Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-15

near il was slowly lowered, ana Tue op9n.
ish flag was run upin its stead, Sill' .,a
rafting vOlleys Of musketry hreo ny ene
soldiers OF both nations. Thus ana Lou
isiana pass away from The sovereignty oi
France to that OF Spain; and the specea-
tors OF this ceremony turned away WIN
heavy hearts, feeling that no" lhueeu
they were severed by more lmpassaole
obstacle than the ocean from their De-
loved mother country.
ernor and Captain General had been given
20 O'ReilIy, who now assumed the osten-
tatiOus state of petty sovereign. He had
bis throne, his levee and a body guard.
who accompanied him everywhere. His
! first official act was to order census to
be taken Of the city OF New Orleans,
which in 1869 contained 3, 100 Inhabitants.
/ The next was one Of base treachery. He
/ invited Messrs. Foucault, Latriniere,
! Noyant, Boisblanc and Brault TO attend
/ his levee. They went, trusting TO his
| promise OF amnesty for all past
Ctfenses, but no sooner did they APP
| pear than he had them arrested
by soldiers, loaded with chains and
cast into prison. A few days later
Marquis, DOucet, Petit, Mazent, Caresse,
! Ponpet and the two brothers Milhet were
added to the number of the prisoners.
The ardent Villere was still at large, and
as he lived in the country 1t was rather
more difficult 60 effect his capture, but
another act of perfdy led 10 his destruc-
| ton also. Aubry was induced TO write
him letter and ask him to come 70 New
Orleans, giving him at the same time as
surances of his personal safety; but when
| he came the guard at the city gate (for
! New Orleans was then enclosed by ram
! parts) seized him and carried him aboard
| ship of war In the river. His wife fol-
! lowed him, but was refused admittance
! to bis room; hearing her voice Where
attempted to speak TO her, and was rough
! ly repulsed by the sentinel at his doors a
! scufle ensued, and he was shot almost
! before her eyes. She heard the report Of
/ the musket, and amoment later the heart
| less rufiians threw his shirt, all stained
with his lite blood, at her feet TO convince
! her Of his death. The shock was so great
! that she fell senseless and remained ever
after In a state of passive despair; life did
not laaye her at once, but che never spoke
again or appeared to take the slightes tin
terest In anything that occurred around
her.
A most arbitrary and indicative trial
Of the prisoners now began. They pleaded
that they had been the subjects of the
King Of France as long as the French flag
flOated over their country as the symbol
Of his empire; that their allegiance was
due to him alone until the Spaniards took
formal possession Of the government, and
that as UllOa had never given Them any
evidence of his credentials they were
under no obligation to recognize his au-
thority. Moreover they maintained that
they should not be tried by Spanish laws
for ohenses which had been committed
while French laws werein force.
O'Reilly dlsregarded all this, however.
He had predetermined that an example OF
severity should be given which would
strike terror into the souls of the disaf-
fected colonists and that six of their most
prominent men should pay the penalty of
death for the resistance which Ulloa had
met with. Villere having been killed five
OF thu accused we're condemned to be
hung and TO have their property cOnfsca-
ted TO the Crown, Four others were sent
to Havana, to be imprisoned in Moro
Castle.
Sept. % dawned bright and fair, and the
sun shOne in all his regal splendor on the
| harvest fields, the broad river and the
birds sang gaily in the tall magnolia trees
as they tiuttered from branch to branch
/ and pecked at the crimson cones. Roses,
/ the lobelia, and white water lilies bloOmed
/ in glen and swamp, eXhaling balmy fra
| GRANGE on the morning air. All nature
was glad and beautiful, bnt the hearts OF
the people were not attuued to Joy or
]
for this was the sorrowful day appointed
for the execution, and they were to stand
| idly by and see five of their tellow-citizens
| led forth TO an ignominious death.
Ladies on their Bonded knees had petit.
/ toned vainly that a respite should be
! given, so that an appeal might be made to
/ the clemency of the spanish. King, but
the inexorable O'Reilly wpaId grant no
/ reprieve. The only cOnceSa3On he made
was that instead Of having them hanged,
he agreed to allow them to be shot, be-
cause the official hangman. was negro,
and he feared that popular Indignation
would break all bounds il these unfortu-
nate gentlemen were subjected to this
browning indignity.
At noon the gates Of the city were
closed and gloom and silence prevailed,
broken only by the tramp Of the Spanish
| infantry and the rumble OF their artillery
as they paraded the streets. Three
/ O'Clock at last struck, the prison doors
! opened and the condemned were brought
IN the public square in front of the bar
racks and fastened to stakes, which had
been driven into the ground. They re-
fused to have their eyes bandaged and be-
haVed with admirable courage and COM
/ posture. O'Reilly, in loud, resonant tones,
gave the fatal word of command, his
sternly disciplined soldiers fred and five
brave hearts grew cold in death, their
liie-bloOd falling on DeChoiseuPs head,
as well as on that of the cruel executor
OF Spanish vengeance.
An, well! many summers have come
and gone since the victims fell and time
has almost Obliterated all traces OF Span
ish domination. The old chapel which
adorned their cemetery has vanished like
the smoke OF incense which was daily
waited upward before the gilded altar.
| All traces OF their graves have disap-
/ peared and are covered over by modern
| homes. A few red-tiled roofs and sub
stantial brick walls are the only silent
witnesses which remain Of that tragedy.
! Every morning negro vendors cry loudly,
| "BetieS calais tout chGRdv along
| the neglected old streets which formerly
echoed back the trumpet call and the
| careless laugh Of childhood resounds
! through the stronghold or proud veterans
/ and where fiery young officers loved and
prayed-for. with all their fierce spirit OF
conquest. devotion 10 their ladies ana to
the Cross always characterized this won
I derful race, whose hearts seemed TO unite
/ the contrasting elements Of ice and flame.
The memory OF O'Reilly alone survives,
/ OUTLYING the lapse OF years, and be is
/ still hated and despised, because he valued
/ despotlc power more than honor and good
faith. Thus may it ever be with tyrants.