 to send the very best usual true story the dramatic true story about the moment moment of decision a moment toward which strange and seemingly unconnected events are directed by mightier hands and ours it is one such decision and the man who made it that we honor tonight as we bring you the true story of Robert Livingston and the Louisiana Purchase in how his friend gosh from the makers of Hallmark cards whether you're looking for a Christmas card to have imprinted with your name or you want to remember a special friend on a special day go to a store where Hallmark cards are sold at these fine stores across the country you'll find a wonderful collection of Hallmark cards to choose from cards with new ideas new designs and sparkling new colors just look for the Hallmark crown on the back of each card you select the symbol that means you carry enough to send the very best Lionel Barrymore appears by arrangement with Metro Golden mayor producers of the Technicolor picture Mugumbo starring Clark Gable and Ava Gardner with Grace Kelly and now Mr. Barrymore brings you tonight's exciting story on the Hallmark Hall of Fame Failing ship near the end of the long captain and the first mate standing near the helm straining forward to gaze intently at the smudge of land off the Port Mow There she is in the horizon Captain, the Port of Lullian Home port Mr. Butler, welcome words Captain, I've been watching that ship on a port beam, she's still bearing down on it Yes so I've noticed, Spanish man of war by the look of it It's almost within here in distance Hand me the voice trumpet, I'll water up We have the right of way Here you are Heaven I'll not be kept out of home port by politics They're going crew Captain, they've loaded That means the next one will Order Captain I tell you President Jefferson will hear of this Order sir Well Mr. Butler, you may come about 4,000 miles away completely unaware of the incident Two men sit in a fashionable drawing room One is Monsieur Barbrian's minister of finance The other Robert Livingston Representing the government of the United States in France But the talk of these two old friends is not of international events or diplomacy Instead it's about a subject dear to Livingston's heart Various methods of farming My dear Livingston, I can't help being amazed That a diplomat should know so much about farming I'm a farmer first Diplomat second As a matter of fact, my chief reason in accepting this appointment Was the opportunity to study your farming methods over here Ah, and do you find them different from your own? Boy, I believe the differences are due mostly to geography Your country is thickly populated, ours isn't Transportation is important to us We must consider not only how to raise crops But how to distribute what we produce That means seaports, Livingston Pardon my boi Seaports are vital to the growth of the United States Take the port of New Orleans, for example New Orleans? Does your country consider that port vital to you? For us, New Orleans is a gateway to the whole world As your friend, I'm sorry to hear you say that It's a gateway to the world But a gate which unknown to Livingston Has been slammed shut in the face of American ships Even as he speaks, the back door of the port Is being closed too A flat boat glides down the Mississippi River Loaded with merchandise and raw produce But as the boat approaches a pier in New Orleans A Spanish shore patrol warns the boat off When the tough rivermen press on The Spanish reply with a hail of wind Storm clouds are gathering There's a whisper of war in the wind President Thomas Jefferson Stands to one of the country's ablest statesmen James Monroe James, I've just received bad news The Spanish have closed the port of New Orleans to us It's a crippling blow And an intolerable situation for us Your word can be done about it, sir There are those in the Union who say that the answer is war The war is never an answer No, I have faith that this problem May be solved by peaceful means And I want your help I'm sending you to Paris to work with Robert Livingston My minister to France But why France? It's the Spanish who've closed the port to us I have information that France and Spain have negotiated The secret treaty by which France regains title To the Louisiana territory I see Then it's Napoleon with whom we'll have to deal Exactly I've sent a letter to Livingston Instructing him to seek an audience Livingston is to inquire bluntly, if necessary If France does have title to the territory And if so, then Livingston has been instructed To open negotiations with the French government Leading to the outright purchase of New Orleans Or failing that to the leasing of adequate port facilities There for our ships He is authorized to offer up to two million dollars For this purpose I want you to help him conclude the negotiation I shall leave it once, Mr. President James, more than one-third of all our shipping Has been using the port of New Orleans We've got to keep it open I wish to talk about the port of New Orleans, Mr. Talleyrand No, I don't I talk to me about the Spanish possession We have reason to believe that New Orleans No longer is a Spanish possession What do you mean? Our information is that France once again holds title Not only to New Orleans, but to the entire Louisiana territory Ridiculous You mean the report is not true then Mr. Livingston, I suggest that you and your government Concerning yourself with your own affairs Rather than those about our nation The control of New Orleans is very much a matter of concern to us We want to know whether or not the report is true Very well, it is true Does that satisfy you? In that case, I am authorized to open negotiations with your government For the purchase of New Orleans Or the leasing of port facilities there There will be no negotiations, Mr. Livingston What do you mean? We will shortly be sending ships with soldiers and colonies to Louisiana Now that the territory is once again a French possession We intend to make it very much so But the port of New Orleans is vital to our shipping Mr. Livingston, further talk is futile And I warn you, if your government does not abandon its aspirations for New Orleans You may be inviting war with France Flat refusal Mission apparently doomed to failure Yet such