 bation, Catherine was not of the house of Romanof, 
 
 In 1727, Peter the 2d, of the Romanof family, wap called to 
 the throne. This sovereign at first fell under the influence of 
 Menchikoff, and subsequently under that of the Dolgorouki 
 The commencement of his reign was marked by cruelties 
 committed under the orders of MenchikofF. The disordered 
 passions of Peter the 2d, his debaucheries and his love of alco- 
 holic liquors, brought him to his death in 1730. 
 
 Anqe^ of the house of Rornanofj ascended the throne in 1730. 
 During hpr reign, she was entirely guided by Birenne, a 
 man of great crueUy and avarice, who committed great crimes 
 in the name of this Empress. He caused to be put to death 
 on the scaffold a number of respectable men in the nation, and 
 banished many others tq Siberia. Anne terminated her caree.r 
 in 1740. Ivan the 6th, of the Romanofs, succeded her. He 
 ^as at first governed by the duke of Courland, and afterwards 
 gave himself up to revelry. Ivan was dethroned in 1741, after 
 a reign of a year. 
 
 Elizabeth, of the house of Romanof, was next acknowledged 
 as Empress. Although her amorous propensities brought her 
 into disrepute in the eyes of her subjects, as well as in those of 
 Europe, her reign was not altogether devoid of glory. None 
 of |ier lovers (from the grandee to the Calmouk) was enabled 
 to govern her. Addicted at first to dissipation and amorous 
 intrigues, she fell into bigotry at a later period. Having be- 
 come gloomy and superstitious, Elizabeth yielded to the grave 
 in 1762. 
 
 Peter the 3d, of the Romanofs, was next proclaimed Em- 
 peror. His reign lasted about a year only. This prince, who 
 was dissipated and incapable, after having been thrown into 
 prison, was subaeqaently assassinated at the instigation of 
 
— 53 — 
 
 Alexis OrlofT. In order lo keep secret the circumstances of 
 bis death, the report was spread that he had succombed to an 
 apoplectic fit. Peter the 3d met with much difficulty in ob- 
 taining a wife of Royal blood, and was reduced to marry the 
 daughter of a petty Russian Prince of the town of Slettem, 
 who was governor of that place under the authority of the king 
 of Prussia, Frederic the 2d. Sophia Augusta was born on the 
 2d May, 1729. She was proclaimed Empress in 1762, and 
 assumedthe name of Catherine the 2d, which she was destined 
 to render illustrious. It is therefore apparent that Catherine 
 .was not of the house of Romanof. This Princess, endowed 
 with a solid and brilliant education, had deeply studied the 
 different European governments ; she was well versed in 
 French literature, as well as in the history of the great kino-s 
 and queens who had reigned during several centuries past, to 
 Avit: Elizabeth of England, Philip the 2d of Spain, Louis the 
 14th, Cromwell, under the title of Protector, Maria Theresa 
 of Austria, and Frederic the 2d of Prussia, under the name of 
 the Great Frederic. Catherine was rather handsome than 
 pretty, she was of a graceful figure, and above the middle sta- 
 ture. She rode on horseback admirably well, and often re- 
 viewed in person her guards and her army. This Princess was 
 well fitted to develop the immense resources of the great em- 
 pire founded by Peter the 1st. surnamed the Great, and she had 
 studied the maxims of that great monarch. She established 
 military schools, and reorganized the naval school created by 
 Elizabeth. She also founded colleges and universities, and 
 fostered manufactures and general industry, by Avise laAvs. 
 She also made advantageous treaties with all the civilized na- 
 tions of Europe, and despatched envoys to China and Persia. 
 This woman, taking her part with unparallelled activity in 
 public affairs, never relied upon her ministers; for she wished 
 to convince Europe that she alone governed Russia. Ca- 
 therine however was fond of pomp and pleasures, and chas- 
 tity was not her distinguishing virtue ; her first lover Avas 
 Gregoire Orloff; but in order that he should deserve her favors, 
 she required that he should render himself useful to Russia by 
 important service?. Orloff became distinguished particularly 
 
— 54 — 
 
 in the armies, and was promoted to the grade of commandei' 
 in chief of the artillery. 
 
 Catherine invited into the service of Russia distinguished 
 military men from otiier nations, and adopted liberal measures 
 for the protection of strangers who might be induced to 
 established themselves within her dominions. Accordingly, 
 manufacturers and artisans of every description were attracted 
 hither under the pledge of her protection; a great philosopher, a 
 learned man and a distinguished writer, remarkable also for 
 his moral character, (Laharpe) was entrusted by her with the 
 education of her grand sons, and particularly with that of 
 Alexander, who was destined to be the heir to her empire. 
 
 Immediately after ascending the throne, Catherine conceived 
 great projects against Turkey. The only harbours that Rus- 
 sia then possessed were on the Baltic, whose navigation Avas 
 interrupted or trammelled by the ice during six months in the 
 year at least. In order to secure for the products of her domi- 
 nions^ great outlet to the Archipelago of Greece, to Egypt and 
 to Asia, the possession of harbors on the Black sea and the sea 
 of Azof was necessarylo Russia. In order therefore to attract 
 the attention of the Russians towards those favoured regions, 
 Catherine bestowed the name of Constaniine upon the second 
 child of her son Paul. Europe was amazed at the genius dis- 
 played by this woman in the affairs of her government ; and 
 all statesmen were watching with interest the developments of 
 her policy. 
 
 The reader will please to indulge me, in a digression which 
 I have occasion here to make. 
 
 Among the officers in the service of Russia, there was one 
 at the time by the name of Potemkin. Bold and gay, this offi- 
 cer passed for one of the handsomest men in the army. Not 
 actuated by vanity, but influenced by a passion which love 
 alone can nourish, Potemkin was so much captivated by the 
 charms of Catherine, that he lost his senses. When he could 
 not see his Sovereign, he stood in ecstacies before her portrait. 
 He kissed the ground that her feet had trodden, and passed 
 his nights in the open air, in order to contemplate by the light 
 of the lamps the appartment occupied by the object of his 
 
&5 
 
 adoration. But .Catherine, enamoured of the jealous (xregoire 
 Orlof, pitied the new pretender, without giving him any hopes 
 of a reciprocal sentiment. 
 
