_Louisiana, its Discovery and Vicissitudes._
Louisiana, and its eventful history.--The Expedition of De Soto.--The
Missionary Marquette.--His voyage on the Upper Mississippi.--The Expedition
of La Salle.--Michilimackinac.--Its History.--Fate of the "Griffin."--Grief
of La Salle.--His voyage of Discovery.--Sale of Louisiana to the United
States.--Remarks of Napoleon.
The transfer of Louisiana to the United States is one of the most
interesting events in the history of our country. In the year 1800,
Spain, then in possession of the vast region west of the Mississippi,
ceded it to France. The whole country west of the majestic river
appropriately called the Father of Waters, was then called Louisiana,
and its boundaries were very obscurely defined. Indeed neither the
missionary nor the hunter had penetrated but a very short distance into
those unknown wilds. It was in the year 1541 that De Soto, marching from
Florida across the country, came to the banks of this magnificent river,
near the present site of Memphis. He knew not where it took its rise, or
where it emptied its swollen flood. But he found a stream more than a
mile in width, of almost fathomless depth, rolling its rapid, turbid
stream, on which were floated innumerable logs and trees, through an
almost uninhabited country of wonderful luxuriance. He was in search of
gold, and crossing the river, advanced in a north-westerly direction
about two hundred miles, till he came within sight of the Highlands of
the White River. He then turned in a southerly direction, and continued
his explorations, till death soon terminated his melancholy career.
More than one hundred and thirty years passed over these solitudes, when
James Marquette, a French missionary among the Indians at Saint Marys,
the outlet of Lake Superior, resolved to explore the Mississippi, of
whose magnificence he had heard much from the lips of the Indians, who
had occasionally extended their hunting tours to its banks. He was
inured to all the hardships of the wilderness, seemed to despise worldly
comforts, and had a soul of bravery which could apparently set all
perils at defiance. And still he was indued with a poetic nature, which
reveled in the charms of these wild and romantic realms, as he climbed
its mountains and floated in his canoe over its silent and placid
streams. Even then it was not known whether the Mississippi emptied its
majestic flood into the Pacific Ocean or into the Gulf of Mexico. The
foot of the white man upon the shores of Lake Superior, had never
penetrated beyond the Indian village, where the Fox River enters into
Green Bay. From this point Marquette started for the exploration of the
Mississippi. The party consisted of Mr. Marquette, a French gentleman by
the name of Joliete, five French voyageurs and two Indian guides. They
transported their two birch canoes on their shoulders across the portage
from the Fox River to the Wisconsin river. Paddling rapidly down this
stream through realms of silence and solitude, they soon entered the
majestic Mississippi, more than fifteen hundred miles above its mouth.
Marquette seems to have experienced in the highest degree the romance of
his wonderful voyage, for he says that he commenced the descent of the
mighty river with "a joy that could not be expressed." It was the
beautiful month of June, 1673, the most genial season of the year. The
skies were bright above them. The placid stream was fringed with banks
of wonderful luxuriance and beauty, the rocky cliffs at times assuming
the aspect of majestic castles of every variety of architecture; again
the gently swelling hills were robed in sublime forests, and again the
smooth meadows, in their verdure, spread far away to the horizon.
Rapidly the canoes, gently guided by the paddles, floated down the
stream.
Having descended the river about one hundred and eighty miles, they came
to a very well trod Indian trail leading back from the river into the
interior. Marquette and Joliete had the curiosity and the courage to
follow this trail for six miles, until they came to an Indian village.
It would seem that some of the Indians there, in their hunting
excursions, had wandered to some of the French settlements; for four of
their leading men, dressed in the most gorgeous display of barbaric
pomp, "brilliant with many colored plumes," came out to meet them and
conducted them to the cabin of their chief. He addressed them in the
following words:
"How beautiful is the sun, Frenchman, when thou comest to visit us. Our
whole village welcomes thee. In peace thou shalt enter all our
dwellings."
