Plans for tl,e Reorganization of the Fro11tier
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This determination was frankly communicated to the Spanish Court on September 27, 1762. "The King has decided in his Council," the French ambassador declared, "that he would order the French to evacuate the whole of Louisiana rather than miss the opportunity for peace on account of discussion about a colony with which we are unable to communicate by sea, which has not and cannot have either a port or a roadstead . . . and which costs France eight hundred thousand livres a year, without yielding a sote in return." 6 France could not, however, conclude peace without the consent of her ally. The reluctance of Spain was suddenly broken by an unexpected event. When news reached the Court a few days later that Havana had fallen into the hands of the English, Spain felt that she had been vanquished at a blow. Her successes against the Portuguese were forgotten. All her ministers desired now was to save Havana at any price. Thus unexpectedly the fate of Havana became bound with that of Louisiana. Fully aware of the significance of Havana. the English demanded either Florida or Porto Rico in exchange. France gallantly offered all Louisiana to save Florida. but the British rightly concluded that Florida was far more valuable to them in consolidating the colonies along the Atlantic coast and refused the offer. Spain was forced to cede Florida to save Havana. Moved by the loss sustained by his ally, and unwilling perhaps to be burdened further with the expense of defending what remained of Louisiana west of the Mississippi, the French king in a grand gesture made a free gift of it to his cousin Charles III on November 3, 1762. The cession was a complete surprise even to the Marques de Grimaldi who accepted it, subject to his master's royal will. "His Most Christian Majesty", the minister of Louis XV declared in the secret treaty of Fon- tainebleau, "truly regretting the sacrifices which the Catholic King has generously made to contribute to the reestablishment of peace, desires to give him proof of the lively interest he feels in the welfare and success of his kingdom .. . His Most Christian Majesty .. . therefore, has agreed to cede to His Catholic Majesty and his successors in perpetuity all the country known as Louisiana, as well as the City of New Orleans and the island on which it is located." 1 6 Shepherd, loc. cit. 447. 7 Fortier, A History of Louisiana, (Paris, 1904) I, 263-64. The French text of the treaty reproduced in Fortier has been translated by the author.
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