The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-07-05

istration Of civil affairs. In the revo-
luton which followed, this council took
the place of the house Of burgesses In
the Virginia revolution, and that Of the
various assemblies in the first move
ments Of revolution in the New Eng
land colonies. The republican move-
inent In Louisiana, however, was unique
In that 1t was headed by the kings at
torney general, who, when he found the
liberties Of Louisiana opposed by the
kings both of France and Spain, at
tempted to lead the people of the col
ony into revolt against both. Lafre-
Mere, who thus takes his place in his
tory as the first republican Of the first
American revolution, was by birth an
American. sprung from the same class
which afterwards produced jackson and
Lincoln. Gayarre writes that he was q
native Of Louisiana, and Of an obscure
family; that his father was a poor Ca
madam who had followed Bienville to
Louisiana" and had there "by dlnt Of
Industry" obtained means enough to
send his son to be educated in France.
This statement has been challenged by
a commentator, who writes Nicholas
Chauvin de Lafreniere was Of a noble
family. as is proved by his title" but
the Spanish Governor Ulloa, in his re-
port of the revolution, declares that La
freniere's father was a Canadian, one
of four brothers, whose family name
was Leroy" of so low an extraction
and Of so little education that they
could not write, and had come, axe on
shoulder, to live by manual labor"
These four brothers changed their
names In Louisiana, and were known as
Lafreniere, Lery, Beaulieu and Chau-
win. "The sons of these are now chiefs
and authors Of the rebellion" adds Ul-
loa, in attempting to demonstrate that
the spirit Of revolt had originated with
the lower classes. The son of the Ca
madam aXeman had made such good
use of his opportunities, that he was the
leading orator and lawyer of the colony,
and the kings attorney general, with
an almost supreme control in the up
per council when on July 10. 1865, Don
Antonio de Ulloa wrote from Havana
that he had reached that place on his
way to New Orleans to take possession
of the colony for his Most Christian
Majesty"
This letter forced a rapid develop
ment Of the movement which had be-
gun spontaneously on, the publication
Of the letter written by the King of
France to Governor L'Abbadie. Imme-
diately after the publication Of that
letter, convention had been called at
New Orleans. Held in 1885, its delegates
werG chosen from the parishes Of lower
Louisiana, and 1t was one of the first
delegate conventions resulting spon-
taneously from the people in the terri
tory which now forms the United
States. It's leading spirits were Lafre-
Mere, Pierre Marquis, Balthasar Mas
san, Jean Baptiste Noyan, and the
brothers Jean and Joseph Milhet. The
former, who was the wealthiest merch-
ant of the colony, was chosen as rep
resentative of the people of the colony
to recede from the treaty with Spain.
AS a consequence of the cession to
England which accompanied that to
Spain, the unfortunate French inhabit-
ants of Acadia, who had been expelled
by England, were now beginning to ar
rive in Louisiana, and the spectacle of
their misery after their long journey
from Nova Scotia, excited the feeling
of revolt to still higher pitch, and it
was kept intense before Ulloas arrival
by the presence of English war vessels
in the Mississippi, and by their habit
passing New Orleans.