After a very pleasant visit they returned to their boats and resumed
their voyage. They floated by the mouth of the turbid Missouri, little
dreaming of the grandeur of the realms watered by that imperial stream
and its tributaries. They passed the mouth of the Ohio, which they
recognized as the _Belle Riviere_, which the Indians then called the
Wabash. As they floated rapidly away towards the south they visited many
Indian villages on the banks of the stream, where the devoted
missionary, Marquette, endeavored to proclaim the gospel of Christ.
"I did not," says Marquette, "fear death. I should have esteemed it the
greatest happiness to have died for the glory of God."
Thus they continued their exploration as far south as the mouth of the
Arkansas river, where they were hospitably received in a very
flourishing Indian village. Being now satisfied that the Mississippi
river entered the Gulf of Mexico, somewhere between Florida and
California, they returned to Green Bay by the route of the Illinois
river. By taking advantage of the eddies, on either side of the stream,
it was not difficult for them, in their light canoes, to make the
ascent.
Marquette landed on the western banks of Lake Michigan to preach the
gospel to a tribe of Indians called the Miames, residing near the
present site of Chicago. Joliete returned to Quebec to announce the
result of their discoveries. He was received with great rejoicing. The
whole population flocked to the cathedral, where the _Te Deum_ was sung.
Five years passed away, during which the great river flowed almost
unthought of, through its vast and sombre wilderness. At length in the
year 1678, La Salle received a commission from Louis the XIV. of France
to explore the Mississippi to its mouth. Having received from the king
the command of Fort Frontenac, at the northern extremity of Lake
Ontario, and a monopoly of the fur trade in all the countries he should
discover, he sailed from Larochelle in a ship well armed and abundantly
supplied, in June, 1678. Ascending the St. Lawrence to Quebec, he
repaired to Fort Frontenac. With a large number of men he paddled, in
birch canoes, to the southern extremity of Lake Ontario, and, by a
portage around the falls of Niagara, entered Lake Erie. Here he built a
substantial vessel, called the _Griffin_, which was the first vessel
ever launched upon the waters of that lake. Embarking in this vessel
with forty men, in the month of September, a genial and gorgeous month
in those latitudes, he traversed with favoring breezes the whole length
of the lake, a voyage of two hundred and sixty-five miles, ascended the
straits and passed through the Lake of St. Clair, and ran along the
coast of Lake Huron three hundred and sixty miles to Michilimackinac,
where the three majestic lakes, Superior, Michigan and Huron, form a
junction.
Here a trading post was established, which subsequently attained
world-wide renown, and to which the Indians flocked with their furs from
almost boundless realms. Mr. Schoolcraft, who some years after visited
this romantic spot, gives the following interesting account of the
scenery and strange life witnessed there. As these phases of human life
have now passed away, never to be renewed, it seems important that the
memory of them should be perpetuated:
"Nothing can present a more picturesque and refreshing spectacle to the
traveler, wearied with the lifeless monotony of a voyage through Lake
Huron, than the first sight of the island of Michilimackinac, which
rises from the watery horizon in lofty bluffs imprinting a rugged
outline along the sky and capped with a fortress on which the American
flag is seen waving against the blue heavens. The name is a compound of
the word _Misril_, signifying great, and _Mackinac_ the Indian word for
turtle, from a fancied resemblance of the island to a _great turtle_
lying upon the water.
"It is a spot of much interest, aside from its romantic beauty, in
consequence of its historical associations and natural curiosities. It
is nine miles in circumference, and its extreme elevation above the lake
is over three hundred feet. The town is pleasantly situated around a
small bay at the southern extremity of the island, and contains a few
hundred souls, which are sometimes swelled to one or two thousand by the
influx of voyageurs, traders and Indians. On these occasions its
beautiful harbor is seen checkered with American vessels at anchor, and
Indian canoes rapidly shooting across the water in every direction.
