The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-08-11

tors, and, at the time, he was attor.
ney-general of Louisiana territory.
Louisiana was conveyed to Spain
by secret treaty, and the Louisi
anians did not know of the, treaty until
the arrival of Don Antonio Ulloa and
his small "army of occupation" con
sisting of perhaps 1000 soldiers. Al
once the conspiracy was put on foot
and in the meantime the Spaniards
were enforcing their customary sys.
tenn 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-
lish the "Holy Inquisition," priests and
the instruments of torture having al.
ready arrived. The grand inquisitor'
for Louisiana, with his rack and thumb
screws, we're seized and shipped back
to Spain by the revolutionists.
This conspiracy is tinged with 70.
mance-the ambition and deceit of a
woman playing the usual part-and
ending with tragedy. It 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 it's leaders.
Fronting the Mississippi river, in
what is now the business portion OF
New Orleans shipping, and about hall
a mile above the present jackson
square, stood the finest suburban resi-
dence of the New Orleans of those
days. 1t was a pretty French villa
picturesquely 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
flowers 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 at 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.
iards.
This villa: or ''Maison de Conspira-
tors" was the residence of one Nine
Pradel, an intrigante and aspirant for
social distinction in the colony. She
was as bold as she was beautiful, vain,
ambitious and heartless. She had a
past, but what it was no one in the
colony knew, excepting that she had
been court butterfly" and had been
exiled from France. She came to this
new world and established a court
after the style of the celebrated sa-
Ions in Paris. Lafraniere, the chief
| conspirator, was a frequent visitor to
the salon of Nine. Pradel, and finally
her salon became their general meet
ing place. During literary discussions
and dances the conspirators discussed
their plans, and when Spanish soldiers
appeared at the "Maison de Conspir-
ators" they only found few ladies
\ and gentlemen discussing delicate sup
pers or, a dance in full swing. :.
Finally the Commercial regula-
lions" of the Spaniards became so op-
pressive that the revolutionists de-
cided to strike. A written protest was
UNDECIDED with the usual Spanish
hauteur, and then at a general meet
ing Of delegates from the districts the
Republic Of Louisiana was declared
TO be in existence. a legislative coun-
Gil was next organized, naming La
franiere as chief Of the republic. The
conspirators assembled at the Place de
Arms (now Jackson square) and raised
the banner Of their republi Ca white