The President bowed deeply to the young man, who had modestly resumed his place. Then, for just a moment, Mr. Jefferson stood silent, absorbed, rapt, carried away by his own vision.
"And now for my news," he said at length. "Here you have it!"
He waved once more the little scrap of paper.
"I had this news from New York this morning. It was despatched yesterday evening. Tomorrow it will reach all the world. The mails will bring it to you; but news like this could not wait for the mails. No horse could bring it fast enough. It was brought by a dove--the dove of peace, I trust. Let me explain briefly; what my news concerns.
"As you know, that new country yonder belonged at first to any one who might find it--to England, if she could penetrate it first; to Spain, if she were first to put her flag upon it; to Russia, if first she conquered it from the far Northwest. But none of these three ever completed acquisition by those means under which nations take title to the new territories of the world. Louisiana, as we term it, has been unclaimed, unknown, unowned--indeed, virgin territory so far as definite title was concerned.
"In the north, such title as might be was conveyed to Great Britain by France after the latter power was conquered at Quebec. The lower regions France--supposing that she owned them--conveyed, through her monarch, the fifteenth Louis, to Spain. Again, in the policy of nations, Spain sold them to France once more, in a time of need. France owned the territory then, or had the title, though Spain still was in possession. It lay still unoccupied, still contested--until but now.
"My friends, I give you news! On the 2d of May last, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, sold to this republic, the United States of America, all of Louisiana, whatever it may be, from the Mississippi to the Pacific! Here are seven words which carry an empire with them--the empire of humanity--a land in which democracy, humanity, shall expand and grow forever! This is my news: "General Bonaparte signed May 2--Fifteen millions--Rejoice!"
A deep sigh rose as if in unison all along the table. The event was too large for instant grasping. There was no applause at first. Some--many--did not understand. Not so certain others.
The minister from Great Britain, the minister from Spain, Aaron Burr and a few other men acquainted with great affairs, prominent in public life, turned and looked at the President's tall figure at the head of the table, and then at that of the silent young man whom Mr. Jefferson had publicly honored.