New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-14
III.

When Mr. W.nsor says that the occupation OF
the Mississippi Valley was the cause Of the
Anglo French war. he Only means that chronic
conflict broke out In a new place. When lber-
VILE was prevented by a treaty from marrying
the English around Hudson's Bay and on the
shores Of Newfoundland he at once looked about
for something else TO do; and though he had noe
what he would have esteemed the good luck or
waging a new war Immediately, he could easily
guess from the moment that he entered the
mouth OF the Mississippi that he was beginning
TO cut out hot work for somebody. In fact.
troubles with Indians began Immediately Long
before the French and English were near enough
to each other In the southern country TO have
due Of quarrel. they tormented them
selves with the belief that. each was melting
the savages against the other. But at first,
nature with the luxuriant growths II fostered
and the disease II bred was the most trouble
some enemy the French had to meet. 1t came
near efacing the earliest attempts at COLOMBIA
ton. But the settlements grew. Historic events
which might be expected to prove their ruin
were really beneficial. For example. Laws Mis-
sissippi Scheme was anything but injury 10
louisiana. This was evolved directly from the
seeming misfortunes Of the colony. After seven
teen years OF effort there were only about sever
hundred people In Louisiana, including slaveG.
The proprietor had Just given up his charter a
bankrupt In Paris: and In a succession Of Gov
ernors the colony had not yet found one who
knew how to make his charge prosperous But
the belief had been fostered that there were
rich mines In the Mississippi Valley. Hopes
based on this belief led to the formation OF the
so-called Mississippi. Company. the legal title OF
which was the Company OF the West" Law
was the right kind OF fnancier to turn mere
hopes into current coin needed by the impov
erished French Government. So far as the COM
pany had to do with the affairs Of Louisiana. It
acted wisely. 1t was not distracted by the
search for mines. On the contrary. It aimed TO
develop agriculture Within five years II added
to the seven hundred settlers already mentioned
seven thousand more. besides six hundred slaves
from Africa. Some OF these thousands were
useless but under the impulses which the COM
pany gave "the colony began to assume the
character which comes from settled labor. and
lost many Of the haphazard turns which come
from vagrancy." II was then that New-Oreans
had Its beginnings. and an incident which fol-
lowed hard upon Laws downfall IL significant
Of the fact that the town was already prosper
Gus. Law had sent out to occupy lands granted
him a group Of Germans. who built villages and
opened farms only to desert them In haste when
they heard that their patron had disappeared
from Paris. The colonial authorities gave them
new lands on the river twenty miles above
New-Orleans. still known az the German Coast.
and there they began to raise vegetables for the
market Of the new capital. A town that already
needed a settlement Of Germans to supply It
with vegetables must have grown rapidly In the
nrst three or four years Of ito existence.
But the monopolies favored by the French sys-
tenn including Laws company, shared in common
the vice that they took away the stimulus 10 in
dividual effort permanent and localized The
wandering trader. who was only an eccentr,city
OF the English colonies. tended to become the most
potent factor In French colonial life. In both
New-France and Louisiana monopoly diverted
energy from building up a State In order that II
might sustain the aspirations OF huckstens." II
the courtiers traded In the patriotism OF the nd
venturous colonists. It was tc be expected that
| the latter would do the same. These things must
be remembered when II II observed that France
at one time easily controlled. not In fancy but in
fact. the whole stretch from the Gulf OF st.. Law
renee west Of the Allegheny Mountains TO the
CUR OF Mexico. Geographically so remote from
Il fho lab