Chapter 1050: North America, France Has Returned!
Count Floridablanca knitted his brow and remarked, "Your Highness, regarding the situation in North America, our nation will find a way to handle it. However, Louisiana represents a vital interest for our kingdom."
Joseph inclined his head. "Indeed, it is of paramount importance."
"You are surely aware of the Americans' westward expansion strategy. Once they breach the Mississippi River defense line, they will rapidly push westward—from Texas to Tamaulipas, and ultimately to Mexico."
The expressions of the high-ranking Spanish ministers instantly turned solemn.
The French Crown Prince was correct. There was no geography suitable for defense west of Louisiana until one reached the Sierra Madre Mountains.
And that region was the very heart of the empire's wealth—the gold and silver mines of Mexico, which sustained over sixty percent of Spain's fiscal revenue. If this area were lost, Spain would collapse in an instant.
Count Floridablanca and Campos exchanged looks, their eyes filled with deep hesitation.
Strengthening the defenses in North America meant abandoning Portugal, which was practically within their grasp. Currently, excluding the western coastal areas, nearly seventy percent of Portuguese territory was occupied by the Franco-Spanish Coalition. Once Coimbra fell, Lisbon would be theirs for the taking. At present, the Coalition held every advantage there.
Yet, the Americans certainly would not halt their westward expansion, and they would eventually threaten the empire's financial lifeline.
In reality, without French assistance, they could not even hold one.
Joseph glanced at Carlos IV and spoke at the opportune moment. "I have come here today specifically to assist you."
"By having France take over Louisiana, we can establish a formidable barrier for Mexico."
"Furthermore, I can pledge that France will never seek colonies in Florida or Texas. At the same time, we will preserve all the interests of the Spanish subjects currently residing in Louisiana."
"This would be the most advantageous arrangement for both our nations."
Count Floridablanca and the others exchanged glances once more.
Campos suddenly broke into a bright smile. "Oh, that reminds me, the ball is about to commence. Your Majesty, do you wish to change into your newly tailored formal attire?"
Carlos IV blinked, then nodded hastily. "Yes, let us change first. We can discuss the remaining details once the ball has concluded."
Joseph knew that a matter of such magnitude could not be settled in a single afternoon. He offered a courteous smile. "I look forward to this evening's festivities. Eman, please prepare my deep blue formal suit."
"Certainly, Your Highness."
Once Carlos IV and the French Crown Prince had departed, Count Floridablanca immediately spoke up. "Although this will increase French influence in North America, it is not entirely unacceptable."
To be honest, Spain's administration of Louisiana had been a disaster. The number of settlers had never exceeded fifteen thousand, and the land yielded almost no profit.
Only the Port of New Orleans brought in some revenue through transit fees from American merchant vessels, and they didn't even dare open it fully. They feared that frequent trade would lead to prosperity on the eastern bank of the Mississippi, making Louisiana even harder to defend in the future.
Campos nodded. "In fact, given our current relationship with France, a French presence in North America is beneficial to us."
Campomanes added, "If we can exchange that colony for sufficient funds, it might be a bargain. Our financial situation is stable for now, but we don't know how much longer the Portuguese theater will continue to drain us."
The Spanish government had already spent over sixty percent of the funds 'scraped together' from the previous church reforms. As the Finance Minister, he could not help but feel concerned.
Campos supplemented, "However, we should retain some rights to the Port of New Orleans. Our trade in Florida still relies on that port."
His suggestion was met with general agreement from the group.
In truth, they had not considered that Florida—a choice piece of territory sitting right on the southern coast of the United States—was a prize the Americans would inevitably covet.
Historically, after the Americans defeated the Creek and other indigenous tribes that stood between them and Florida, they immediately began a process of migratory infiltration into the territory.
A little over a decade later, General Andrew Jackson would lead a militia to occupy Pensacola. Seeing that they had lost effective control over Florida, Spain would eventually sign the Adams-Onis Treaty, selling the territory for five million dollars.
The assembly of Spanish ministers continued to deliberate on the Louisiana matter until the ball ended.
By then, they had reached a preliminary consensus: selling Louisiana to the French was indeed more aligned with Spain's interests.
Over the following period, Joseph and Carlos IV spent their days hunting, attending operas, and participating in banquets, enjoying a genuine holiday.
Meanwhile, Count Segur, the French Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, engaged in intense negotiations with Count Floridablanca and his colleagues.
A week after Joseph's arrival in Madrid, Segur placed a document containing the preliminary terms for the sale of Louisiana before him.
"Your Highness, the Spaniards wish to obtain unrestricted storage rights at the Port of New Orleans and free navigation rights on the Mississippi River."
"They require our nation to pledge not to transfer Louisiana to any other country without Spanish consent."
"We must not sign any agreements with the Americans that would be detrimental to Spanish interests..."
"And we are to blockade the Mississippi border against the Americans to prevent them from entering Texas..."
Segur summarized the Spanish conditions, finally glancing at the Crown Prince's expression. He added somewhat nervously, "Lastly, they require our nation to pay three and a half million gold escudos as compensation for their previous investments in Louisiana."
He quickly followed up with, "That is approximately thirty-eight million francs, Your Highness."
Joseph nodded with a smile.
Thirty-eight million was significantly lower than the price he had been prepared to accept. Historically, when the Spaniards sold the 180,000 square kilometers of Florida to the Americans, they had demanded five million dollars.
By that ratio, the more than two million square kilometers (roughly 800,000 square miles) of Louisiana should have been worth around fifty-five million francs.
Although the vast majority of Louisiana was uninhabited wilderness, a quote of just over thirty million was quite fair.
However, regardless of how fair the price was, Joseph had no intention of actually paying a large sum of money for the land. His ideal price was—absolutely nothing.
Not only did he intend to acquire it for free, but he also planned to generate enough profit to cover the costs of constructing the Mississippi defense line.
On Wednesday morning, the weather was clear and the air was mild—a perfect day for conducting business.
The French Crown Prince and the Spanish King sat together once more, listening as their respective ministers confirmed the transfer terms point by point.
When Count Floridablanca reached the clause regarding the "compensation of three and a half million escudos," Joseph raised a hand to stop Segur from speaking. He offered a thin smile. "A very reasonable request."
He looked directly at Carlos IV. "However, I have an even better suggestion."
The Spanish King played along. "That sounds most intriguing. What might it be?"
Joseph surveyed the room, his voice steady and deliberate. "A massive gold mine worth at least three hundred million escudos!"
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