New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-10-05
THk DISCOVERY OF yHE NJsSlS.
SIPPB.

On the twenty fourth Of September, a
st. Louis. was celebrated the two hun,
dredth anniversary Of the discovery of Tn
Mississippi river by Marquette and Jolie.
Ex-Governor Ihoina. 4. Reynolds ae!:v
cred the following address:
We assemble here tonight 20 ce!eLys.,
the close OF the second century since In.
discovery Of the noble STREAM, which flow.
an front OF our city. We NAV we'll saw ,i;s
covery. for before the exploration made bx
Marquette and Jolis. IN 1913. ,be world
Tas wholly ignorant ~ the Missis.ino,
river. such as we low know IL 70 h.
Within twenty one years after the lard.
sng Of Columbus on san Salvador. "a we've.
sIon ge6gEaphev s!elIh.ated IN hi. man the
delta o; river employing into the Gulf ot
Mexico. on the coast of what is now the
state .! Louisiana. Five year. later, in
1918, til. northern coast OF that gulf was
explored 10y EaVay. and from u map drawn
np three years later, in an official proceed.
eng under the Spanish government. it would
seem that he particular. explained the
delta. and gave the river The nam. I: sub
sequently bore among the Sran:a:is They
called il ,h. Hiver OF the HOLY Ghos. mi.
Del ESpi'it. .Sd,toj. bu; evidently thew were
wholly ignorant q; its size ana: importance.
and even OF its general .!iIce:io.. About
Twelve years late. Cabr,. de Naca in his
HeillOus Wanderlngs trnIa Florida ~ the
s!alf of California. must have crossed .he
MlsslssIppi: out IN HI. narrative he makes
80 special mention ~ u. Possibly IN. may
have seen it at very low water, or passed It
at night time. and thus learned nothing to
distinguish IL from other large stream.
over which ne crossed. The first dis
tIhct h"nIioH q. !I'er with tIc charac.
.etlstic' OF !he .hisslsslp!i an. As flown.
On I'M. valley. ~ found III the narratives ot
vi snf.. Il L.,
the !ii-fatrt expedition q: Hernand" De
sooto, III i.''. ne crossed the rive: near the
mouth OF it. tributary. ih. Arkansas. After
MS death bis successor. Mcscns". led the
SURVIVORS al us army. III lob. in boats.
aoWh thc str am to the Cult OF Mexico
III lo"' ristah dc Luna sed y second eSp.-
a!tl0n mt" the 1ower valley Of our river:
but IL resulted almost IS '!'sastrously :or
s.e Spahiard as !he hret under De Soto. In
the latter hal. 81 that century III. mission
aries Ia the northern parts OF Mexico occa-
slonally heard OF the existence of q crea.
river toward the cast ot them; &ut il grad,i-
ally came TO be contoundcd with the Rio |
.irande del No!te. and final. 20 b. entirely |
forgotten. In the maps 81 the next cen !
snry IS ~ laid down a. an insignificant !
stream. withou: name. The Spaniard.
avoided our ivaiiey ~ a land Of i'll omen
to them. and the French and tine English
haf then not yet entered on their careers
OF conquest ana colonization on the Amev-
scan F"nt'nent.
IL IL, therefore,. hotsnrprising that in 1911
sseh tne learned Jesuit Missionary ia Can
'ua, fathef Daol1h. used the words. I'VE
,, ,b;' - shoW!edge 'f any great rivers
s msiGn empty mo the sea ~ Florida. The
~. oe va Iepor'-. WHICH We now nave III print.
Fav ' ~ HPaniSh 'kPeniIfoh- III our valley.
ar SaTII. o"ife,i III t9e aieh''eS o. tho Indies
ciaI na,r.,i - ans ~ t"eln. or o: me nnoit-
river of t5a IL me- .iehll'h 'hc sFe'.
in the tirst baIfs " ,I' hau peeh printed
comics OF tbrr had 'n .io,,f &L"e'l,n century.