USA > Iowa > Hancock County > History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 8
USA > Iowa > Winnebago County > History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 8
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35
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THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE
The French Revolution brought into prominence two of the most noted characters in European history-Napoleon and Talleyrand. These two great Frenchmen, feeling deeply the loss of their country's American possessions, soon began planning for the rebuilding of a colonial empire, one of the chief features of which was the recovery of Louisiana. At that time Don Carlos IV was King of Spain, but Channing says: "The actual rulers in Spain were Dona Maria Luisa de Parma, his queen, and Don Manuel Godoy, el Principe de la Paz, which title writers of English habitually translate 'Prince of Peace.' "
Godoy, who had been influential in the formation and adoption of the treaty of Madrid in 1795, which gave the United States the free navigation of the Mississippi, knew that he was not liked by Napoleon and Talleyrand. Therefore, when they began overtures for the trans- fer of Louisiana back to France, he resigned from the Spanish minstry, leaving the king without his most efficient adviser. In exchange for Louisiana Napoleon and Talleyrand offered an Italian kingdom of at least one million inhabitants for the Duke de Parma, prince pre- sumptive, who was at once son-in-law and nephew of the ruling monarchs. The State of Tuscany was selected and its transfer to Spain was the condition imposed by the secret treaty of San Ildefonso.
The secret treaty was confirmed by the treaty of Madrid (March 21, 1801), a copy of which was sent to President Jefferson by Rufus King, then the United States minister to England. It reached the White House on May 26, 1801. In August following, Robert R. Living- ston went to France as United States minister and immediately upon his arrival asked Talleyrand, then the French prime minister, if the province of Louisiana had been receded to France. Talleyrand replied in the negative, and in one sense of the word he was justified in doing so, as the treaty of Madrid was not signed by the King of Spain until in October, 1802. When President Jefferson received the copy of the treaty sent by Mr. King, he wrote to James Monroe: "There is con- siderable reason to apprehend that Spain cedes Louisiana and the Floridas to France. To my mind this policy is very unwise for both France and Spain, and very ominous to us."
During the next twelve months President Jefferson and his cabinet officers were kept in a state of suspense as to the status of Louisiana and little progress was made toward a satisfactory adjustment of the navigation matter. On April 18, 1802, the President wrote to Mr. Livingston at Paris, advising him that the American people were anxiously watching France's movements with regard to Louisiana. In his letter he summed up the situation as follows: 1. The natural
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feeling of the American people toward France was one of friendship. 2. Whatever nation possessed New Orleans and controlled the lower reaches of the river became the natural enemy of American progress, and therefore of the American people. 3. Spain was then well disposed toward the United States and as long as she remained in possession of New Orleans the people of this country would be satisfied with conditions. 4. On the other hand, France possessed an energy and restlessness of character which would be the cause of eternal friction between that country and the United States. In concluding his letter he said:
"The day that France takes possession of New Orleans fixes the sentence which is to restrain her forever within her low water mark. It seals the union of two nations who in conjunction can maintain exclusive [control]of the ocean. From that moment we must marry ourselves to the British fleet and nation. The first cannon which shall be fired in Europe will be the signal for tearing up any settlement she may have made, and for holding the two continents of America in sequestration for the common purpose of the united British and . American nations."
Jefferson did not desire an alliance with England, but was firm in the conviction that French possession of Louisiana would force the United States to adopt such a course. In November, 1802, news reached Washington that the Spanish authorities at New Orleans had suddenly and without warning withdrawn the right of deposit at that port. The country-particularly in the new settlements in the Missis- sippi and Ohio valleys-was ablaze with indignation. The Federalists, Jefferson's political opponents, tried to force the administration into some policy that would give them a political advantage, but their efforts were futile. Says Channing : "Never in all his long and varied career did Jefferson's foxlike discretion stand him in better stead. Instead of following public clamor, he calmly formulated a policy and carried it through to a most successful termination."
In his message to Congress at the opening of the session in 1802, the President merely stated that the change in ownership of Louisiana would necessarily make a change in our foreign relations, but did not intimate what the nature of that change was to be. On January 7, 1803, the lower house of Congress, acting upon the President's recom- mendation, adopted the following resolution: "Resolved, That it is the unalterable determination of the United States to maintain the boundaries and rights of navigation and commerce through the Missis- sippi River, as established by existing treaties."
On the 13th of the same month Mr. Jefferson wrote to James Monroe that the Federalists were trying to force the United States into war
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in order to get into power. About the same time he wrote to Mr. Livingston that if France considered Louisiana indispensable to her interests, she might still be willing to cede to the United States the island of Orleans and the Floridas. Or if not willing to cede the island, she might be induced to grant the right of deposit at New Orleans and the free navigation of the Mississippi, as it had previously been under the Spanish regime, and directed him to open negotiations with that end in view. A few days after writing this letter, thinking the cession could probably be more easily accomplished by sending an emissary direct from the United States for that purpose, he ap- pointed James Monroe as minister plenipotentiary, so cooperate with Minister Livingston. The senate promptly confirmed Mr. Monroe's appointment and Congress placed at his disposal the sun of $2,000,000 to be used by him and Mr. Livingston to pay for the island.
