338 ANNUAL REGISTER, 
pose that people to be.. Five mil- 
lions of men, scattered over a 
boundless territory, could not ser 
riously and for an interminable 
period, resist the efforts of a force 
tenfold more numerous. Were 
England necessitated to withdraw 
from. all interference with conti- 
nental affairs, as had been dictated 
to her by the imperious construc- 
tion France appeated to put upon 
the terms of the treaty of Amiens, 
there would be no power on earth 
that could effectually interfere to 
rescue North America from the 
all-powerful dictation of France. 
The towns on her coast could 
have been destroyed, and her com- 
merce utterly ruined; nor would 
it have been possible for the United 
States to keep up permanently, 
such an army for their defence, 
_as France, assisted by her depend- 
.ent ally, Spain, could maintain for 
their annoyance. 
Before Louisiana was. to be sur- 
yendered to the French, we have 
seen that the latter contrived to 
foment a quarrel between Spain, 
who was to evacuate it, and Ame- 
rica. This measure seems how- 
ever to have been intended solely 
fo feel the pulse of the latter 
gountry, and enable Bonaparte to 
calculate how far she would permit 
aggression, before she would ven- 
ture to demand redress and satis- 
faction. 
The federal government had by 
treaty with Spain, the right of ware- 
housing at New Or feana,: all the pro- 
duce of the western territory, which 
came down the Missisippi for expor- 
tation. Spainnow, at the instance of 
France, pretended to abrogate that 
fight, without which all those dis- 
trict, of the American union, na- 
1803. 
turally by far the finest and most 
productive, would become uninha- 
bitable; as the Missisippi is the 
only channel through which their 
produce could be exported, and 
New Orleans the only port, at the » 
mouth of that river, capable of ac- 
commodating vessels large enough 
for the purpose. 
This audacious attempt, on the 
»part of France, kindled the most 
violent indignation, throughout the 
population of the districts in ques- 
tion, The state of Kentucky loud- 
ly called for an immediate war 
with Spain, and the attack of New 
Orleans, Tliese spirited measures 
did not however suit with the cold 
and prudential caution of Mr. 
Jefferson. — The President, well 
aware that to France this out- 
rageous breach of faith was owing, 
thought it most advisable to dis- 
“patch ambassadors to Paris, to ob- 
tain that by negociation and pur- 
chase, which assuredly, under 
every ‘circumstance, America might. 
have possessed herself of, RY force 
of arms. 
It is extremely prabptile that Bo- 
naparte would have persisted in his 
original plan, and retused the offers 
which were made him by the Ame- 
rican government, had not the ap- 
proaching war with England con- 
vinced him, that to retain Louisiana 
was utterly impracticable, and that 
therefore it was better for him to 
sell it at the high price which the 
president of America was pleased 
to affix, than to risk both money 
and territory, by his non-acquies- — 
cence. France therefore appears 
to have made an excellent bargain 
in selling, at a high price, that 
which she was never possessed of, 
and, in the event of war with Eng- | 
lund, 