 War had just broken out ; the Cosacks, the Cahnoucks, the 
 Tartars, who had often beaten the Russians before the reign 
 of Peter the Great, had crossed the frontiers of Russia, and re- 
 newed their depredations. Those savage hords, numbering 
 more than ten millions of souls, occupied a region extending 
 to the base of the Caucasian mountains. The Russian army was 
 put in motion to repel them. Potemkin, then a Colonel of Caval- 
 ry, left St. Petersburg, in the hopes of meeting with a glorious 
 death, to put an end to his misery. The commander of the 
 Russian army entrusted Potemkin with the command of a 
 brigade of cavalry, at the head of which he charged the barba- 
 rians. Brave and expert in the management of the lance, he 
 cried out the name of Catherine as he fought, and was invin- 
 cible. The opposing hosts ^vere swept away before this head- 
 long knight, whom lead and steel could not reach. The reports 
 of the General in chief to the cabinet of St. Petersburg men- 
 tioned the successes of Potemkin, and the exploits which he 
 atchieved under the influence of his passion for his Sovereign. 
 
 After some years of warfare, all those barbarian tribes having 
 submitted, recognized Catherine as their Sovereign, and paid 
 a tribute to Russia. The vast regions occupied by these Bar- 
 barians were covered with immense herds, of large broad tailed 
 sheep. Their horned cattle were also innumerable, and were 
 destined to supply the Russian leather, which is in such hio-h 
 repute, and which has become a great article of commerce. 
 
 Potemkin, on his return to St. Petersburg, became an object 
 of admiration for the Russian women, v/ho are generally hand- 
 some, amorous, and sometimes fickle. As the reward of his 
 atchievements, Potemkin was presented to Catherine. The 
 emotion of the Knight cannot be described ! scarcely was he 
 ushered into the presence of his Sovereign, when he became 
 timid and disconcerted ; in lieu of a respectful inclination, he 
 fell at her feet, and wept profusely. The great Catherine was 
 moved; her heart had yielded,, and the long tried fidelity, the 
 true love of Potemkin triumphed at last. But the Knight lost 
 
— 66^ — 
 
 nothing of liis reslliess spirit, and of his ardor for war. After 
 having extended her conquests as far as the Caucasus ; after 
 having inured her army to the hardships of war, Catherine 
 determined to wage the war against the Turks. She was in 
 need of territories towards the South of Europe. It was for 
 the second tim-e, that the children of Mahomet, the proud Mus- 
 suhnen, the devotees of the crescent, were about to encounter 
 in battle the hosts of Russia. For at the period of their splen- 
 dor, when they claimed to rule Europe, and to subdue Chris- 
 tianity, the Mussulmen little thought of Russia, a rough and 
 icy region, whose temperature was so different from that of 
 the mild latitudes they inhabited. 
 
 Five hundred thousand Turks were brought under arms to 
 meet the armies of Russia. The Mussulmen were proud of their 
 former greatness, and of their atchievements in war. They 
 remembered that, for eight centuries, they had been masters of 
 two thirds of Spain-; that from victory to victory, they had 
 fed their hosts to within thirty leagues of Paris, in the time of 
 Charles Martel, and that Solimanthe Magnificent had planted 
 itie standards of the crescent before the walls of Vienna. Dis- 
 ciplinehad'made no progress up to this time in the Turkish 
 army, and was especially deficient in the field artillery; whilst 
 the Russian troops whom they had to meei, had waged war 
 with success under the reign of the empress Elizabeth, against 
 the Prussian armies. 
 
 Catherine determined to shew to her subjects, that with her^ 
 devotion to country and love of glory were above the common 
 foibles of' her' sex. She sacrified her most tender affections, 
 and addressed the following patriotic letter to Potemkin, ac- 
 companied by a sword bedecked Avith diamonds : " I entrust 
 you with the command of the noblest and the most numerous 
 army that Russia ever set on foot ; go, and serve your coun- 
 try—Go, acquire glory, and be worthy of my affection. When 
 my mind will not be engaged in the cares of ray empire, my 
 thoughts and my tears, -Potemkin,' will all be for you I" 
 
 It was therefore at the head of 300,000 soldiers that the 
 Knight invaded the Turkish territories. This war was a gi- 
 gantic struggle. Suwaroflf, one of Potemkin's principal lieu- 
 
— 57 — 
 
 tenants, distinguished himself equally by his valor and indefa- 
 tigable activity. Together with great military renown, he ac- 
 quired the affections of the Russian soldiery almost to idolatry. 
 This truly extraordinary man shared in all respects the life of 
 the soldier ; he slept upon the straw, eat of horse flesh, and 
 preferred the most common drinks to the most luscious. Suwa- 
 roff, nevertheless, had received a good education. Louis the 
 18th, King of France, who had known him, says that Suwaroff 
 had good manners, and was endowed with wit and an agree- 
 able conversation. 
 
 It was the lot of thi"s austere chieftain to terminate \he war 
 by an unparalleled exploit. Ismael, the most strongly fortified 
 position in Turkey, was considered as impregnable. During 
 the war, the Turks had still more strengthened its fortifica- 
 tions. Surrounded by ditches unusually d^ep and broad, this 
 stronghold was defended besides by a formidable artillery. 
 The Turks expected here a regular siege, such as had been 
 previously laid before several fortresses that had surrendered. 
 But time was precious, and things had to be brought hastily 
 to a close. Provisions had become more and more' scanty in 
 the Russian army, and could scarcely be procured at all ; for 
 the fields had been devastated, the towns and villages burnt. 
 If was a war of extermination between the contending ar- 
 mies, one of which was composed of sanguinary barbarians^ 
 and the other, the Russian army, of men who had barely 
 emerged from barbarism, since the death of Peter the Great, 
 (1727). 
 
