316 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



one hundred years ago on the 30th of next April the 

 treaty ceding this great territory was signed, and Presi- 

 dent Jefferson was soon after assailed for having not on- 

 ly violated the Constitution by extending his country's 

 boundaries, but he was especially criticized for throwing 

 away the enormous sum of $15,000,000 in the purchase 

 of land lying so remote from civilization and of so little 

 intrinsic value. But Providence raises statesmen from 

 time to time who see beyond the narrow horizon of their 

 own time, and in republics men are called to power who 

 are willing to look further than the next election. 



The most stupendous transaction in the march of time 

 was the action of Pope Alexander VI, when he took the 

 map of the world and with a pen and ruler divided the 

 New World between Portugal and Spain. This was a 

 very simple and convenient adjustment of a great con- 

 troversy, but it was not possible for it to remain so set- 

 tled, and so in due time other nations took part in the 

 colonization of our hemispheres. And so it happened 

 that whilst our Atlantic Coast was occupied by Great 

 Britain, the most Christian king of France held dominion 

 over the great prairies, forests, and mountains of the 

 West. 



In 1682 the flag of France was raised, but it was not 

 until 1699 that the first settlement was made near the 

 Gulf. The great possibilities of this country fascinated 

 the French people, and John Law exploited its future 

 with his Mississippi scheme, involving all France in 

 bankruptcy and financial ruin, until they were very will-- 

 ing indeed to cede the land to Spain, in 1762. But in the 

 treaty of San Ildefonso, October 1, 1800, Spain again 

 transferred it back to France; but the terms of the 

 treaty were kept so secret that it was commonly believed 

 that Florida had been included in the transfer, though 

 the flag of Spain still floated over the various posts. 



