312 The Winning of the West 



ment of the Americans was the all-important factor 

 in determining the ultimate ownership of New Or- 

 leans. Livingston, the American minister, saw 

 plainly the inevitable outcome of the struggle. He 

 expressed his wonder that other Americans should 

 be uneasy in the matter, saying that for his part 

 it seemed as clear as day that no matter what trouble 

 might temporarily be caused, in the end Louisiana 

 was certain to fall into the grasp of the United 

 States. 7 



There were many Americans and many French- 

 men of note who were less clear-sighted. Living- 

 ston encountered rebuff after rebuff, and delay after 

 delay. Talleyrand met him with his usual front 

 of impenetrable duplicity. He calmly denied every- 

 thing connected with the cession of Louisiana until 

 even the details became public property, and then 

 admitted them with unblushing equanimity. His 

 delays were so tantalizing that they might well have 

 revived unpleasant memories of the famous X. Y. Z. 

 negotiations, in which he tried in vain to extort 

 bribe-money from the American negotiators; 8 but 



7 Livingston to Madison, Sept. i, 1802, Later Livingston 

 himself became uneasy, fearing lest Napoleon's wilfulness 

 might plunge him into an undertaking which, though cer- 

 tain to end disastrously to the French, might meanwhile 

 cause great trouble to the Americans-. 



8 Jefferson was guilty of much weak and undignified con- 

 duct during these negotiations, but of nothing weaker and 

 more petty than his attempt to flatter Talleyrand by pre- 

 tending that the Americans disbelieved his admitted venal- 

 ity, and were indignant with those who had exposed it. See 

 Adams. 