 The fierce Suwarofi" made preparations to take Ismael by 
 storm ; but before commencing the attack, he gave notice to 
 the Turkish commander, that if he was compelled to this ex--- 
 tremity, he would cause the whole garison of Ismael to be 
 put to the sword. Bat the Turk made light of these threats ; 
 he calculated upon a regular siege, which even if successful, 
 was bound to last, as he thought, at least sixty days. Suwa- 
 roff then resolved to take Ismael within "three days. He made 
 an attack upon the- fortress ; but his army was horribly man- 
 gled by the artillery of the enemy. On the second day, hi;^ 
 losses were again fearful ; more than 20,000 men had beer*" 
 
 8 
 
^ 58 — 
 
 shot down. The, fire, of his veterans could not reach the 
 Turks. During the night preceding the third day, forty thou- 
 sand men were employed in gathering up the dead and 
 the wounded to fill up a portion of the ditches of Ismael. 
 What, a horrid spectacle the third day presented I more than 
 fifteen thousand corpses piled up at the feet of Ismael, and the 
 B,usgian army, with bayonets pointed and Suwaroff at its 
 Jiead, using them as a bridge of human flesh, to cross the 
 ditches that protected the fortress ! Ismael fell into the hands 
 of Suwaroff, and 35,000 men, officers and soldiers, were put 
 to the sword. The remainder of the Turkish army, from 
 this moment, were stricken with terror, and peace between 
 Russia and Turkey was concluded on the 9th January 1792. 
 This war lasted from llSl to the end of 1791. 
 
 Assured that the capture of Ismael would put an end to the 
 war, Potemkin confided his command to prince Reppin. He 
 was impatient to return to Catherine; but in the long journey 
 from Ismael to Moscow, the chieftain succombed under a 
 violent fever, at about a hundred, leagues from that metro- 
 polis. 
 
 Russia, by the treaty of Diassy, on the 9lh January, 1792, 
 acquired Otchakof, and the whole country between the Bog 
 and the Dniester. She obtained possession also of the mouth 
 of a great river on the Black Sea, and an easy access to the Ot- 
 toman territories (see history of Russia by Charles Leveque). 
 
 Catherine's ambition should have been satiated; but it did 
 not suffice her to have extended her domination to the foot of 
 the Caucasus, and to have considerably aggrandized her ter- 
 ritories towards Turkey. At that period, the Cosacks of Si- 
 beria had crossed Bearing's straits, and had taken possession, 
 in the name of Russia, of all that portion of North America, 
 extending from the British boundaries to the North Pole 
 (about one fifth of the United Stales in superficial extent). In 
 these 'icy regions, the climate is about the same as in Siberia. 
 Before fifty years, the Cosacks will occupy a great portion 
 of those remote territories. They will procure there, as in Si- 
 beria, great quantities of furs of the beaver, otter, sable, &c.,. 
 which are held in such estimation by the people of Asia and 
 
— 59 — 
 
 Europe. This region must be favorable to grain crops, to 
 wlieat especially ; and it is probable that, being separated 
 from Siberia by a narrow channel, gold mines will at a future 
 day be found in it, as in Siberia, quite as abundant as those 
 of California and Australia, and more easily worked ; for in 
 Siberia, gold is gathered almost at the surface of the earth. 
 
 Catherine, Avhose ambition was unbounded, and suppported 
 by great genius, had long meditated the enlargement of her 
 dominions towards the West. To this end, she took advan- 
 tage of the dissensions in the Polish nation, after having had 
 a previous understanding with Frederic the 2c1, of Pru:~sia, 
 and with Austria. The first partition oi' Poland consequently 
 took place in 1772. 
 
 In 1792, France was involved in her great revolution. The 
 unfortunate Louis the 16th was confined in the prison 6t the 
 Temple, with his wife and children. The French princes, 
 and the nobility urgently solicited the courts of Europe to 
 take up arms against France, and to save Louis the 16th. 
 These soUicitations were unheeded by Catherine, who under- 
 stood full well that she could not add anything to her posses- 
 sions from Germany, who had engaged in the war against 
 France, and still less from Italy, owing to the great distance 
 between that country and Russia. Besides, Catherine was 
 ntot satisfied with the first division of Poland ; she desired a 
 larger share of it, than that which she had obtained. This 
 princesss, who had conceived the annihilation of the Polish na- 
 tion, at last carried into execution her awful and daring pro- 
 ject. The whole territory of Poland was therefore subdivided 
 between Russia, Prussia and Austria in 1795. But Cathe- 
 rine, on this occasion, took the lion's share of the spoils, for 
 two thirds of that kingdom lell into the hands of Russia. 
 
 The great Catherine was preparing for a war against Per- 
 sia; but the death of Potemkin^ the object of her dearest affec- 
 tions, distracted her mind. In the delirium of her grief, she 
 cried out that she wished to die, in order again to behold Po- 
 temkin. Stricken by apoplexy, she closed her career, on the 
 9th November 1776, at the age of sixty-seven, and after a reigii 
 of thirty- three year.-s. " *' '-.'"■'' 
 
— 60 — 
 
 Her son succeeded her to the throne, under the name of 
 €*aul the 1st, and ruled during four years. The versatility 
 of his (disposition, the weakness of his mind, caused his death 
 .by assassination. On his death, his son, Alexander the 1st, 
 was called to the empire. The mildness of temper of this 
 prince, the success of his arms when Russia was invaded by 
 France in 1813 and '14, contributed to distinguish his reign. 
 
 Jndepeadently of the vast accessipns pf territory made by 
 ^Catherine, Russia has continued to enlarge her dominions : 
 she has taken possession of the whole of Livonia, of Finland, 
 and Jfias extended her sway along the Black Sea, and the Sea 
 pf Azof, encroaching also upon Persia. Now, this insatiable 
 power is warring again upon Turkey, for quite another cause 
 .assuredly than that which her diplomacy has proclaimed to 
 the world. Her armies already occupy the Danubian pro- 
 .vinces and threaten Constantinople. Finally, Russia, in 1764, 
 contained but 19,000,000 of inhabitants, and now numbers 
 more than 75,000,000 »! 
 
 In view of this historical statement of the aggrandizements 
 of Russia, and of the means to attain them, employed by her 
 successive rulers; who would not feel indigna^^t to hear Ni- 
 cholas, the autocrat, taxing the United States with ambition, 
 and casting repjoach upon them for their territorial aggran- 
 j^lzements? The population of the Russian ernpire^ which is 
 susceptible of containing jnore than 300 millions of inhabi- 
 tants, is increasing from day to day, and imagination is at ^ 
 loss in calculating its great destinies, and the influence which 
 it may come to exercise upon Western Europe. But if the 
 writer turns his thoughts to the past, his attention is called 
 ;to the general rising of the Spaniards in 1808. They were 
 the first to throw a cloud upon the star of Napoleon, the ruler 
 of all Europe. It may be therefore, that the Turks, better pre- 
 pared for the struggle than the Spaniards were, will repel 
 the Muscovite ; that their noble resistance will arouse the 
 Poles and the Hungarians, and that these long oppressed na- 
 tions will achieve their independence, and save Europe from 
 the cruel fate which Russia may inflict upon it before a half 
 century has elapsed. 
 
