The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-08-23

EDITOR Morning Star and Catholic Messenger:
The universal interest which is taken in til
emigration question will, hope, be deeme
suilicient claim for some space in your weekly
as the writer came down the Mississippi
: nearo on all sides murmurs of the manner i
which the beautiful South is governed, OIL
rather, mlsgoverned. He was informed tina
inc country was in most lamentable stat
owing to misrule. He was informed that Their
was little security for the property of the PEG
pie. 1t was also stated that the white ma,
was unable to work the land and that it wa
necessary therefore to employ only coloret
people on cotton plantations. Some of these
statements, as you are aware, are we'll founded
and others are quite inaccurate. Tho white
man 1t appears Gas the opinion of those quail.
fed to judge can do as much work as his black
rival. The State is still under the disadvantage
OF partial legislation but it requires no great
| foresight to predict that this state of affairs
cannot continue after next November wish
particularly to call the attention of nv coun.
trymen at home ana here to the ADVANTAGES
offered them in the emigration field of Louisi-
ana Ihe following facts have obtained
from men OF stirling principles, sound judp-
ment, and very extensive experience.
The laws now in operation in this State aft
ord more facilities for the poor man, and espe-
cially the immigrant here, to obtain q farm.
than possibly any other country in the world.
brief review of some of these may not bs
out of place in this article, and, from nv studv
of this matter aud my intercourse with gem
5lemen intimately conversant with it, feel
perfectly safe in asserting that, together with
the great facilities afforded by the la referred
to, there are natural facilities afforded by this
State alone, that no other State in the Union
can boast of.
Under the acts of Congress passed on the
10th of May, 1862, 2lst of June, 1864, and Stb |
of June, 1872, any citizen of the United States. |
or if not citizen, any one having filed his
declaration to become one, or any head of a !
family, or if not the head of family, any one
who has served for fourteen days in the United
states Army during the late civil war, can.
Upon application to the United States Land
)hce and upon the payment of q small fee of
ourteen dollars, obtain homestead of 16O
ores IN any part of Louisiana he may desire
go. This, it will be perceived, gives to the
ewly arrived stranger right to acquire from
be Government, upon compliance with sim .
le form, an equal share of this greatest of I
lducements. Z
Let US now consider the natural, or at least 6
'me OF the natural facilities existing, which
quire but the spark of energy and industry
fire them with wealth, and those availing o
emselves of them with prosperity. 6
We shall deal now with that portion OF Lou n
ANA lying between the Sabine river, it's n
estern boundary with Texas, and the Yer re
llion river, the di gidipg line, in some places,
tween Vermillion and st. Landry parishes. 81
lis territory covers what may be roughly es- oil
mated at about ninety-six miles, through u
Itch there are at least six beautiful streams a
plying into the gulf, some of them actually til
in their rural meanderings The is
ncipal ones upon which most of the Gov sti
ment lands now lie are the Calcasieu, in sh
parish of that name, the Plsquemine an
lille and Mermentau, in the parish of st. led
ndry and the Nizpique and Cannes, 90 the A.
} dividing the parishes of st. Landry and S5t
casieu. Already can be seen hundreds of Ia
mills all doing thriving business, and al 10
ugh the distances between these rivers are ma
there can be seeo many fine yes
rs all flourishing with the thrift of the for
ly farmers. The waters of these rivers are
ID for their extreme clesrness and depth,
abound with the finest of fish such as are n q
ON found elsewhere. The banks of these tall
ANS ATE filed with the finest of game, the int
being no uncommon thing 20 meet, and ser
soil through this part of the country being w
Irpassed. On the great prairie lying in h
pariah OF CaloaaisE and known as tho ints
Sc Ca1easier Prairie,R 4 posssbly a enc onil