for the risk of a quarrel with France produced by her vicinage." His disturbance of mind evidently did not arise alone from the danger of the French occupation of the mouth of the Mississippi.
It is a unique suggestion, too, of his that in case France takes possession of New Orleans the first cannon fired in Europe should be "the signal .... for holding the two continents of America in sequestration for the common purposes of the United British and American nations." We shall see presently that Jefferson had very definite ideals that he wished realized, in at least, the northern continent of America.
The letter in which the passages quoted above occur was intrusted to M. Dupont De Nemours who was just returning to Paris from America. Jefferson left the letter to Livingston unsealed and writes to Dupont "It is the second, third, and fourth pages [those relating to the Louisiana matter] which I wish you to read, to possess yourself of completely, and then seal the letter." Jefferson relied upon Dupont to act as a friend of America at the court of France. To Dupont he says: "I wish you to be possessed of the subjects, because you may be able to impress on the government of France the inevitable consequence of their taking possession of Louisiana; and though, as I here mention [in the inclosed letter to Livingston, the cession of New Orleans and the Floridas to us would be a palliation, yet I believe it would be no more. ... In Europe nothing but Europe is seen, or supposed to have any right in the affairs of nations; but this little event, of France's possessing herself of Louisiana, which is thrown in as nothing, as a mere make-weight in the general settlement of accounts, this speck which now appears as an almost invisible point on the horizon, is the embryo of a tornado which will burst on the countries on