FOURTH PART. 
 
 . We must now speak of England, who, when the question 
 of the annexation of Texas lo the United States arose, main- 
 tained that the ideas of aggrandizement entertained by the 
 cabinet of Washington, were unjust and dangerous. 
 
 In 1764, by the treaty of Fontainbleau, France had ceded to 
 England Canada and all that she possessed in North America, 
 with the exception of the territories on the right bank of the 
 Mississippi. The portion of Louisiana, extending from the 
 Perdido, four leagues from Pensacola, and following the Gulf, 
 the lakes Poutchartrain and Maurepas, and the bayou Man- 
 ,chac to the Mississippi, was included in this cession. Spain, 
 on her side, gave up Florida, which extended to the limits of 
 iGeorgia. 
 
 After the war of Americai3 Independence, England lost all 
 rthat she possessed south of Canada and to the left of the Mis- 
 sissippi, But there remains to that power, in North America, 
 the XZ!,anadas, and an immense territory extending west of 
 them to the Pacific, where it is bounded. North, by the Russian 
 possessions. She has preserved the Peninsula of Acadia, the 
 Isle Royal, the Bermudas and New-Providence in the chan- 
 nel of the Bahamas, as well as Jamaica, wdiich she possessed 
 previously to 1764, and some islands among the Caraibs. In 
 the beginning of the 18th century, during the reign of Philip 
 the 5lh, of Spain, she took from the Spanish crown Gibraltar, 
 the key of the Mediterranean, which she at first pretended to 
 hold in trust, but which she has permanently kept. Australia, 
 of which she at first possessed but a part, now belongs to her 
 in whole. This island is as large as two thirds of Europe. 
 
— 62 — 
 
 She has also taken by force ol" arms a large portion of Asia, 
 (Hindostan) where 150 millions of inhabitants bend the knee 
 to her despotism. She possesses the Islands of Ceylon, and 
 St. Helena, as well as different positions for her counting- 
 houses in Africa, and the isles in the Channel. 
 
 By the peace of Paris, in 1814, Holland gave up to her the 
 Cape of Good Hope; and France ceded the Isle of France. By 
 the same treaty, she acquired the Ionian Islands, including 
 Corfu. Her possession of Malta, as well as of Trinity in the 
 Caraib Islands, was confirmed by the treaty of Amiens in 
 1802. In 1814, France also ceded to her St. Lucia and Do- 
 minica, England possesses nearly all the maritime' positions' 
 that are not within the continental limits of Europe, of South 
 America, or of the United States of America ; she has her ar- 
 senals every where. By calling into service her transatlantic 
 steamers, and arming them for war, iier naval armament could 
 number more ships, than those of all the other powers of the 
 world combined. England has extended her dominions al- 
 most invariably with the sword in one hand, and often with 
 the torch in the olher, The colonial system of England is un- 
 just and sometimes cruel. 
 
 Does it come with good grace from this power, I ask, to 
 find fault with the territorial aggrandizements of the United 
 States ? 
 
FIFTH PART. 
 
 FRANCE. 
 
 This power, in 1809^ had annexed lo her territory upper 
 Italy, as far as the Julian Alps, Ancient Venice,. Rome and 
 her de"pendeRcie3, Belgium, Savoy and Piedmont; l>er in- 
 fluence extended over Switzerland, and tlie confederation of 
 the Rhine. Holland, conquered' by the French- arms, had 
 surrendered, her liberties, and been converted into- a kingdom 
 for thebenefit of Loais Buonaparte. Naples was given to Mu- 
 rat, after his mariage with the princess Caroline, one of Na- 
 poleon's sisters. Bavaria was enlarged by territory taken from 
 Austria, after the battle of Austerlitz, in 1805. The Elector 
 Maximilian, having become a king, gave his daughter in ma- 
 riage to Eugene Beauharnuis. . Atthe same period, the territory 
 of Wirtemberg Avas also increased at the expense of Austria, 
 and its Elector being m.ade a king, subs€?quently married his 
 daughter to Jerome Buonaparte. 
 
 Portugal, after being subdued, Avas governed bv the D.'uke 
 d'Abrantes, one of Napoleon's lieutenants. These immerous 
 aggrandizements were still further extended by new con- 
 quests, after the battles of Austerlilz in 1805, of Jena, of 
 Friedland, ofEylau, which occasioned the treaty of Tilsiti in 
 1807, and after tha't of Wagram in 1809. The influence of 
 Austria and of Pru.ssia, the two. great powers of Germany, 
 was so much reduced by the curtailment of their territories, 
 that Napoleon, after having, at their expense, transformed Wir- 
 temberg, Bavaria and Saxony into kingdom.",, increased the 
 
__ 64 — 
 
 territory of Baden, and created the kingdom of Westphalia 
 in favor of his brother Jerome, became the complroller ol 
 Germany. 
 
 But Napoleon should hav^e considered that, although it is 
 sometimes quite easy to defeat armies and to dictate treaties, 
 it is always difficult to amalgamate different nations, and to 
 destroy nationalities.. He should have remembered that the 
 Netherlands, having revolted against the dominion of Philip 
 the 2d, of Spain, bad routed the veteran troops of Spain, and 
 reconquered their independence. During the reign of Philip 
 the 4th, the Portuguese had also thrown off the yoke. From 
 these examples, he might have foreseen that the Germans 
 would lake advantage of the first opportunity to rise against 
 the rulers who had been forced upon them, and against the 
 despotism of the man who had destroyed their nationalityi 
 The crown of Spain was about being bestowed upon Joseph 
 Buonaparte, when the Spaniards revolted. This example was 
 successively followed by all the nations of Europe ; and it 
 was under the banner of the independence of nations, that 
 the allied sovereigns recruited innumerable armies. England, 
 who had been on the ppint of succombing, was found every 
 where in the contest, and afforded subsidies to all. It was a 
 war of extermination — Paris against London ; — Rome against, 
 Carthage. But in this contest, Carthage triumphed. Han- 
 nibal defeated in the battle of Zama, was compelled to flee his 
 country, and was assassinated in a foreign land. 
 
