4857. LOUISIANA, Spain and acquisition.—[continued].
Spain entered with us a
protestation against our ratification of the
treaty, grounded, first, on the assertion that
the First Consul had not executed the conditions
of the treaties of cession; and, secondly,
that he had broken a solemn promise
not to alienate the country to any nation.
We answered, that these were private questions
between France and Spain, which they
must settle together; that we derived our title
from the First Consul, and did not doubt his
guarantee of it.—
To Robert R. Livingston. Washington ed. iv, 511.
Ford ed., viii, 278.
(W.
Nov. 1803)
See Spain.
