The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-15
A FORGOTTEN EMPIRE.
A Gallant Frenchman Organized the
ChcrOkees in Georgia.


From the Philadelphia Times.
Few persons of to-day are probably
aware that up among the Georgia noun
tains a daring French adventurer once
founded an empire, with a capital city, an
emperor, a court, grand officers of state,
an army and thousands of subjects; that
the imperial design of the founder only
came to grief through an accident that
checked the further growth of power,
which, developed, might have changed
the destinies of the continent. The story
of this purely American sovereignty,
which died a-borning is peculiarly inter
esting and romantic.
In 1876 the French had settlements at
Mobile, New Orleans and a few scattered
points along the Gulf coast and a short
distance up the navigable rivers in what
is now Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and
Mississippi. Similarly, the English had
their posts and settlements on the coast
of the Carolinas and Georgia. The colonies
of both nations were few in number,
weak, scattered and feeble. The vast
country of the interior between these ri
walls was inhabited by number of power
full and Warlike Indian tribes. Principal
among these were the Cherokees, the
Creeks, the Choctaws and the Chickasaws.
In 100 the Cherokees alone possessed six
ty-four inhabited towns. Later, in It'll,
the single Choctaw tribe mustered nearly
5000 warriors. In TIT the town population
of the Creeks was 1900.
These tribes were far in advance of the
wild Indians, who lived in temporary wig
vans and depended on the chase for sub
sistence. Their towns were collections of
well-built log houses, fortified with pail
sades or walls of logs placed end to end
and encircled by deep bitches. They cult
waited the soil and raised peas, beans,
squashes, corn and fruit. In the autumn
they stored away their crops in granaries
and put up cured meat for the winter.
From a mixture of the inner bark of trees
and flax they made cloth.
The government of the tribe was demo-
cratic, and of the very essence of home
rule. In the center of each town was a
large open square, in some cases 600 to 900
feet long and of proportionate width. This
area was eXcaVated to the depth of two
or three feet and was perfectly level.
Around il rose a terrace, sometimes two,
one above the other, built from the dirt of
the excavation. Around the square were
the houses of the chiefs and big men of
the town, and also in every instance a
large building for the use of strangers. In
this square the leading men met every
day to drink black tea made from the ca
Gina plant to smoke, to talk news, to dis
cuss public and domestic affairs. Here all
complaints were entered, heard, and all
wrongs redressed. Once a year in the
month of May all national affairs were
settled in grand legislative assembly in
the council square at the principal town
OF the nation. The delegates were the
wise men, the chief and great warriors of
the tribe.
This was the condition of affairs when
the King of France sent one M. Pribus-
his first name has been lost-an officer in
his majesty's army and a man of great
sagacity, to proceed through South Caro-
lima, to give an account of that colony and
thence to journey to the Cherokee and Sc
duce them from the British to the French
interests.
without molestation Pribus went
through South Carolina and arrived
among the Indians. He professed to be
so charmed with his new acquaintance
that, though possessing all the qualifica-
tions of an accomplished gen.
tleman, having passed his life
amid the refnements of the
most polished nation in Europe, he ex-
changed his clothes for the Indian dress,
gave away all he brought with him save
his writing materials and weapons made
friends with the warriors, and became a
member of the tribe. He ate, slept, dane
ed, dressed and painted himself
as an Indian and looked like
one. He married an Indian
girl and took her to his house. His re-
tentive memory and strong understanding
enabled him shortly 70 master the dialect
Never hastily. but by gradual advances.
he impressed the tribesmen with bad
opinion OF the English colonists. represent