 By the treaty of 1814, Napoleon, who had swayed the con- 
 tinent of Europe, and caused England to tremble, was confined- 
 in the Island of Elba. In 181&, St. Helena became the prison 
 of his exile. After five years of moral tortures inflicted upon 
 him by hiw jailor, sir Hudson Lowe, his physical constitution 
 being at last exhausted, this great man, and great chieftain, 
 descended to the grave. The death of Napoleon at an age 
 when life is usually in its prime, was the occasion of much 
 comment. It was generally thought that he had succombed 
 to poison.- — Erroneous impression ! Providence, who had 
 shielded him in a hundred battles, did not protect his veterans 
 gb«»^inst the burning sun of Spain, nor the snows of Russia. 
 
— 65 — 
 
 — His destiny was to yield as it were to the combined ele- 
 ments, and not to the steel of his enemies. His exile to St.- 
 Helena was necessary to himself, to his cofemporaries, and to 
 posterity. He there wrote the story of his wonderful cam- 
 paigns ; he there spoke of his greatness, as well as of his er- 
 rors, and made known his opinions as to the high destinies of.' 
 the United States, and the dangers with which the west of Eu- 
 rope was threatened at the hands of Russia. "In fifty years," 
 said he, "Europe will be Republican or Cosack." Fifty, 
 years have scarcely elapsed, arid Europe is in arms ! Europe 
 is on fire ! 
 
 After having uttered this great prophecy; after having written • 
 out his campaigns and the glorious events of his reign, should'^ 
 Napoleon have lived any loigerupon the rock of St. Helena ? 
 No! death had become the fitting close of his wonderful ca- 
 reer, the only relief to his sufferings. God then issued the 
 
 decree : "Let him die I . . . he has been a mighty Emperor, 
 
 the son of a king, Joinville will come, on a future day, with 
 Bertrand, Gourgaud, Las Cases and Marchand, the compa- 
 nions of his exile, to take possession of his body, and carry it 
 back to the banks of the Seine — Let him diel. . . he will have 
 for a winding sheet the tricolored banner, which he caused to 
 wave from the steeples of Lisbon to the towers of the Kremlin 
 Let him diel. . . he has been a king of kings.. . and beneath 
 the dome of the Invalides, he shall be received by king Louis 
 Philippe. — Let him die! — whilst the Princes of the clmrch, the 
 Bishops and Archbishops,'will invoke the heavens in his behalf; 
 whilst they will prepare the holy water to be oast upon his 
 inanimate corpse, — the old soldiers of the Invcjlide?!, stooping 
 upon their crutches, — the Marshals and Generals of the Empire, 
 leaning upon their swords, will sprinkle with their tears his 
 mortal remains." 
 
 Reader, answer : — Should he have lived any longer, on St.- 
 Helena's rock, in the hands of the executioner ? 
 
SIXTH PAR*. 
 
 Thk United States 
 
 I have gone into some details as to the territorial expan- 
 sions of England, France and Russia ; let us now return to 
 the territorial aggrandizements of the United States. 
 
 Convinced that she could not advantageously apply the co- 
 lonial system to Louisiana, France offered it to the govern- 
 ment of Washington for SO millions of francs, and it was -pur- 
 chased. At a later period, Spain perceiving that the Floridas 
 were a useless burthen to her, also bargained them off 
 with the United States for five millions of dollars, and the 
 amount was paid. Texas, whose independence had been re- 
 cognized by England and France, and subsequently by other 
 nations, desired to become a member of the American Union. 
 She needed ten millions of dollars to meet the debts she had 
 contracted during the war with Mexico: the government of 
 Washington gave her the amount. After the annexation 
 of Texas to the United States, the Mexicans were the aggres- 
 sors : they crossed the Rio-Grande and murdered several 
 American officers. llence, as I have said, the war and our suc- 
 cesses. Instead of keeping forcible possession of any portion 
 of the conquered territories ; instead of exacting from Mexico 
 the costs of the war, the cabinet of Washington intimated the 
 desire of acquiring New Mexico, a region which had never 
 been of any utility to the Mexican Republic, and whose in- 
 habitants were constantly exposed to the depredations of the 
 Comanches, together with California, which scarcely num- 
 bered more than fifteen hundred inhabitants. The Mexican 
 
— m — 
 
 government acquiesced in the proposition, for the considera- 
 tion of fifteen millions of dollars which were paid to it. 
 
 If the history of nations be consulted, can there be found 
 one, which has enlarged its domain by means more honor- 
 able or more just, than thos« which have been hitherto prac- 
 .tised by tl»e American people ? 
 
 ^^-^^^^^^ (SW^^^ 
 
SEVEXTII PART 
 
 OF THE MORAS. INFLUENCE OP THE UNITED STATES Cl'OX 
 THE WORLD. 
 
 ^he power of the United States government all over the 
 world, lies in its moral influence, which cannot be diminished, 
 lor it is based upon our institutions, and does not depend 
 upon the caprices of men. The writers who have commented 
 upon the wisdom of these institutions, have shewn to the 
 world, that with the American people, nothing is above man 
 but God and the law. 
 
 France became agitated. The study, and the knowledge 
 of American institutions gave rise, in that nation, to "the 
 Meeting of the Notables, the States General, the National 
 Assembly, the rights of man, the liberty of the press, equality 
 •under the la^vs, abolition of feudal privileges, &c." The revo- 
 lution produced by the struggle between the privileged classes 
 and the Third Estates, was awful, and civil war brought forth 
 many crimes ; but France nevertheless is freeer, and more 
 prosperous at this day than she was in 1789. Her commerce, 
 her manufactures and agriculture, have made immense pro- 
 gress — public education has spread its blessings — and her po- 
 pulation, which amounted to 25,000,000 only, before the revo- 
 lution, has increased to 37,000,000. 
 
 The principles of liberty have often been attacked there, 
 but they prevailed however during the reigns of Louis the 
 18th and Louis Philip. They are now suppressed by an iron 
 hand; but this can be but momentary. Men may change 
 or die; — the roots of the tree of liberty cannot be destroyed. 
 