are the workings of diplomacy An intrigue that not even Teleron knows of the sudden, strange And secret decision made by his superior Napoleon himself Who now lounges comfortably in his spacious bathtub And gazes with amusement of the sharp expression On the face of his brother Joseph To whom he had just confided his plans But surely, surely you are joking, Napoleon My dear brother, I assure you that I am not Then you must indeed be mad, am I? The United States in effect wishes to buy a look at the moon But you, Napoleon, would offer them the moon itself We need money to continue our war against England My proposal will bring us money Of course it will Consider also the British fleet is waiting to pounce upon New Orleans To take it by force I would much rather have it in the hands of a weaker nation Such as the United States I know, but what about its loss to us? As to that, when our war with England is won And it is practicable to consider other enterprises It too would not surprise me to find ourselves able to Take back what we have sold Ah, yes, yes! A shrewd plan indeed, I think I thought you would You see, it has always been my observation Joseph, that if one can view all sides of a situation Can see around the corner, so to speak Then it is entirely possible to have one's cake And eat it too Will you please end me my town? In just a moment, we return to the second act Of the Hallmark Hall of Fame Isn't it nice to think that Christmas cards Are always chosen to make others happy? The warmth, the message, the thoughtfulness That each Christmas greeting brings Make the choice of our cards a very important one indeed That's why I think you'll enjoy Selecting yours from the 1953 Hallmark Christmas card albums You'll not only discover variety But beauty too, among the new Hallmark cards There are reproductions of paintings by famous artists Like Grandma Moses, Norman Rockwell, or Hulda And a wealth of traditional designs Or modern or religious ones Which capture the spirit of Christmas In a joyous personal way So why not plan to visit a fine store Where Hallmark cards are sold one day soon By ordering the Christmas card You want him printed with your name Now you'll have them at home In plenty of time for leisurely addressing And you can be sure of it The Hallmark and Crown on the back Of each card you mail will tell your friends Instantly, you'll carry enough To send the very best And now Lionel Barrymore brings you The second act of our true story Of Robert Livingston He voices his disappointment Of Talleyron's refusal to his colleague James Monroe, who was just arrived From the United States Private Monroe was that he would not even Discuss the matter further I pointed out that port facilities At New Orleans were vital to the growth And well-being of our country He flatly refused to negotiate Ah, bitter blue Livingston Yes, when word of the French refusal Even to negotiate riches Washington Feeling as high there The President will be instantly besieged By powerful factions who want war A necessary one, a war for our independence We know something of what war means The horror of it Now, to face the possibility of another one Or to face the future as a nation forever crippled Unable to expand Unable to take its place among The great nations of the world Hemmed in by the colonial possession Of a foreign power, it's not right The United States, James Monroe Mr. Monroe Pleasure, sir Livingston, I am come here to ask you To meet me at the finance building tonight At midnight alone Midnight? Oui I'm afraid I don't quite understand I'm sorry, but I cannot explain further At this time Indeed, all the details have not yet Been made clear to me as yet But they will have been by then I can only say that it is a matter Of utmost importance to you And to your country, now will you come Yes, yes, of course Le bien, until midnight then Good afternoon, gentlemen Who do you make of it, Livingston? I don't know This is to sell to you the entire Louisiana territory You had arrived, not only New Orleans But the entire territory You have some idea of its boundaries Yes, yes, I do It's a vast amount of land Thousands and thousands of square miles Le bien, is your government interested in this proposal? Why, at least open negotiations between us Livingston, in his wildest imagination Conceives such a thing The entire Louisiana territory for sale Almost as if in a dream He opens negotiations with Bob Mabois Price is discussed Then Livingston asks for time He spends the rest of the night Pacing up the next room for the decision Livingston tells Monroe Of the new development The entire territory for sale, Monroe Do you realize what this means? At one stroke the size of the United States could be doubled For lease or purchase of New Orleans only But no one dreamed an imp frontier What is the price? For hours, the price is now final Fifteen million dollars There isn't that much money in Washington Livingston, what are you thinking of? It's out of the question It's impossible even to consider Is it impossible? Well, as you know as well as I That you are authorized to spend a maximum Of two million dollars Where would the rest of the money come from? I don't know Well, perhaps a bond issue There must be some way But how can you speak for Congress? It would take three months to get a reply From them by ship All of our reason why we must not hesitate James, all you say may be true And yet here, right in our very hands Is a tremendous future for our country I sincerely believe that we have been guided To this moment I believe God has presented us with this opportunity That he will find a way to work it out Robert, you as senior diplomat Must act on your own The decision, one way or the other Is yours to make I know Do you have an answer for me? I think so Have you the document? Yes, right here I'll put it on the table and you will sign, huh? Uh, forgive me, Monsieur This is a heavy decision to rest upon the shoulders of one man I must have another moment to think It's out of the question It's impossible even to consider Stroke the size of the United States would be doubled Rest of the money come from me some way Who speak for Congress Us with this opportunity That he will find a way to work it out The decision, one way or the other Still hesitate Mr. Wood's