It may be well to note, in this connection, that the ultimate success of Livingston and Monroe was no doubt furthered by a letter written about this time by Pichon, the French minister to the United States, to Talleyrand, in which he advised the French prime minister that the people of the United States were thoroughly aroused over the suspension of the right of deposit, and that the administration might be forced by public opinion into an alliance with Great Britain. War between England and France had just been renewed and Napoleon, realizing the superior strength of the British navy, saw that it would be a difficult undertaking to hold Louisiana if an alliance should be made between England and the United States. He had a force of troops under General Victor ready to send to New Orleans, but learned that an English fleet was lying in wait for Victor's departure and countermanded the order.
In the meantime Livingston had opened negotiations for the cession of the island of Orleans and West Florida, believing the Floridas were included in the treaty of San Ildefonso. On April 11, 1803, Napoleon placed the entire matter of the cession in the hands of the Marquis de Marbois, minister of the French treasury, and the same day Talley- rand startled Livingston by asking if the United States would not like to own the entire Province of Louisiana. Livingston gave a negative reply, but Talleyrand insisted that Louisiana would be worth nothing to France without the city and island of New Orleans and asked the American minister to make an offer for the whole province. Another conference was held the next morning, and that afternoon Mr. Monroe arrived in Paris. That night the two American envoys spent several hours in consultation, the result of which was that Mr. Livingston was selected to conduct the negotiations.
Several days were then spent in discussing the matter, Marbois
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at first asking 125,000,000 franes ($25,000,000) for the whole province, though it afterward cropped out that Napoleon had directed him to accept 50,000,000 francs, provided a better price could not be obtained. The price finally agreed upon was 80,000,000 francs, three-fourths of that amount to go directly to the French treasury and the remainder to be used in settling claims of American citizens against the French Government. The next step was to embody the terms in a formal treaty. As this treaty gave to the United States a territory of nearly nine hundred thousand square miles, in which was situated the present State of Iowa, it is here given in full. It is known as the
TREATY OF PARIS
"The President of the United States of America and the First Consul of the French Republie, in the name of the French people, desiring to remove all sources of misunderstanding relative to objects of discussion mentioned in the second and fifth articles of the con- vention of the 8th Vendemaire, an 9 (30 September, 1800), relative to the rights claimed by the United States, in virtue of the treaty concluded at Madrid, the 27th of October, 1795, between his Catholic Majesty and the said United States, and willing to strengthen the union and friendship which at the time of said convention was happily reestablished between the two nations, have respectfully named their plenipotentiaries, to wit : The President of the United States of Amer- ica, by and with the advice of the senate of the said states, Robert R. Livingston, minister plenipotentiary of the United States, and James Monroe, minister plenipotentiary and envoy extraordinary of the said states, near the Government of the French Republic; and the First Consul, in the name of the French people, the French citizen, Barbe Marbois, minister of the public treasury, who, after having exchanged their full powers, have agreed to the following articles :
Article I-Whereas, by the article the third of the treaty concluded at St. Ildefonso, the 9th Vendemaire an 9 (October 1, 1800), between the First Consul of the French Republic and his Catholic Majesty, it was agreed as follows: 'His Catholic Majesty promises and engages on his part to retrocede to the French Republic, six months after the full and entire execution of the conditions and stipulations herein rela- tive to his royal highness, the Duke of Parma, the colony or province of Louisiana, with the same extent that it now has in the hands of Spain, and that it had when France possessed it; and such as it should be after the treaties subsequently entered into between Spain and other states,' and
"Whereas, in pursuance of the treaty, particularly of the third
1
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article, the French Republic has an incontestible title to the domain and possession of said territory; the First Consul of the French Republic, desiring to give to the United States a strong proof of his friendship, doth hereby cede to the United States, in the name of the French Republic, forever, in full sovereignty, the said territory, with all its rights and appurtenances, as fully and in the same manner as they have been acquired by the French Republic in virtue of the above mentioned treaty, concluded with his Catholic Majesty.
"Article II-In the cession made by the preceding article, are included the adjacent islands belonging to Louisiana, all public lots and squares, vacant lands, and all public buildings, fortifications, bar- racks and other edifices which are not private property. The archives, papers and documents relative to the domain and sovereignty of Louisiana and its dependencies, will be left in the possession of the commissioners of the United States, and copies will be afterward given in due form to the magistrates and municipal officers of such of the said papers and documents as may be necessary to them.