 Now, let us examine the course of all nations that have 
 been strong enough to shake off the yoke of despoiism and to 
 
— 70 — 
 
 attain independence, and let us see whether they have resorted 
 to absolutism, or to representative governments. Belgium, 
 Holland, Piedmont, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, have 
 adopted Constitutions, and the principles of two represen- 
 tative bodies, and of the Jury in criminal affairs. The liber- 
 ty of the press is subjected in its extent to special laws. Where 
 have these principles been resorted to ? Is it in Russia or in 
 Austria? — No. 
 
 South America has shaken oil' the thraldom of Spain. 
 From the Rio-Grande to the straits of Magellan, republican 
 o-overnments have been established, modelled upon th^t of the 
 United States— with the exception however of Brazil, which 
 is governed under a monarchical constitution, similar to that of 
 Portugal or of Spain. 
 
 A few years only have elapsed, since the star spangled 
 banner has been planted upon the shores of the Pacific. The 
 Chinese who have resorted to those regions, have translated 
 into their language the doctrines of our institutions, and com- 
 municated them to the inhabitants of the celestial empire — 
 and China is already involved in a revolution ! If liberal prin- 
 ciples should triumph there, before, thirty years, all Asia will 
 have proclaimed them. 
 
 In presenting these views of the moral influence exercised 
 upon the world by our institutions and the government of 
 Washington, my object has been to expose the error and ab- 
 surdity of the principles of armed intervention set up by cer- 
 tain agitators in the Congress of 1851 and '52. These de- 
 claimers have taken good care to keep from the eyes of the 
 people the account of expenditures that would be occasioned 
 by the carrying out of such principles, and the consequences 
 that might result to the American people. 
 
 C~,r~S 
 
EIGHTH PART. 
 
 The American people, consisting of 24,000,0000 of souls, 
 could not take part in a war upon Ihe European continent, 
 with less than a force of 50,000 men, of whom six thousand 
 of cavalry. What immense equipments would be required ? 
 What quantities of provisions, bread stufi's and forage I iVt 
 least 300 sliips Avould be required in the transportation of such 
 an army and its equipments. And, as such a distant expedi- 
 dition over the seas would have to be escorted, a correspond- 
 ing increase in our national navy would be necessary. Victors 
 or vanquished, our troops would have to be brought back to 
 the United States, which would require new armaments. We 
 would have also to contend against the navy of the power 
 with which we had engaged in war. Privateers would cover 
 the seas ; our commerce and agriculture would be paralized, 
 our cottons, tobacco, bread stuffs and sugar, would lose their 
 value. Should such a war last but five years, , it would cost 
 more than a thousand millions to the government of the 
 United States and its citizens. In view of such a picture, of 
 the consequences of an armed intervention in European af- 
 fairs, and which is by no means exaggerated, it is difficult 
 to conceive that there have been in the United States agita- 
 tors bold enough and mad enough, to proclaim and maintain 
 such dangerous doctrines. 
 
 Citizens of the American Union I cherish and enjoy in 
 peace your prosperity and your wise institutions ; the great 
 questions which gave rise to the spirit of party — the pro- 
 tective tarif, the annexations of territory, the United States 
 Bank, are now settled and brought to an end. The compro- 
 mise of 1850, has allayed the passions of the North and of 
 
7'^ 
 
 ihe South; tlie difficulties solved by this act were great and 
 portentous — they might have brought on the dissolution of 
 the Union. 
 
 The Compromise of 1850, an imperishable monument of 
 wisdom, was for the greater part, the work of an illustrious 
 citizen — gf an aged man ; who, after having usefully devoted 
 fifty years of his life to the service of his country, had retired 
 from public affairs. Although 1 did not participate in all his po- 
 litical opinions, I ever admired his noble virtues, his great ta- . 
 lents, and his warm eloquence. This great citizen and sage, 
 on hearing that Kentucky,, alarmed at the portentous questions 
 of the day, had summoned him from his retirement, that his 
 mighty voice might be again heard in the United States Se- 
 nate, obeyed the call, and repaired to the Capitol. There, 
 when the crisis arose, all were astonished to see his eyes glow- 
 ing again with the fire of patriotism, as in his youthful days, 
 bis physical strength revived, and his moral powers deve- 
 lopped anew. It was not a question of party in which he 
 straggled for success, it was one of general and vital interest. 
 His patriotic eloquence attained its ends — all were moved 
 and captivated by if. But these were the last notes of the 
 swan. His physical powers, exhausted by his great la- 
 bors, soon abandoned him, and he reclined to rise no more. 
 Death respected yet for some brief days the head as well as 
 the genius of the patriot statesman. It seized only upon his 
 feet, wbich it congealed. It was in this conditioa of suffering 
 that he received the visit of Kossuth, the hungarian revoulu- 
 tionary leader. Extending to him his hand, he uttered these 
 noble words : "I deplore the calamities of your country, but 
 our institutions, as well as the admonitions of the immortal 
 Washington, forbid us all armed interventions — all foreign 
 alliances, offensive or defensive. They enjoin upon us only 
 to recognize existing governments, as we find them in other 
 countries. "We are indebted to these wise precept? for the 
 consideration which we enjoy abroad, as well as for jhe pro- 
 gress of our population, our commerce and our agriculture.'' 
 These words were soon transmitted to all parts of the Union' 
 by the electric telegraphs They became impressed upon iHti 
 
~ 73 — 
 
 mind of almost every citizen. A few clays afterwards, Henivy 
 Clay expired. 
 
 It is near Lexington, in Kentucky, that tlie remains of this 
 great man repose. Tiie eloquent men of Kentucky combined 
 to write his epitaph: by common consent, they determined to 
 inscribe upon his tomb . . . HENRY CLAY. 
 
 The citizens of the United States, of whatever origin, who 
 find this mausoleum before them, incline their heads with 
 respect; — the Kentuckian approaches it slowly, kneels, and 
 mingles Avith his tears the name of Heinry Clay. 
 
 mmm 
 
 
 10 
 
1 
 
TO MY FELLOW CITIZENS. 
 