moment of destiny He signs the document His story is not yet over When he finally returns to Washington He is sent for by President Jefferson A presidential secretary greets him Mr. Livingston received President Jefferson Uh, Mr. Robert Livingston? Yes, the president sent for me I'm aware of that You just returned from Paris, I believe I arrived in Washington yesterday The news of your negotiation arrived ahead of you I believe it was, uh, 15 million dollars Of the government's money that you spent Yes We find it quite interesting, Mr. Livingston That you gave yourself authority to spend more money Than there is in the treasure of the United States Weave? Oh, yes You can be sure that congressmen Have been discussing your maneuver for some time I take it you don't approve Well, it's not up to me to decide, sir But I can assure you that there are many influential people In Washington who question your saneness Does that include the president? The president's opinion is his own affair But I, for one, feel you went quite beyond your authority And if you think that congress will support your extravagance Then I warn you to be on your guard Robert Mr. President Well, come in, come in Will you, uh, be needing me, Mr. President? No It comes quickly Think about the Louisiana Territory Yes Robert Many years ago You and I both served on a committee Which considered what was to be the nature Of a certain document A document which I later wrote The Declaration of Independence You have served your country long and well But now Yes, sir Now, Robert You have done something Which, in my opinion Surpasses by far all your past contributions You You mean you approve, sir? I mean I congratulate you On the tremendous step you have taken In the service of your country Thank you, Mr. President Thank you Oh, rest assured We'll have a fight on our hands Congress must ratify the document you signed And that means stormy sessions ahead I know That yours has been an act of faith Faith in God Faith in the future of your country Faith in yourself Your decision was based upon that faith And it is my firm conviction that history Will prove you to be right On October the 31st, 1803 Just 150 years ago next Saturday After lengthy and fierce debate The Congress of the United States Confirmed Livingston's judgment And ratified the Louisiana Purchase And authorized the floating of a bond Issued of financing Yes, and overnight The United States found a new and shining destiny And what was this territory on nation Gained by a stroke of a pen? All or part of 17 states From Alabama to Montana From Louisiana to Minnesota West from the mighty rolling Mississippi To the thundering cataracts of the Rockies North from the Gulf of Mexico To the very borders of Canada 900,000 square miles Half a billion acres Of the rich, fertile heart of America And the price? Four cents per acre Yes, all of this because of the decision of one man A man of destiny A man of great vision and great courage Robert Livingston, the man who made the Louisiana Purchase We're going to honor a woman of amazing personal courage Who defied all opposition And marched right into the front lines of war Yes, she was a woman whose true adventures Will hold your interest right from the start I'll tell you more about her in a moment But first, my friend Frank Goss here Has some good advice he wants to pass on Last week, my newly married niece called me and said Uncle Frank, I've just discovered Hallmark Christmas cards in boxes They're beautiful and what a help to our budget Be sure and tell people about them soon Well, her enthusiasm was contagious So tonight I want to suggest that you take a look At the Hallmark cards in boxes the next time you shop You'll be pleasantly surprised, I know Because these economical assortments are varied And really distinctive For instance, you can choose from reproductions Of paintings by well-known artists Like Norman Rockwell or Holder Or you can have boxed Hallmark cards With messages by Reverend Norman Vincent Peel Noted author and churchman Best of all, they cost as little as $1 a box For 4 designs in a set of 12 You'll also find big thrifty boxes of 25 Different Hallmark Christmas cards For just $1 You'll be smart to have a few extra boxes on hand For last-minute addressing And remember, the Hallmark and crown On the back of each card you mail Will carry an added measure of joy For it means you carry enough To send the very best And now here again is Lionel Barrymore Frank, you mentioned a man For whom I have a very healthy respect And that's Dr. Norman Vincent Peel I'm delighted to hear that he's written Special Christmas messages for Hallmark cards I've always enjoyed his writing In his newspaper column And I don't know when I've read a more inspiring or helpful book Than Dr. Peel's The Power of Positive Thinking And now, I'm sure that lots of people Will enjoy his moving woods this Christmas On Hallmark Christmas cards Just as I'm sure all of you Will enjoy our story next week Tell us a little more About Mary Ann Bickerdike, Frank At the time of the Civil War, Mary Ann Bickerdike Was a member of the Ladies' Aid in Galesburg, Illinois One day she set off with a trainload of supplies For our Civil War troops And what happened makes a really exciting adventure story I'm looking forward to having all of you with us Next week on the Hallmark Hall of Fame Remember, you're also invited to the Hallmark Hall of Fame On television every Sunday Starring Ms. Sarah Churchill Until next week then, this is Lionel Barrymore Saying goodnight Stores that have been carefully selected To give you expert and friendly service Remember a Hallmark card When you'll carry enough to send the very best Our producer-directors, William Gay Are scripted tonight by Robert Wright Robert Livingston played by Whitfield Conner Featured in our cast, William Conrad Ben Wright per Butterfield William John Stone, Alan Reed, Joseph Kearns And Ted DeCorsia This is Frank Goss saying goodnight to you all Until next week at the same time When we present another true-to-life story Of actual persons who in their own way Have contributed to a better world For all of us to live in Next week we honor Mary Ann Bickerdike On the Hallmark Hall of Fame This is the CBS Radio Network This is KMBC, Kansas City, Missouri