Page "Louisiana Purchase" Paragraph 33

Most domestic objections were politically settled, overridden, or simply hushed up.

One problem, however, was too important to argue down convincingly: Napoleon did not have the right to sell Louisiana to the United States.

The sale violated the 1800 Third Treaty of San Ildefonso in several ways.

Furthermore, France had promised Spain it would never sell or alienate Louisiana to a third party.

Napoleon, Jefferson, Madison, and the members of Congress all knew this during the debates about the purchase in 1803.

They ignored the fact it was illegal.

Spain protested strongly, and Madison made some attempt to justify the purchase to the Spanish government, but was unable to do so convincingly.

So, he tried continuously until results had been proven remorsefully inadequate.