Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1898-08-13
tors, and, at the time, he was alto
n"ey-ppnpral of Iouisiono tarritor,

~ney-general of Louisiana territory.
Louisiana was conveyed to Spain
by secret treaty. and the Louisi
anians did not know of the treaty unit.
the arrival of Don Antonio Ulloa and
his small army of occupation,' con
siSting of perhaps 1000 soldiers. At
once the conspiracy was put on foot,
and in the meantime the S~paniards
were enforcing their customary sys-
TEN of robbery under the guise of tax
alton and duties. Another cause which
led to the conspiracy was the attempt
by the Spanish priesthood to estab-
fish the Holy lnquisition priests and
the instruments of torture having al
ready arrived. The grand inquisitor''
forLouisiana, withhisrack and thumb
screws, were seized and shipped back
to Spain by the revolutionists.
This conspiracy is tinged with ro-
mance-the ambition and deceit of a
woman playing the usual part-and
ending with a tragedy. 1t has fur
nished the plot and material for an
opera, though the scene of action is
changed from this historic spot, where
the first republic in America was born,
to end in a short while with the assas-
sination of its leaders.
Fronting the Mississippi river, in
what is now the business portion of
New Orleans shipping, and about half
n mile above the present Jackson
square, stood the finest suburban resi-
dence of the New Orleans of those
days. 1t was h pretty French villa,
plcturesquely situated amid groves of
orange and banana trees, ~interspersed
with beautiful magnolia trees, the
PRIDE of the south. In this pretty gar
den were grottos half concealed by
hover and sweet plants of this sub
tropical cline, which freighted the
warm atmosphere with delicious
fragrance. In these grottos were
rustic benches where the young beaux
and bellies sat ut evenings and talked
of love-the old story, yet ever new;
and here also the conspirators dis
cussed their plans of overthrowing the
oppressive rule of the brutal Span-
This villa, or "Maison de Conspira-
tors" was the residence of one Nine
an intrigante and aspirant for
social distinction in the COLONY. She
was as bold as she was beautiful. vain
ambitious and heartless. She had n
past, but what it was no one in the
colony knew, excepting that she had
oeen a court butterfly" and had been
killed from France. She came to this
new world and established a court"
the style of the celebrated sa-
Ions in Paris. L~afraniere, the chief
'onspirator, was a frequent visitor to
he salon of Nine. Pradel, and finally
Ter salon became their general meet
Ing place. During literary discussions
md dances the conspirators discussed
+heir plans, and when Spanish soldiers
appeared at the 'Maison de Conspir-
tors they only found a few ladies'
gentlemen discussing delicate sup
'ers or a dance in full swing.
Finally the Commercial repulo-
ions of the Spaniards became so ON.
that the revolutionists de-
ided to strike. A written protest was
lnheeded with the usual Spanish
'auteur, and then at a general meet
ng OF delegates from the districts the
Republic of Louisiana was declared
0 be In existence. A legislative coun.
II was next organized, naming La
raniere as chief of the republic. The F.,
onspirators assembled at the Place do J
rms (now jackson square) and raised {
ne banner of their republic-a white I
az with one star. The Cromwell of :
new world informed the Spanisb
overnor that his authority had ended. !,
that the soil of this country was
D. ripe for the Holy lnquisition." /
The governor, Don Antonio de Ulloa.
ID not resist. though his force was |
'rger than the band of co~nspirators A
'uld rally, and, in addition, he had
Vo ships of a After he had rather :
lrriedly retrented to n of his YES.
us his departure was a trifie hurried
! n OF the conspirators cutting n y
when the vessel drifted from its
eorings amid the hootings of the con- II
~.