The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-12-13
n o r. I'D II.
TIRE AURORA DATED
M;ssissip6i Territory. Noo II. 1910.

Il
Article or the SUBJECT of West Florida, in which
you confess yourself unaoG,aintod with the
views aud movements OF the convention IN that
territory H.yirg some knowledge of the sur
rounding conr,rv and tie principal people. per
hsps may be- able 10 afford you some informa-
tior II II be acceptable.
With the geographical situation need not
trouble YOU, The political! circumstan'.e s which
now ~, sent themselves are founded ON causes
bst have long existed, AID the CONFUSION is
pr duceC' ONLY little earlier than il might O.
ti'er~'ise hav. been by the events Of the times
Tie Spanish provincial governments have ever
been very arbitrary snd equally corrupt. Places
cfrust appear to have been disposed of with a
view to enrich The individuals bv the plumber of
those over whom they ruled, rather than protect
them or cherish their allegiance. Force was al
ways relied upon to assure submission and rea.
son nor gratitude never consulted nor thought of
Tbs blind Snd injurious policy carried to
the extreme IN Florida, and without any force al
he same tine va sustain it. The country very
fruitful. led the settlers to cultivation and to
Commerce, in which they found instead of benz.
factors, that the officers of the government, were
perps'ually ha'rassMg and retssdipg their indus
try TIE settlers are Of various dcs cript,ons
which shall presently notice Vices, they
say ALWAYS proceed from the had In Florida
tins system ~ oppression and fraud JUS fes the
saving, it prevailed from the soverno, ciorpn.---
ESeTy Junction OF civil society WAS tainted byit
Confidence was exiting uiShed, credit went with
1t; lar no debts could he recovered If the debtor
would pay the governor higher fee than the
creditor 'iisiny was thus predominant in
Aycry shape. No change could be for the worse
fct there were some of the population who
feared something even more than this Ever
since 1875, II has been SAID that the proynce
was to be csdedto Great Britain, and some pre-
EArNions we're made in that year to receve
force from Halifax, at ST Augustine the mat
ter excited much apprehension there among the
ul;l,ioH from people of different character
NJ tew Spanisrds, IL must be confessed were
not desrons Ut being transferred to the British
These rnmors had ceased to have any very mate
fiai e''ects unt recently, they were revived with
~ NirHordinsry ardor, and at this iunctura IL
was, that governor Delassus called uDo,, the neo.
PIT 20 AXE an oath of obedience to the yeerrrv es
tabt n ed IN Spsln How far the idle, was well
o' ~ 'ounded, do not pretend to saw but II uas
beNs'et ny some, and so much believed by n
TIE rs :" De cause of exuitation, that this
ne sue vt swearing obedience TO the reyency
WIS -oi ~ . prelude to regular cession bv the
reg ncy NJ rms province to Great britain Th.
iof Of the British over the regency r ,be
very manner OF this call to take the oaths NJ
peel Who had never shewn any disloyally even
unotr suttei19gs, indicated something more tban
was percepiible on the surface "''
. The people obeyed the cal of the eoverno
they assembled and then for the fir ST time bv a.,
interchange Of sentiment; learned at the same
time the extent OF theiI suiferngs and of their
strength FIey determined to seek q. r-,I,. E
grievances, md chose from among Themselves 1.
few deputies, TO state their grievances TO the ,o-
feThor these deputies met in Iuly and ass,
med the title of Convention and ~ tbo COW,
time requesting the cooperation OF the ,overr"r
IN promoting tue prosperity of The province over
which he presided He at first nerenn,or;I g.
rather indiscreeuy spurned The dies -n,,,'
found that they could 'nd-Pould do without hin,
y aadtbeu has demeanor became as abiect a. Il
wss b, fore contumelious The convention nro
ces ded, and he gave his sanction and anproved of
ther ordinance passed at the first session and
they chose him governor in the name Oft the neo
pie, sad appropriated salary of 5000 dollars a
year tor that service. Their ordinances provided
To- judiciary, IN consequence of the vast yare
ty OF matters OF debt involved in dispute by the
corruption OF tie Spanish authorities and many
cther questions OF property which looked for a lie
g3i determination the foundations for revenue
and military sy stem were also laid z, oJc,;dss
or Justices OF Inc peace, were TO be chosen in
September, by the people in their several dis
tricts. When the election for alcaides came IN
the governor again assumed the Spanish stills
In the Baton Rouge district he would not s,,aar
any one TO vote, whom he did not think devoted
fo him and openly declared that what he mad
done IN recognizing the proceedings and ordin,n-
ces OF the convention, he did by force. and could
not dsrm himself nor any one else bound bv tba;r
proceedings and IN short, that he should NOT .c,
e''~--'' t"ClE proceedings
tn lber, and declared all they bad done null and
YOid
g. his Information was very unexpected--snd
in proportion as 1t excited sIrJ,rize il sDreod O.
broad with rapidity TIE convention had adjourn.
ed, but had left a committee of sufetv. with ,le
nary powers, who ordered the commandsnt nc
their little military force in array and ,Ietrrnin
ed 10 enforce the wholesome regulations. wbch
they bad practically and happily begun
t' General Thomas Was Instructed TO nroc.ed
to and occupy, and hold in tue name of the rso
pic of that province. the fortress Of Baton Rnnpe
ITO arrest without doing him any iniurv ,,,f, nsr
sDn OF Governor De,assus, and to detHn in &c
and close keeping, treating hun with eyerv in.
diligence, compatible wth his durance 10 treai
the Spanish soldiers with kindness, should tbev
not proceed to hostlities but If they res,sfcd
with ARMS TO treat them according to the laws (,
asages of war.
"Tsornas had collected only about t6 iorse.
men, the plaBters Of the country, and ah,ut *
riflemen. persons Of the saG.e description veil
informed hardy men they approached the place
al night; Dciassus had Two hours notice their
approach, and mad mauo as much preparation az
possible he had few Spanish regulars 9, abo,rt
65 militia, & had made his d. spostigns vii h full
confidence that he should make Thomas and HE
whole party prisoners His plan was 10 get them
within the post, close the barrier nDor them. and
place them in such position as that all t,p qrtd
lsry could be brought to bear upon them i'm tbe;c
front. and the tusieers on their eft flank.
" Accordingly the gates were thrown broad
open, aud the centincls even Withdrawn afer
barely haiiing ThomsS's mgn, Immediately nm