 I have already declared my intention to continue my his- 
 tory of Louisiana under the French, Spanish and American 
 governments. To bring to an end a work susceptible of such 
 details, several years are required; for it is not only proper to 
 tell of the atchievements and the misfortunes of the knights 
 who, through many a conflict, conquered Louisiana from the 
 fierce and warlike Indians, and to record the names of those, 
 who, victims of their courage, were burnt alive by the cruel 
 savages; — but it is becoming also to speak of the self-sacrifices, 
 and of the martyrdom of those holy Missionaries, who, in the 
 attempt to convert the savages to Christianity, were treated as 
 imposters, and condemned to the stake. Thence, passing in 
 review the different governments that have existed in Loui- 
 siana, and their efl'ects, it will he necessary to speak of the 
 causes that brought on the sad catastrophe of the 25th October 
 1769, in which Lafreniere, Marquis, de Noyan, Millet and Ca- 
 resse, were put to death by the orders of O'Reilly, — and to 
 make known the infamous conduct of the last French com- 
 mandant, Charles Aubry, who became the accuser of his coun- 
 trymen. After having shewn that O'Reilly exceeded the 
 powers conferred upon him by Charles the 3d, king of Spain, 
 I shall record the hermsm of a fair creole. Madam de Lafre- 
 niere, ^vho unable to save the life of her husband, obtained from 
 O'Reilly that Lafreniere and his companions in misfortune 
 should be shot, in lieu of the punishment of the rope to which 
 they had been condemned. 
 
 To move the heart of this cannibal, clothed in the uniform 
 of Lieutenant-Gen-eral of the king, Madam de Lafreniere, 
 after having stated that she was the grand daughter of the 
 chevalier d'Arensbourg, one of the heroes of Sweden, and 
 former aid-de-camp to Charles the 12th who for some years 
 had ruled over the North of Europe, represented to him the 
 horror of such a punishment, and ^the humiliation that would 
 be inflicted upon her noble race — upon the old companion in 
 
— 76 — 
 
 arms of king Charles the 12th, — "my grand .sire," exclaimed the 
 noble woman, "will die of shame and grief! do not disgrace us 
 by an infamous punishment I" — "you may retire Madam," an- 
 swered O'Reilly, "J will take your prayer into consideration." 
 Accordingly, the mode of execution was changed. 
 
 Such is the slight outline of the work which I propose. 
 Having nearly attained the age of seventy; having lost my 
 fortune and independence, it is an arduous task which I 
 undertake. 
 
 Reader, I solicit in advance your indulgence, in view of the 
 motives which renovate my strength and make me almost 
 forget my years and my troubles. I venture to hope that Pro- 
 vidence will aid me, and that my moral energies will not be 
 wanting. 
 
 I also hope, my beloved countrymen, that you will say, at 
 some future day: "We have read the work of old Bernard Ma- 
 rigny— we have recognized therein his patriotism. To noble 
 hearts, the native land is ever dear!...." 
 
 New Orleans, May lOlli, 1864. 
 
DOOUMEMTS. 
 
 FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE POLITICAL 
 HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, 
 
 BY BERNARD* MARIGNY. 
 
 Whereas the Honorable Beniard Marigny has wriUen a 
 work upon the Polilical History of the United States, from 
 1784 to the present lime, showing the aggrandizement ol" the 
 United States as compared with the kingdoms of England, 
 Russia and France under the Republic and under the Empire, 
 containing also a variety of statistics of the kingdom of Spain 
 and the Island of Cuba, and the means which could be em- 
 ployed to induce Spain to sell the Island of Cuba to the 
 United States: 
 
 And considering that parts of said work have been read by 
 
 Mr. Marigny in the French language in the Hall of the House 
 
 of Representatives, to a large number of the members of the 
 
 Leo-islature, who think that the work translated and published 
 
 in the English Language, would be advantageous to the >Statfi 
 
 and the United States : Therefore, ' h 
 
 Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 
 
 of the State of Louisiana in General Assembly convened: 
 
 That the Governor be and he is hereby authorized to subscribe 
 
 for one thousand copies of said work, viz : five hundred copies 
 
 in English, and five hundred copies in French ; and that the 
 
 sum of one dollar be paid to said Bernard Marigny for each 
 
 and every copy of said work, on the warrant of the Auditor of 
 
 Public Accounts, out of any monies not otherwise appropriated. 
 
 [Signed] JNO. M. SANDIDGE, 
 
 Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
 
 [Signed] W. W. FARMER, 
 
 Lieut. Governor and President of the Senate, 
 
 Approved March, 15th, 1864. 
 
 ' [Signed] P. O. HEBERT, 
 
 Governor of the State ol Louisiana. 
 
— 78 — 
 
 [OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE.] 
 I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true and correct copy 
 of the resolution entitled "Resolution for the purchase of the 
 Political History of the United States, by Bernard Marigny," 
 approved March 15th. 1854. Given under my hand and the 
 seal of the State, at Baton Rouge, this 16th day of March, A. 
 D. 1854. ANDREW S. HERRON, 
 
 Secretary of State. 
 
 Legislature of Mississippi. 
 
 Memorial of the Legislative Council and of the House of Repre- 
 sentalives of the Mississippi territorij. — 5th January 1803. 
 
 TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
 UiNITED STATES. 
 
 Your petitioners beg leave to express their sentiments in 
 relation to an event, by which the interests of Western Ame- 
 rica in general, and of this territory in particular, are materially 
 affected. The treaty of San Lorenzo had guaranteed the free 
 navigation of the Mississippi, and a convenient place of de- 
 posit thereon to American merchants, for their goods and mer- 
 chandize. It politically incorporated this region with the rest 
 of the United States. We beheld our commerce flourishing, 
 our prosperity .rapidly increasing, and congratulated ourselves 
 in being the free and happy citizens of an Independent Repu- 
 blic. Relying upon the national faith for the preservation of 
 these privileges, acquired as they were by express stipulations, 
 we had indulged the ho.pe that this prosperity would be lasting. 
 The motives which have induced the Spanish government to 
 deny us this place of deposit, are a subject of conjecture — but 
 it cannot be doubted that the act in itself is a violation of the 
 treaty contracted with that nation. 
 
 A recent order of the government of Louisiana has been 
 promulgated, by which all communications between citizens of 
 the United States, and subjects of Spain, are prohibited. This 
 order, has occasioned new trammels upon our commerce, and 
 
— 79 — 
 
 seems inspired by sentiinenls still more hostile to the United 
 States, than the preceding one. 
 