"Article III-The inhabitants of the ceded territory shall be incor- porated in the Union of the United States and admitted as soon as possible, according to the principles of the Federal Constitution, to the enjoyment of all the rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of the United States; and in the meantime they shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property and the religion which they profess.
"Article IV-There shall be sent by the Government of France a commissary to Louisiana, to the end that he do every act necessary, as well to receive from the officers of his Catholic Majesty the said country and its dependencies in the name of the French Republic, if it has not already been done, and to transmit it in the name of the French Republic to the commissary or agent of the United States.
"Article V-Immediately after the ratification of the present treaty by the President of the United States, and in case that of the First Consul shall have been previously obtained, the commissary of the French Republic shall remit all the military posts of New Orleans and other posts of the ceded territory, to the commissary or commissaries named by the President of the United States to take possession ; the troops, whether of France or Spain, who may be there, shall cease to occupy any military post from the time of taking possession, and shall be embarked as soon as possible, in the course of three months after the ratification of this treaty.
"Article VI-The United States promises to execute such treaties and articles as may have been agreed between Spain and the tribes and nations of Indians, until by mutual consent of the United States
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and the said tribes or nations, other suitable articles shall have been agreed upon.
"Article VII-As it is reciprocally advantageons to the commerce of France and the United States to encourage the communication of both nations, for a limited time, in the country ceded by the present treaty, until general arrangements relative to the commerce of both nations may be agreed upon, it has been agreed between the contracting parties, that the French ships coming directly from France or any of her colonies, loaded only with the produce of France or her said colonies, and the ships of Spain coming directly from Spain or any of her colonies, loaded only with the produce or manufactures of Spain or her colonies, shall be admitted during the space of twelve years in the ports of New Orleans, and all other ports of entry within the ceded territory, in the same manner as the ships of the United States coming directly from France or Spain, or any of their colonies, without being subject to any other or greater duty on merchandise, or other or greater tonnage than those paid by the citizens of the United States.
"During the space of time above mentioned, no other nation shall have a right to the same privileges in the ports of the ceded territory; the twelve years shall commence three months after the exchange of ratifications, if it shall take place in France, or three months after it shall have been notified at Paris to the French Goverment, if it shall take place in the United States; it is, however, well understood, that the object of this article is to favor the manufactures, commerce, freight and navigation of France and Spain, so far as relates to the importations that the French and Spanish shall make into the ports of the United States, without in any sort affecting the regulations that the United States may make concerning the exportation of the produce and merchandise of the United States, or any right they may have to make such regulations.
"Article VIII-In future, and forever after the expiration of the twelve years, the ships of France shall be treated upon the footing of the most favored nations in the ports above mentioned.
"Article IX-The particular convention signed this day by the respective ministers, having for its object to provide for the payment of debts due to the citizens of the United States by the French Republic prior to the 30th day of September, 1800 (8th Vendemaire, 9), is approved and to have its execution in the same manner as if it had been inserted in the present treaty, and it shall be ratified in the same form and at the same time, so that the one shall not be ratified distinct from the other.
"Another particular convention signed at the same time as the present treaty, relative to a definite rule between the contracting
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parties, is in like manner approved and will be ratified in the same form and at the same time, and jointly.
"Article X-The present treaty shall be ratified in good and due form, and the ratification shall be exchanged in the space of six months after the date of the signatures of the ministers plenipotentiary, or sooner if possible. In faith whereof, the respective plenipotentiaries have signed these articles in the French and English languages, de- claring, nevertheless, that the present treaty was originally agreed to in the French language; and have thereunto set their seals.
"Done at Paris, the tenth day of Floreal, in the eleventh year of the French Republic, and the 30th of April, 1803.
"ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON (L. S.)
"JAMES MONROE (L. S.)
"BARBE MARBOIS (L. S.)"
The original cost of the entire territory ceded by the treaty of Paris was about three cents per acre, but MeMaster says: "Up to June, 1880, the total cost of Louisiana was $27,267,621." Out of the country acquired by the treaty have been erected the following states : Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, about one-third of Colorado, nearly all of Montana, three-fourths of Wyoming, and Oklahoma. In the purchase of this vast region, Livingston and Monroe exceeded their authority and for a time President Jefferson was inclined to the belief that an amendment to the Federal Constitution-an "act of indemnity" he called it-would be necessary to make the transaction legal. But when he saw the general acquiescence of the people he abandoned the idea. In his message to Congress on October 17, 1803, he said :
"The enlightened Government of France saw, with just discernment, the importance to both nations of such liberal arrangement as might best and permanently promote the peace, interests and friendship of both; and the property and sovereignty of all Louisiana, which had been restored to them, have, on certain conditions, been transferred to the United States by instruments bearing the date of 30th of April last. When these shall have received the constitutional sanction of the senate, they will without delay be communicated to the representa- tives for the exercise of their functions, as to those conditions which are within the powers vested in the constitution by Congress."