"It was formerly the seat of an extensive fur trade; at present it is
noted for the great amount of trout and white fish annually exported.
Fort Mackinac stood on a rocky bluff overlooking the town. The ruins of
Fort Holmes are on the apex of the island. It was built by the British
in the war of 1812, under the name of Fort George, and was changed to
its present appellation after the surrender to the Americans, in
compliment to the memory of Major Holmes, who fell in the attack upon
the island.
"The old town of Michilimackinac stood at the extreme point of the
peninsula of Michigan, nine miles south of the island. Eight years
before La Salle's expedition, Father Marquette, the French missionary,
visited this spot with a party of Hurons, upon whom he prevailed to
locate themselves. A fort was soon constructed, and became an important
post. It continued to be the seat of the fur trade, and the undisturbed
rendezvous of the Indian tribes during the whole period that the French
exercised dominion over the Canadas."
Here at Michilimackinac, La Salle purchased a rich cargo of furs,
exchanging for them his goods at an immense profit. The _Griffin_, laden
with wealth, set out on her return and was wrecked by the way with total
loss. La Salle with his companions had embarked in birch canoes, and
descending Lake Michigan to near its southern extremity, they landed and
erected a fort which they called Miamis. They then carried their canoes
across to the Illinois river and paddled down that stream until they
came near to the present site of Peoria, where they established another
fort, which La Salle, grief-stricken in view of his loss, named
_Creve-Coeur_, or Heartsore. Here the energetic and courageous
adventurer left his men in winter quarters, while, with but three
companions, he traversed the wilderness on foot, amidst the snows of
winter, to Fort Frontenac, a distance of fifteen hundred miles. After an
absence of several weeks, he returned with additional men and the means
of building a large and substantial flat-bottomed boat, with which to
descend the Illinois river to the Mississippi, and the latter stream to
its mouth.
The romantic achievement was successfully accomplished. The banners of
France were unfurled along the banks of the majestic river and upon the
shores of the Gulf of Mexico. This whole region which France claimed by
the right of discovery, was named in honor of the king of France,
Louisiana. Its limits were necessarily quite undefined. In 1684, a
French colony of two hundred and eighty persons was sent out to effect a
settlement on the Lower Mississippi. Passing by the mouth of the river
without discovering it, they landed in Texas, and took possession of the
country in the name of the king of France. Disaster followed disaster.
La Salle died, and the colonists were exterminated by the Indians. Not
long after this, all the country west of the Mississippi was ceded by
France to Spain, and again, some years after, was surrendered back again
by Spain to France. We have not space here to allude to the details of
these varied transactions. But this comprehensive record seems to be
essential to the full understanding of the narrative upon which we have
entered.
It was in the year 1763 that Louisiana was ceded, by France, to Spain.
In the year 1800, it was yielded back to France, under Napoleon, by a
secret article in the treaty of Sn. Ildefonso. It had now become a
matter of infinite moment to the United States that the great Republic
should have undisputed command of the Mississippi, from its source to
its mouth. President Jefferson instructed our Minister at Paris, Robert
Livingston, to negotiate with the French Government for the purchase of
Louisiana. France was then at war with England. The British fleet swept
triumphantly all the seas. Napoleon, conscious that he could not protect
Louisiana from British arms, consented to the sale. We are informed that
on the 10th of April, 1803, he summoned two of his ministers in council,
and said to them:
"I am fully sensible of the value of Louisiana; and it was my wish to
repair the error of the French diplomatists who abandoned it in 1763. I
have scarcely recovered it before I run the risk of losing it. But if I
am obliged to give it up it shall cost more to those who force me to
part with it, than to those to whom I yield it. The English have
despoiled France of all her Northern possessions in America, and now
they covet those of the South. I am determined that they shall not have
the Mississippi. Although Louisiana is but a trifle compared with their
vast possessions in other parts of the globe, yet, judging from the
vexation they have manifested on seeing it return to the power of
France, I am certain that their first object will be to obtain
possession of it.
