University of Virginia Library

TO ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON AND JAMES MONROE.[5]

Your dispatches, including the Treaty and two conventions
signed with a French Plenipotentiary on the 30th of
April, were safely delivered on the 14th by Mr. Hughes, to
whose care you had committed them.

In concurring with the disposition of the French Government
to treat for the whole of Louisiana, altho' the western

part of it was not embraced by your powers, you were justified
by the solid reasons which you give for it, and I am
charged by the President to express to you his entire approbation
of your so doing.

This approbation is in no respect precluded by the silence
of your Commission and instructions. When these were
made out, the object of the most sanguine was limited to the
establishment of the Mississippi as our boundary. It was not
presumed that more could be sought by the United States
either with a chance of success, or perhaps without being suspected
of a greedy ambition, than the Island of New Orleans
and the two Floridas, it being little doubted that the latter
was or would be comprehended in the Cession from Spain to

France. To the acquisition of New Orleans and the Floridas,
the provision was therefore accommodated. Nor was it to
be supposed that in case the French Government should be
willing to part with more than the Territory on our side
of the Mississippi, an arrangement with Spain for restoring to
her the territory on the other side would not be preferred to
a sale of it to the United States. It might be added, that the
ample views of the subject carried with him by Mr. Monroe
and the confidence felt that your judicious management would
make the most of favorable occurrences, lessened the necessity
of multiplying provisions for every turn which your neogtiations
might possibly take.

The effect of such considerations was diminished by no
information or just presumptions whatever. The note of
Mr. Livingston in particular stating to the French Government
the idea of ceding the Western Country above the Arkansa
and communicated to this Department in his letter of
the 29th January, was not received here till April 5 more
than a month after the Commission and instructions had
been forwarded. And besides that this project not only left
with France the possession and jurisdiction of one bank of
the Mississippi from its mouth to the Arkansa, but a part of
West Florida, the whole of East Florida, and the harbours
for ships of war in the Gulph of Mexico, the letter inclosing
the note intimated that it had been treated by the French
Government with a decided neglect. In truth the communications
in general between Mr. Livingston and the French
Government, both of prior and subsequent date, manifested
a repugnance to our views of purchase which left no expectation
of any arrangement with France by which an extensive
acquisition was to be made, unless in a favorable crisis of
which advantage should be taken. Such was thought to be
the crisis which gave birth to the extraordinary commission
in which you are joined. It consisted of the state of things
produced by the breach of our deposit at New Orleans, the
situation of the French Islands, particularly the important
Island of St. Domingo; the distress of the French

finances, the unsettled posture of Europe, the increasing
jealousy between G Britain and France, and the known
aversion of the former to see the mouth of the Mississippi in
the hands of the latter. These considerations it was hoped,
might so far open the eyes of France to her real interest and
her ears to the monitory truths which were conveyed to her
thro' different channels, as to reconcile her to the establishment
of the Mississippi as a natural boundary to the United
States; or at least to some concessions which would justify
our patiently waiting for a fuller accomplishment of our
wishes under auspicious events. The crisis relied on has
derived peculiar force from the rapidity with which the complaints
and questions between France and Great Britain
ripened towards a rupture, and it is just ground for mutual
and general felicitation, that it has issued under your zealous
exertions, in the extensive acquisition beyond the Mississippi.

With respect to the terms on which the acquisition is made,
there can be no doubt that the bargain will be regarded as
on the whole highly advantageous. The pecuniary stipulations
would have been more satisfactory, if they had departed
less from the plan prescribed; and particularly if the
two millions of dollars in cash, intended to reduce the price
or hasten the delivery of possession had been so applied,
and the assumed payments to American claimants on the
footing specified in the instructions. The unexpected weight
of the draught now to be made on the Treasury will be sensibly
felt by it, and may possibly be inconvenient in relation to
other important objects.

The President has issued his proclamation convening Congress
on the 17th of October, in order that the exchange of
the ratifications may be made within the time limitted. It
is obvious that the exchange, to be within the time, must be
made here and not at Paris; and we infer from your letter of
that the ratifications of the Chief Consul are
to be transmitted hither with that view.

I only add the wish of the President to know from you the
understanding which prevailed in the negotiation with respect

to the Boundaries of Louisiana, and particularly the pretensions
and proofs for carrying it to the River Perdigo, or for
including any lesser portion of West Florida.