 Your petitioners, confiding in the energy, the wisdom and 
 the justice of the general government, remain convinced that 
 it will refuse no aid, which the circumstances demand. As to 
 ourselves, we ofter to our country, our lives and our fortunes, 
 to support such measures as Congress may deem adviseable, 
 to maintain the honor, and to defend the interests of the United 
 States. [Signed] W. G. TORMAN, 
 
 Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
 JOHN ELLIS— President of the Council. 
 
 AN ADDRESS 
 
 To THE Senate and House of Representatives of the 
 
 United States. 
 
 January 1803. 
 We, the undersigned, inhabitants of the Avestern country 
 respectfully represent, that the port of New Orleans has been 
 closed against us, by a decree of the Spanish Intendant : that 
 we are indebted to the United States for taxes arreared .and 
 for current taxation, and that we have no means to meet 
 them, but the. products of our farms — that these must rot in 
 our barns^ excluded as we are from a market in the East un- 
 less the government consents to receive them at a reasonable 
 price, or resolves to protect us in the enjoyment of a legitimate 
 commerce; — that we humbly deem prompt and decisive mea- 
 sures to be. necessary — the maxim . that 'W/eo■m;^ce aivd p^i-o- 
 iec/iow are reciprocal," being peculiarly applicable to our po- 
 sition». Whilst declaring, our confidence in the government 
 of the Union, and giving assurance of our cooperation in ail 
 measures that may be adopted to vindicate the just rights of 
 every portion of the. United States, we must assert that we 
 have the right to demand, and we do ask, that the government 
 should adopt the measures necessary to guarantee us in the 
 exercise., of a legitimate trade, or that it should" relieve us at 
 once of all tribute whatever. Without interfering in the 
 naeasujes which may be adopted to bring about the amicable 
 arrangement of a difficulty which has arisen from the gratui- 
 
— 80 — 
 
 tons violation of a solemn treaty, we desire it to be explicitly 
 understood by the United States— ^l hat our sUualion is critical ; 
 that the delay of a single season woukl be ruinous to our section 
 of coimtr//, and that, consequently, ive may be compeUed by an im- 
 perious necessity, unless relief be obtained, to adopt anumg our- 
 selves the measures ive may juflge necessary for the protection of 
 our commerce, even should such measures be productive of unfa- 
 vorable consequences to the harmony of the confederatio?i. 
 
 Letter written from New Orleans, in 1803. 
 
 The French Prefect has arrived. His professions towards 
 the Americans are for the present quite friendly. But I pre- 
 sume tliat after the establishment of the French government, 
 his tone will change. He awaits the arrival of General Vic- 
 tor and the French troops, before entering upon his ad- 
 ministration. Every expedient will be adopted, to keep us 
 quiet under delusive hopes. All the inhabitants of the place, 
 with the exception of a few Creoles, ardently wish that the 
 people of the West should resort to energetic measures. 
 
 A place of deposit is still denied us : we have the finest op- 
 portunity to procure indemnity for the past, and security for 
 the future. If we fail to take advantage of it, I fear that it 
 will never occur again. A handful of men could take this 
 place ; they would meet with little or no resistance. You 
 would be astonished to see the great interest which is felt 
 here in the future prospects of our nation, and the enthousiasrn 
 with which the speeches of our senators, who urged that the 
 country should be immediately seized, are read and re- 
 ported. 
 
 I urgently ask that the militia of the West should be armed 
 and equipped without delay — so that a moment should not 
 be lost to put VIS in a position to secure our own safety. Our 
 enemies charge us with a want of public spirit. The Span- 
 iards who are established here, perceive the precipice to the 
 brink of which their government has been brought by the in- 
 trigues of French policy: and like men in despair, they dare 
 
— 81 — 
 
 not look at tlie fatare. They are impatient of our delays ; 
 they often express surprise at our moderation and pusillani- 
 mity. 
 
 I fear that our plan of negociation may produce nothing but 
 delay. If it should not succeed, I shalllament the unfortunate 
 consequences, to our degradecJ country. 
 
 GIFT OF THK STATE OF LOUISIANA, TO THE FAMILY OF THE LATE 
 
 THOMAS JEFFERSON, AS A TESTIMONIAL OF ITS GRATITUDE TO HIM 
 
 WHO FROM A DEPENDANT COLONY, HAD RAISED IT TO THE 
 
 POSSESSION OF A FREE STATE, &C. 
 
 When Thomas Jefferson had ceased to live, testimonials of 
 public affection reached his family from all quarters, with 
 offerings presented by legislatives bodies, and committees 
 formed in the principal cities. These proofs of universal gra- 
 titude tOAvards a departed patriot, came to contredict from all 
 quarters the charge of ingraiitude which has so often been 
 brought against Republics. 
 
 Henry Johnson, then governor of Louisiana, addressed a 
 message on this subject, to the House of Representatives of the 
 State. In the report of the committee thereon, are the follow- 
 ing words; "Thomas Jefferson, one of the principal founders 
 of those liberal institutions that are the envy of other nations, 
 has died in poverty. He, who has so greatly contributed to 
 the establishment of our social edifice, is entitled 1o the grati- 
 tude of all the Slates of the Union; but Louisiana, is above 
 all others, indebted to him: it was he, who, from a dependent 
 colony, made her a free State, &c." 
 
 In accordance with this report, the legislature on the 16th 
 March, 1827, passed an act as follows : 
 
 ^'Thomas Jefferson, after a life devoted to the service of his 
 country, and of the human race, has died, leaving to his chil- 
 dren as their only heritage, the example of his vjrluer, and the 
 gratitude of the people, whose independence he proclaimed 
 to the world. The Legislature of Louisiana, a State acquired 
 
 11 
 
82 — 
 
 to the Union by his wisdom and foresight, and indebted to 
 him for its political and civil liberty — in order to perpetuate 
 the remembrance of its profound respect for the talents and 
 virtues of this great public benefactor, has, through the Senate 
 and House of Representatives of Louisiana, enacted this law, 
 .in order that the sum of ten thousand dollars be paid to 
 Thomas Jellerson Randolph — the revenues thereof, to be en- 
 joyed by the widow, and to be transmitted through her to 
 the heirs." 
 
p 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 To the page 6, line 23, instead of 1861 read 1850. 
 
 To the page 29, Hue 38, instead of Bereeford read Wit^ock.