advice to bring the matter to a happy issue. None of the doubts and difficulties that for a time stood in the way of the President affected him. The Mississippi traffic was essential, it was then believed, to the life and development of the States beyond the mountains, and so long as the mouth of that river was in the hands of a foreign power, there was no certainty that the river would remain open. And far-sighted statesmen, even in that early day, had begun to catch some glimpse of the growth of the West through the vistas of the future, and thought that the western bank of the great river ought to be secured at any price. When the purchase had been pushed through on the responsibility of the President, he became very anxious to know how Congress and the people would regard his action. Congress was summoned to meet early in the autumn. In the meantime he wrote to Mr. Breckinridge, urging him to do what he could towards the desired end, and particularly to impress upon the western members, who could be relied on to support the administration, the necessity of being on hand promptly at the beginning of the session.
Mr. Jefferson was very doubtful whether he had any warrant in the Constitution for the step he had taken. After his usual manner in such a dilemma he wrote to a number of his confreres and asked their advice. He finally came to the conclusion that an amendment to the Constitution was necessary to make the acquisition of territory good, and expressed a desire to throw himself upon the tender
