The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-01

WI
first parallel Of latitude and the bayou Man
cbae being distinctly reserved out of the
limits Of the contemplated surrender.
Accordingly Salcedo and Casa Calvo did. on
| the thirteenth OF November following make
| formal delivery of Louisiana from the crown
Of Spain to M. Laussat the comm issioner of
| the French republic.
| On Monday morning, December 20. 1903. the
tr-eolored flag assembled for the last time to
| the summit OF the Flagstaff On the place
dArmes.' and on that day Gov Claiborne
and Cen Wilkinson, United States commits
| sioners, received from the French commits
sioner the keys Of the city, az n token Of the
| delivery Of the province, the Spanish authoti-
| ties retiring up the river TO their reserved
| territory Of West Florida line Of travel
which. as we shall soon see brought them In
sharp collision with the stream Of immigrants
| set In motion by the President message Of
| 1903. Scarcely had they organized their West
Florida government at Baton Rouge when
news was received that a continuous stream
| Of red bearded strangers from far country,
| on foot, on horseback and on all sorts ~
| the eastern highways Of the province,
| crowding down even to the banks OF
the lakes. To their startled fancies 1t
seemed "a II Alaric and Attila, with their
hordes Of Cloths and Visigoths, were making
| an unprovoked raid upon the territory OF his
Most Catholic Majesty Ferdinand VII. Span
| ish pride was in arms against the bold in
| ti,iders. and fierce and frequent procama-
| tiOns were Illuminated from Baton Rouge.
warning the filibusteros that they must eyac-
uate the territory upon which they were no
better than lawless trespassers. Having con-
verted all their possessions preparatory to
their southern journey, having I'm n manner
burned their ships behind them. the lawiess
| noses OF the soldiers Of his Most Catholic
Majesty, and fatty informed them they had
come 10 stay. And SO, indeed. they did, though
necessarily teased and presented by the
l I'll
coniiscation, and even by incarceration in
| many instances Once. and only once,
were they reminded that there was one
eye in the country they had left. still
jefferson, referring to their forlorn condition,
says In his annual message: propositions
for adjusting amicably the boundaries Of
Louisiana have not been acceded to. Inroads
have been recently made into the territories
Of Orleans and the Mississippi. our citizens
have been seized and their property plundered
In the very parts of the former which had
been actually delivered up by Spain. and this
by the regular officers and soldiers Of that
government. have. therefore, found IL neces-
sary at length to give orders to our troops on
that frontier to be I'm readiness to protect our
citizens, and to repel by arms any similar ag
grnSson I'm future The conditional "ordera
to our troops on that frontier" although the
whole force of the Southwestern Department
was cautioned at Fort Adams only nine miles
distant from the frontier, were made absolute
and executory Possibly the persecution Of
our citizens ceased; possibly for the reason
both filled during those years bya Bonaparte.
Whatever the reason, we find these same
lawless trespassers IN 1910 still ut logger
heads with the impracticable dons, still after
looking To Fort Adams for the promised sue
cors for five long years in vain. resolving.
with their. dauntless hearts, to free themselves
from the bondage they had borne SO long.
The revolution by which they rid themsel yes
Of the Spanish yoke was short but very deci-
sive In its results. and in July, 1910, every yes
tige of Spanish authority, civil or military.
had evacuated the province, and the revoll-
tionists IN quiet possession Of all the fortified
places and every foot Of land I'm West Florida.
Free Mt last from the thraldom Of foreign
yoke, they forthwith proceeded to- secure and
make permanent their new found blessings.
At first they seem to have vacillated and stag
gered about as people unable to bear the full
glare OF the full light Of freedom. The first
Rouge, bearing date August ~. 1910, con
cludes with the following rather singular dec
laration:
eve, therefore, the representatives
vention assembled. recognizing his Ex-
celency Charles Default Delassus as Gov
ernor thereof, and acting with his concur
renee, with q view to preserve and defend
this portion of the dominions of our beloved
King Ferdinand VII. and holding ourselves
to oil superior authorities deriv- !
ing their powers from him for the rectitude Of
our Intentions and acts declare ourselves for |
the time being the guardians both Of the pub |
lie interest and Of the rights Of the Individual |
members of this community.
In testimony whereof we. the representatives |
have hereunto in presence Of each |
other, subscribed our names
JoHN II. JOHNSON
JOHN Mills, |
WILLIAM BARROW,
For the District of New Felciana
JOHN W. LEONARD,
JoSErH THOMAS,
WILLIAM SPIbLER
BENZ. @. WILLIAMS,
For the District Of st Helena |
PHILIP HICKEY,
THOMAS LILLEY,
JOHN MORGAN
EDMUND HAYES
For the District Of Baton Rouge.
WILLIAM COOPER
For the District Of st. Ferdinand.
JOHN RHEA. President.
CARLOS DEFAULT DELASSUs, Governor,
Baton Rouge. August 90, 1910
Tho struggle between the love of freedom
nd the fear OF Spain. manifest in the careful
Of the ordinance quoted, seems to
nave been of short duration; for on the TWEEN
10th day of September following the same
convention had washed its hands clear of Don
King Ferdinand VII by electing Fulwar Skip
With Governor and by adopting the following
lear ringing Declaration of the people of
Vest Florida" 1--WE, therefore, the represent
atives aforesaid, appealing to the Supreme
Ruler Of the world for the rectltude of our in
entions, do solemnly publish and declare the
several districts composing this territory of
Vest Florida TO BE FREE AND INDEPENDE
'TATE. and that they have right to institute
or themselves such form of government as
hey may think conducive to their safety and
to form treaties; to establish COM
ncrce, to provide for their common defense.
nd TO do all acts which may Of right be done
" sovereign and Independent nation,
t the same time declaring all acts within the
aid territory of West Florida, after this date,
y any tribunal or authorities not deriving
heir powers from the people, to be null and
old, and calling upon all foreign nations to
aspect this our declaration; acknowledging
ur independence, and giving us such aid as
nay be consistent with the laws and usages
( nations.
by order of the convention.
John RHEA, President.
ANDREW STEELE, Secretary.
Signed at Baton Rouge the twenty -sixth I
pf Snntamhpr A !