‘_Fontainbleau_, September 14, 1712.
LOUIS, By the grace of God, &c.
‘The care we have always had to procure the welfare and
advantage of our subjects, having induced us, &c. to seek
for all possible opportunities of enlarging and extending
the trade of our American colonies, we did, in the year
1683, give our orders to undertake a discovery of the
countries and lands which are situated in the northern
part of America, between New France and New Mexico;
and the Sieur de la Salle, to whom we committed that
enterprise, having had success, enough to confirm a belief
that a communication might be settled _from New France
to the Gulf of Mexico_, by means of large rivers, this
obliged us, immediately after the peace of Ryswic, to give
orders for establishing a colony there, and maintaining
a garrison, _which has kept and preserved the possession
we had taken in the very year 1683_, of the lands, coasts,
and islands, which are situated _in the Gulf of Mexico
between Carolina on the east_, and old and new Mexico on
the west. But a new war having broke out in Europe shortly
after, there was no possibility, till now, of reaping from
_that colony_ the advantages that might have been expected
from thence, &c. And, whereas, upon the information we
have received concerning the disposition and situation of
the said countries, _known at present by the name of the
Province of Louisiana_, we are of opinion, that there may
be established therein considerable commerce, &c., we have
resolved to grant the commerce of the country of Louisiana
to the Sieur Anthony Crozat, &c. For these reasons, &c. we,
by these presents signed by our hand, have appointed and
do appoint the said Sieur Crozat, to carry on a trade in
all the lands possessed by us, and bounded by New Mexico
_and by the lands of the English of Carolina_, all the
establishments, ports, havens, rivers, and principally
the port and haven of the Isle Dauphine, heretofore
called Massacre; the river of St. Louis, heretofore
called Mississippi, from the edge of the sea as far as the
Illinois, together with the river St. Philip, heretofore
called the Missouri, and of St. Jerome, heretofore called
Onabache, with all the countries, territories, and lakes
within land, and the rivers which fall directly or
indirectly into that part of the river St. Louis.
‘_The Articles_――¹. Our pleasure is, that all the
aforesaid lands, countries, streams, rivers, and islands
be, and _remain comprised under the name of the government
of Louisiana_, which shall be dependent upon the general
government of New France, to which it is subordinate;
and further, that all the lands which we possess from the
Illinois, be united, &c. to the general government of New
France, and become part thereof, &c.’
3 – The chairman had risen to put the question, which would
have cut Mr. Clay off from the opportunity of speaking, by
carrying the bill to the house.――_Editor._
4 – This prediction is already beginning to be
realized.――_Editor._
5 – It is due to Mr. Clay to observe, that one of the most
offensive expressions used by Mr. Quincy, an expression
which produced disgust on all sides of the house, has
been omitted in that gentleman’s reported speech, which
in other respects has been much softened.――_Editor._
6 – It is impossible to describe the pathetic effect produced
by this part of the speech. The day was chilling cold;
so much so, that Mr. Clay has been heard to declare, that
it was the only time he ever spoke, when he was unable to
keep himself warm by the exercise of speaking; yet there
were few eyes that did not testify to the sensibility
excited.――_Editor._