Three days after the delivery of this message, the treaty was rati- fied by the senate. It was ratified by the house of representatives on October 25, 1803. Mr. Jefferson appointed William C. C. Claiborne, governor of Mississippi, and Gen. James Wilkinson commissioners,
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in accordance with Article IV of the treaty, to receive the province from Pierre Laussat, the French commissary. The transfer was formally made and the Stars and Stripes were raised at New Orleans on December 20, 1803. Thus the domain of the United States were extended westward to the summit of the Rocky Mountains and Iowa became a part of the territory of the American Republic.
EXPLORING THE NEW PURCHASE
Not long after the cession of Louisiana to the United States, Presi- dent Jefferson began making plans to send an expedition up the Missouri River to discover its sources, and to ascertain whether a water ronte to the Pacific coast was practicable. As it was late in the year 1803 before the treaty of Paris was ratified, the expedition was postponed until the following spring. The President selected as leaders of this expedition Capts. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark of the regular army. Both were natives of Virginia and the latter was a brother of Gen. George Rogers Clark. On May 14, 1804, they left the month of the Missouri River and ascended that stream. Their company consisted of fourteen regular soldiers, nine young men from Kentucky, two French voyageurs or boatmen, an Indian inter- preter, a hunter and a negro servant belonging to Captain Clark. Their main vessel was a keel-boat fifty-five feet long, with twenty-two oars and drawing three feet of water. It had a cabin, in which were kept the most valuable articles, and a large square sail to be used when the wind was favorable. They also had two pirogues, fitted with six and seven oars respectively. Two horses were led along on the bank, to be used in hunting game.
On July 22nd the expedition came to "a high and shaded situation" on the east side of the river, where they established a camp, "intending to make the requisite observations, and to send for the neighboring tribes for the purpose of making known to them the recent change in government and the wish of the United States to cultivate their friendship." The best authorities agree in locating this camp near the line between Mills and Pottawattomie counties, in Iowa. On September 8, 1806, they occupied this camp again on their return trip.
Lewis and Clark landed at several places in Iowa, but found only a few Indians on the east side of the river. The names they gave to some of the streams that empty into the Missouri still remain.
On August 9, 1805, Lient. Zebulon M. Pike left St. Louis with a sergeant, two corporals and seventeen privates, to explore the upper Mississippi River. In the latter part of that month he held a council
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with the Indians near the present town of Montrose, in Lee County, Iowa, which was probably the first council ever hield on Iowa soil be- tween a representative of the United States and the natives. On that occasion Pike addressed the assembled chiefs as follows: "Your great father, the President of the United States, in his desire to become better acquainted with the condition and wants of the different nations of red people in our newly ecquired territory of Louisiana, has ordered the general to send a number of warriors in various directions to take our red brothers by the hand and make such inquiries as will give your great father the information required."
No attempt was made to conclude a treaty, but at the close of the council Pike distributed among the Indians knives, tobacco and trinkets of various kinds. Among the Indians who were present at this council were some who had signed the treaty at St. Louis the preceding November. Lientenant Pike seems to have been the first American with whom chief Black Hawk came in close contact. Some years later the old chief gave the following account of the lieutenant's visit to the Sac and Fox village on the Rock River :
"A boat came up the river with a young chief and a small party of soldiers. We heard of them soon after they passed Salt River. Some of our young braves watched them every day, to see what sort of people were on board. The boat at last arrived at Rock River and the young chief came on shore with his interpreter, made a speech and gave us some presents. We in turn gave them meat and such other provisions as we could spare. We were well pleased with the young chief. He gave us good advice and said our American father would treat us well."
The expeditions of Lewis and Clark and Lieutenant Pike touched only the borders of Iowa. The first authentic account of the region now comprising Northwestern Iowa was that contained in the official report of J. N. Nicollet, who was appointed by the secretary of war on April 7, 1838, to make a map of the hydrographic basin of the upper Mississippi River. Associated with Nicollet in this work was John C. Fremont, then a young engineer in the service of the United States, but who afterward won fame as the "Pathfinder of the Rocky Monn- tains," the first candidate of the republican party for the presidency, and as a general in the Union army during the Civil war.
ACQUISITION OF THE INDIAN LANDS
Although the treaty of September 3, 1783, which ended the Revolu- tionary war, extended the territory of the United States westward to the Mississippi; and the treaty of Paris (April 30, 1803), sold the Province of Louisiana to the United States, thereby extending the west-
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ern boundary to the Rocky Mountains, neither treaty had the power to extinguish the Indian title to the lands. That problem was left to the Federal Government for solution.
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