The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-05
THE REPUBLIC or WEST FLORIDA.
The Right OF Florida Counties to Wild Lands
Within Their Borders.

The Right OF Florida Counties to Wild Lands |
Within Their Borders.
A recent issue of the New Orleans
Times Democrat says:
Mr.. Robertson, member of Congress
from the Sixth District of the State has
offered once more bill donating the
public land in the Florida parishes to
those parishes, on the ground that they
achieved their independence of Spain by
their own exertions, established a re-
public of their own. and came into the
Union like Texas as State already in
dependent and organized. Bills to this
effect have been offered several times al
ready, but not very vigorously pressed
until few years ago, when the facts in
regard to the annexation of West
Florida were developed.
The question is purely historical
one, and the history at issue is fortu-
nately full and complete. An investiga-
tion of any historical map of the United
States will show strange hiatus in re-
spect to West Florida, which includes all
that part of Louisiana, lying north of
Bayou Manchac and east of the Missis-
| sippi. This region was certainly no por-
ton of the Louisiana purchase. 1t is
| equally certain that it was not included
in the Florida purchase, because it had
been an integral part of the United
| States for many years before Florida
was ceded to us by Spain. And finally,
it was never parte2of the British or
American colonial domain. AS mat
ter of fact, the West Florida parishes
were never obtained by the United
States by gift or purchase, but by the
revolution of the people of that section
and subsequent peaceable annexation at
| their request.
When Louisiana was purchased of the
| French it was found that it included
only the country west of the Mississippi
and the Isle of Orleans, the then island
surrounded by the Mississippi, Bayou
Manchac and Lakes Maurepas aud Pont-
chartrain. West of this lay the Spanish
province of Florida, usually divided into
East and West Florida. In the latter,
which includes to-day the two Felician-
as, East Baton Rouge, st. Helena, Liv-
ingston, Tangipahoa, Washington and
st. Tammany, was a large American
population, which had established itself
there at the invitation of the Spanish aII-
thorities. From 1902, the date of the
Louisiana purchase, until 1910 no doubt
or suspicion was ever cast upon
the Spanish title to this country, nor did
the United States ever put forward any
claim to it. The American settlers, how
ever, grew restlve under Spanish rule
and played exactly the same part played
some thirty years later by the Americans
In Texas. Anxious TO free themselves
from an alien dominion and unite their
fortunes with their fellow citizens across
the Manchac and Mississippi, they rose
in rebellion in 1910 and under the lead
ership of Gen. Philemon Thomas, at
tackled and captured the Spanish garri-
son at Baton Rouge, the seat of govern
ment, killed the Governor of the pro
vince, Don Carlos Grandpre, and drove
out the Spaniards.
The establishment of the Republic Of
West Florida followed. Even then, bo
claim was made to the country bv the
Americans and no attempt made to take
possession of it. Some years afterward
when the war of 1912 threatened the
United States, and particularly the Gull
country, the English then holding
Florida. Gov. Claiborne naturally be
came very much alarmed over the posi-
ton of West Florida, which threatened
New Orleans. The people of that small
J republic had previously asked admission
to the Union and sent delegate TO Con
gress. The reply was the peaceable oc
cupation of the country, the Fedora
troops taking possession cf it by ant
with the consent Of the people.