of
good faith, the free navigation of the Mississippi River, and
such insignificant territory as would make such navigation
useful. While our efforts toward the accomplishment of this
slight result languished and were fast assuming a hopeless
condition, the autocrat of France suddenly commanded one of his
ministers to enter into negotiations with our waiting and
dispirited representatives and exclaimed: "I renounce Louisiana.
It is not only New Orleans I cede. It is the whole colony
without reserve."

It was only nineteen days thereafter that the treaty
transferring to us the magnificent domain comprised within the
Louisiana Purchase was concluded.

This astonishing change in our prospects, which dissipated the
fears and apprehensions of our Government and revived the
promise of our perpetuity and happy destiny, came at the very
moment that Bonaparte was organizing a force to occupy the
Louisiana Territory in the prosecution of colonial occupation
and development, which, if consummated, would probably have
closed the door even to the slight acquisition which we
originally sought. The French colony of Santo Domingo was,
however, a prime factor in this scheme of occupation, and it was
essential to its success that this colony and Louisiana should
both be included and should supplement each other. A serious
revolt then raging in Santo Domingo delaying proceedings, the
occupation of Louisiana was postponed until this revolt should
be overcome. The troops sent from France to accomplish this
apparently easy task were so stubbornly resisted by hundreds of
thousands of freed blacks fighting against their reenslavement,
and they suffered so terribly from climatic conditions and
deadly fever, that after the sacrifice of 25,000 soldiers, many
of whom were intended for the subsequent occupation of
Louisiana, Bonaparte's plan for the occupation of both colonies
miscarried. The disappointment and the conception of new schemes
of war and conquest by the restless dictator of France, and his
need of money to carry out these schemes, were controlling
circumstances in leading him to throw in our lap the entire
Louisiana Territory. None of these circumstances were within our
procurement or knowledge; but who shall say that God was not
accomplishing His designs in our behalf amid th