"They will probably commence the war in that quarter. They have twenty
vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, and our affairs in St. Domingo are daily
getting worse, since the death of Le Clere. The conquest of Louisiana
might be easily made, and I have not a moment to lose in putting it out
of their reach. I am not sure but that they have already began an attack
upon it. Such a measure would be in accordance with their habits; and in
their place I should not wait. I am inclined, in order to deprive them
of all prospect of ever possessing it, to cede it to the United States.
Indeed I can hardly say I cede it, for I do not yet possess it. And if I
wait but a short time, my enemies may leave me nothing but an empty
title to grant to the Republic I wish to conciliate. They only ask for
one city of Louisiana; but I consider the whole colony as lost. And I
believe that in the hands of this rising power, it will be more useful
to the political and even the commercial interests of France, than if I
should attempt to retain it. Let me have both of your opinions upon this
subject."
One of the ministers, Barbe Marbois, cordially approved of the plan of
"cession." The other opposed it. After long deliberation, the conference
was closed, without Napoleon making known his decision. The next day he
sent for Barbe Marbois, and said to him:
"The season for deliberation is over. I have determined to part with
Louisiana. I shall give up not only New Orleans, but the whole colony
without reservation. That I do not undervalue Louisiana I have
sufficiently proved, as the object of my first treaty with Spain was to
recover it. But though I regret parting with it, I am convinced that it
would be folly to persist in trying to keep it. I commission you,
therefore, to negotiate this affair with the envoys of the United
States. Do not wait the arrival of Mr. Munroe, but go this very day and
confer with Mr. Livingston.
"Remember, however, that I need ample funds for carrying on the war; and
I do not wish to commence it by levying new taxes. During the last
century, France and Spain have incurred great expense in the
improvement of Louisiana, for which her trade has never indemnified
them. Large sums have been advanced to different companies, which have
never returned to the treasury. It is fair that I should require payment
for these. Were I to regulate my demands by the importance of this
territory to the United States, they would be unbounded. But being
obliged to part with it, I shall be moderate in my terms. Still,
remember I must have fifty millions of francs ($10,000,000), and I will
not consent to take less. I would rather make some desperate effort to
preserve this fine country."
Negotiations commenced that day. Soon Mr. Munroe arrived. On the 30th of
April, 1803, the treaty was signed, the United States paying fifteen
million dollars for the entire territory. It was stipulated by Napoleon
that Louisiana should be, as soon as possible, incorporated into the
Union; and that its inhabitants should enjoy the same rights,
privileges, and immunities as other citizens of the United States. The
third article of the treaty, securing to them these benefits, was drawn
up by Napoleon himself. He presented it to the plenipotentiaries with
these words:
"Make it known to the people of Louisiana, that we regret to part with
them; that we have stipulated for all the advantages they could desire;
and that France, in giving them up, has insured to them the greatest of
all. They could never have prospered under any European government, as
they will when they become independent. But while they enjoy the
privileges of liberty, let them ever remember that they are French, and
preserve for their mother country that affection, which a common origin
inspires."
This purchase was an immense acquisition to the United States. "I
consider," said Mr. Livingston, "that from this day, the United States
take rank with the first powers of Europe, and now she has entirely
escaped from the power of England."
Napoleon was also well pleased with the transaction, "By this cession,"
he said, "I have secured the power of the United States, and given to
England a maritime rival, who, at some future time, will humble her
pride."
The boundaries of this unexampled purchase could not be clearly defined.
There was not any known landmarks to which reference could be made. The
United States thus had the sole claim to the vast territory west of the
Mississippi, extending on the north through Oregon to the Pacific Ocean,
and on the south to the Mexican dominions. From the day of the transfer,
the natural resources of the great valley of the Mississippi began to be
rapidly developed.
The accompanying map will enable the reader more fully to understand the
geography of the above narrative.