The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-18


other statesmen went farther in this
desirable direction. This many sided
genius was at this time the ranking
major general of the United States
army. next In authority to Washington
pby that matchless hero's own choice
| and insistcnce.
| The Natchez district. confirmed TO us
| by the pinckney treaty with Spain. did
not come into the full possession of the
United States until 17?S, In message
to- congress, dated June II, 1897. Prcsi-
| dent Adams said. This country is
| rendered peculiarly valuable by its in
| habitants. who are represented TO
! amount to nearly four thousand. gener-
ally we'll affected and much attached to
| the United States and Jealous for the
establishment of a government under
| their authority. | therefore recommend
| to your consideration the expediency of
erecting q government in the district OF
the Natchez, similar TO that established
for the territory northwest of the river
Ohio. but with certain notifications
| relative 10 titles Or claims OF land,
whether of individuals or companies.
or to claims Of Jurisdiction of any indi-
Nidual state"
lln' .NullHcH
district. which became the Mississippi
territory, was bounded on the west by
the great river, on the south by the
thirty-frst parallel of latitude. and on
the north by line drawn due east
from the mouth of the NaHoo to the
Chattahoochy river. it's eastern bound
ary
We shall only ,pitomize the many
pages of history relating to the rcluct-
ant transfer by Spain of a region which
was ours by plaiE treaty stipulation.
Ii was a tooth-puliins, agoniHins pro-
cess. The American commissioner was
Colonel Andrew lIllicott, who had rem
dered valuable services in laying out
and surveying the city of Washington.
He was ably assisted in his delicate
mission by two brave and discreet Of
ticers, Captain Isaac Guion and lieu
tenant Piercy S. Pope.
Colonel Ellicott established his camp
on an eminence in NatcheZ. about five
hundred yards from the we'll garri-
Soncd Fort Panmure. Here he dis
played mast high the flag of the United
States. demanded the surrender of the
fort. and declining the many polite in
HitationG TO go to New Orleans and
elsewhere, announced that he would
not move, except to the point where
he was to begin surveying the line of
denarkatiO In the meantime Gcnei-
al Wayne had sent Lieutenant Pope
with forty men to occupy a post within
supporting distance. The gallant Pope
reported to the rcSolute Ellicott his
readiness for action. That both SOL
dicrs We're heroes appears from Il letter
addressed to his Fellow Citizens of the
District of Natchez" by Pope approved
by Elicott iii which the former de-
clares: Il will, at all hazards. protect
the citizens of the United States from
every act of hostility" This courage
Gus course OF action in the presence of
such superior Spanish force, brought II
happy issue out of one of the most Sc
rious of our many differences With
Spain. Gayoso de Lcmos, the Spanish
commissioner. who became governor of
Louisiana while these troubles were
pending. was in artifce, procrastina-
tion and prevarication, Il past grand
master. TO POSTPONE delivering the
district and to staVe off the inevitable
hour, he had to go to New Orleans:
pretended TO have no instructions: had
asked for instructions and must await
their arrival: was threatened with an
invasion from Canada; was liable TO
an attack by by Great Britain by sea,
and SO on ad iniinitum. The plain
truth was he was trying to incite the
Indians TO make war on us; he was
still doleing out bribes to those de-
spicable traitors, Thomas Powers, Ben
jalnin Sebastian and other base desert
la, t,,ll.
ing and playing anti-administration
politics like Giles, TAYLOR and the worst
Virginia politicians, and lastly, the
versatile Spaniard was hoping and
praying to profit by the death of the
patriot Wayne, as that would bring the
Old pensioner of Spain, General Wilkin-
son, in chief command. 1t is due to
Wilkinson to relate that he repulsed
these last overtures, his inordinate am
bition being satisfied with the COM
mand Of the American army, seeming
ly for life Not so Telfishly patriotic IA
this time was another lf-condcmned
man, Senator William Blount, of Ten
nessee, who was found guilty OF prof.
fering aid to the British forces in Que
bee while they were contemplating a
hostile movement upon Louisiana and
.NtN 'IledIiS. ctlldlOI lblDunp WAS
promptly expelled from the senate of
the United States by unanimous vote.
In contrast With men of little faith in
their country on countrymen was Cap
tain Isaac Guion, a veteran of the revo-
luton, who commanded the reinforce
ments sent to the disturbed district,
and who determined to carry the Span
ish forts by assault If they were not
evacuated on or before a certain date,
which he fixed as Apri, /, 179S. The
garrlsons of two forts We're lodged for
safety in Fort Panmure, The state of
local feeling being at high tension,
about midnight on March 20, the drums
were heard of the troops marching To
the river bank and before daylight the
last soldier of Spain had embarked for
New Orleans 1t was more like Il pre-
cipitated retreat than n peaceful evacu-
alton.
The survey of the line of demarka-
tion at once proceeded under Colonel
Ellicott with his assistants and mill
tary escort.
Winthrop Sargent became by APP
pointment of John Adams, the first ter
ritorial governor. Here endeth, not the
first, but perhaps the worst lesson in
Spanish perfidy. Contemporaneou with |
this falling back on land before AN in
ferior force, Spanish priyateers were
seizing our unarmed merchant vessels, |
coniiseating their cargoes and march, |
ing their officers and sailors in man
acles through public streets in Spanish |
towns, To dungeons where died the vic |
TINS OF the dreadful lnquisition. The |