laws of the United States; and thereupon the said citizen Laussat declared that in virtue of and in the terms of the powers, commission and special mandate dated at St. Cloud, 6th June 1803 of the Christian era (17th Prairial 11 year of the French Republick) he put from that moment the said Commissioners of the United States in possession of the country, territories and dependencies of Louisiana, conformably to the 1. 2. 4 and 5th articles of the treaty and the two conventions, concluded and signed the 30 April 1803, (10 Floreal 11th year of the French Republick) between the French Republick and the United Štates of America by citizen Francis Barbe Marbois, minister of the Publick Treasury, and Messieurs Robert R. Livingston and James Munroe, ministers plenipotentiary of the United States, all three furnished with full powers, of which treaty and two conventions the ratifications, made by the first Consul of the French Republick, on the one part, and by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, on the other part, have been exchanged and mutually received at the city of Washington, the 21 October 1803, 28 Vendemaire 12 year of the French Republick, by citizen Louis Andre Pichon, charge des affaires of the French Republick, near the United States, on the part of France, and by James Madison, secretary of state of the United States, on the part of the United States, according to the proces verbal drawn up on the same day; and the present delivery of the country is made to them, to the end that, in conformity with the object of the said treaty, the sovereignty and property of the colony or province of Louisiana may pass to the said United States, under the same clauses and conditions as it had been ceded by Spain to France, in virtue of the treaty concluded at St. Ildefonso, on the 1 October, 1800 (9th Vendemiare, 9 year) between these two last powers, which has since received its execution by the actual reentrance of the French republick into possession of the said colony or province. And the said citizen Laussat in consequence, at this pre sent time, delivered to the said commissioners of the United States, in this publick sitting, the keys of the city of NewOrleans, declaring that he discharges from their oaths of fidelity towards the French Republick, the citizens and inhabitants of Louisiana, who shall choose to remain under the dominion of the United States. And that it may for ever appear, the undersigned have signed the proces verbal of this important and solemn act, in the French and English languages, and have sealed it with their seals, and have caused it to be countersigned by their secretaries of commission, the day, month and year above written. (Signed) WM. C. C. CLAIBORNE, [L.S.] [L.S.] [L.S.] PROCLAMATION By his Excellency WILLIAM C. C. CLAIBORNE, Governour of the Mississippi Territory, exercising the powers of Governour General and Intendant of the province of Louisiana. WHEREAS, by stipulations between the governments of France and Spain, the latter ceded to the former the Colony and Province of Louisiana, with the same extent which it had at the date of the abovementioned treaty in the hands of Spain, and that it had when France possessed it, and such as it ought to be after the treaties subsequently entered into between Spain and other states; and whereas the government of France has ceded the same to the United States by a treaty duly ratified, and bearing date the 30th of April, in the present year, and the possession of said colony and province is now in the United States, according to the tenor of the last mentioned treaty; and whereas the Congress of the United States, on the 31st day of October, in the present year, did enact that until the expiration of the session of Congress then sitting, (unless provisions for the temporary government of the said territories be sooner made by Congress,) all the military, civil and judicial powers, exercised by the then existing government of the same, shall be vested in such person or persons, and shall be exercised in such manner, as the President of the United States shall direct, for the maintaining and protecting the inhabitants of Louisiana in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property and religion; and the President of the United States has by his commission, bearing date the same 31st day of October, invested me with all the powers, and charged me with the several duties heretofore held and exercised by the governour general and Intendant of the province : I HAVE, therefore, thought fit to issue THIS MY PROCLAMATION, making known the premises, and to declare, that the government heretofore exercised over the said province of Louisiana, as well under the authority of Spain as of the French Republick, has ceased, and that of the United States of America is established over the same; that the inhabitants thereof will be incorporated in the Union of the United States, and admitted as soon as possible, according to the principles of the federal constitution, to the enjoyment of all the rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of the United States; that in the mean time they shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property and the religion which they profess; that all laws and municipal regulations, which were in existence at the cessation of the late government, remain in full force; and all civil officers charged with their execution, except those whose powers have been specially vested in me, and except also such officers as have been entrusted with the collection of the revenue, are continued in their functions, during the pleasure of the governour for the time being, or until provision shall otherwise be made. And I do hereby exhort and enjoin all the inhabitants, and other persons within the said province, to be faithful and true in their allegiance to the United States, and obedient to the laws and authorities of the same, under full *VOL. I. 29 assurance that their just rights will be under the guardianship of the United States, and will be maintained from all force or violence from without or within. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. Given at the city of New-Orleans, the 20th day of December, 1803, and of the independence of the United States of America the 28th. WM. C. C. CLAIBORNE. The Governours Address to the Citizens of Louisiana. Fellow Citizens of Louisiana, Or the great and interesting event now finally consummated—an event so advantageous to yourselves, and so glorious to United America, I cannot forbear offering you my warmest congratulations. The wise policy of the consul of France has, by the cession of Louisiana to the United States, secured to you a connection beyond the reach of change, and to your posterity the sure inheritance of freedom. The American people receive you as brothers; and will hasten to extend to you a participation in those inestimable rights, which have formed the basis of their own unexampled prosperity. Under the auspices of the American government, you may confidently rely upon the security of your liberty, your property, and the religion of your choice. You may with equal certainty rest assured, that your commerce will be promoted and your agriculture cherished; in a word, that your true interests will be among the primary objects of our national legislature. In return for these benefits, the United States will be amply remunerated, if your growing attachment to the constitution of our country, and your veneration for the principles on which it is founded, be duly proportioned to the blessings which they will confer. Among your first duties, therefore, you should cultivate with assiduity among yourselves the advancement of political information; you should guide the rising generation in the paths of republi can economy and virtue; you should encourage literature, for without the advantages of education your descendants will be unable to appreciate the intrinsick worth of the government transmitted to them. As for myself, fellow citizens, accept a sincere assurance, that, during my continuance in the situation in which the President of the United States has been pleased to place me, every exertion will be made on my part to foster your internal happiness, and forward your general welfare, for it is only by such means that I can secure to myself the approbation of those great and just men who preside in the councils of our nation. WILLIAM C. C. CLAIBORNE. New-Orleans, Dec. 20, 1803. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS. NOV. 8, 1804. To a people, fellow citizens, who sincerely desire the happiness and prosperity of other nations, to those who justly calculate that their own well being is advanced by that of the nations with which they have intercourse, it will be a satisfaction to observe, that the war, which was lighted up in Europe a little before our last meeting, has not yet extended its flames to other nations, nor been marked by the calamities which sometimes stain the footsteps of war. The irregularities too on the ocean, which generally harrass the commerce of neutral nations, have, in distant parts, disturbed ours less than on former occasions. But, in the American seas, they have been greater from peculiar causes; and even within our harbours and jurisdiction, infringements on the authority of the laws have been committed, which have called for serious attention. The friendly conduct of the governments, from whose offieers and subjects these acts have proceeded, in other re |