The Washington herald., 1907-12-10

The State Of Mississippi is ninety years
old to-day. having been admitted 70 thu
Union on December 10. Is17. Il was the
seventh state added TO the original thir-
! teen. and 1t IS interesting 10 remember
that the proposition TO call IL 'the State
OF Washington" was defeated by but
seven votes in the constitutional cOnven-
ti9n. Seventy-two years later a State Of
Washington was admitted. and is to-day
the only State Of the Union which bears
the name Of an American. although
Delaware. Georgia, Maryland. the Caro-
linas. louisiana and Virginia were
named in horror Of English or French
monarchs and noblemen-
The story of Mississippi begins with the
romance Of the discovery Of the Father
OF Waters by De Soto, almost 400 years
ago. The French came more than a cen
tury later-Marquette and Joliet first,
then the great la Sale. In the month
Of February, 1929. the French govern
ment actually took possession Of the ter
ritOry La Sale had claimed, and d'Iber-
Vile sailed into Mississippi Sound and
built fort Fort Maurepas thus be-
came the first settlement in Mississippi.
and for awhile was the seat Of govern
ment OF Louisiana. Early in 100 her
VILE his brother Bienville. and the
ChevalieT de Tonu established La Vile
de Rosahe aux Natchez" NatcheZ is to-
day one Of the leading Mississippi cities.
The French rule was disastrous. The
early col3nists were carried away by
epidemics, they were exposed 10 attacks
OF savage Indians. and they had little
aid or comfort from the mother country.
New cOlonists sent out were dep0rted
criminals. and there was little or no ma
terial out OF which 20 build a new COM
munity Then came John Laws era Of
frenzied finance, and the Mississippi
bubble With its bursting. the French
colonies in what is now Mississippi were
well nigh done TO death.
When the French King secretly ceded
the territory 20 Spain in 1852 the French
rule had lasted sixty-fve years, and there
were less than 30 cOlonists alive in the
Mississippi territory Treaties were made
on the fast-and-loose principle IN those
days and Kings did as they pleased. Al
though Louis gave all his Mississippi
Valley country 10 Spain. two years later
he ceded 20 England that portion lying
east Of the Mississippi River. with the
exception Of the island OF Orleans, az the
same time abandoning all title 70 the
French possessions in Canada
The English rule in Mississippi began
in 1864 under Capt. George Johnstone,
governor Of West Florida. His seat was
at Pensacola and his territory included
part Of the present State Of Florida. and
nearly all OF Alabama and Mississippi
Under the rule Of the English governors,
which continued for eighteen years. col
onists from the Atlantic Seab0ard came
10 Mississippi, peace was made with the
Indians, agriculture was undertaken, and
prosperity began 70 smile.
Then came the war Of the revolution.
AIississippis few colonists could not take
an active part against England in their
own behalf, but they symathized with the
American cause. Louisiana was Spanish
then and &c Galvez was governor. II was
he who drove the English OUT Of West
Florida. reattached the F1Oridas 10 the
Spanish crown, and greatly aided the
cause Of American independence AIissis-
sippi then went under Spanish dominion.
but the immigration Of the English-speak-
ing Americans from the thirteen States
continued. The seventeen years Of Span
ish rule was the beginning Of the agricuI-
tural development of the State, for il wit
messed the Introduction and successful
cultivation of cotton, and Cotton is stiu
King in Mississippi
Very soon after the Spanish occupation.
the State Of Georgia set up a claim 10
part of Mississippi and negotiations be-
tween the newborn United States and
Spain were entered into. Meanwhile
Georgia went on with the organization OF
counties in the disputed territory. After
ten years, in 1875. a treaty was signed Al
Madrid which Acknowledged the Georgian
claims. Under Miro, Gayoso. and Minor
the Spanish government at Nachez- had
been very popular. but the English-speak-
ing colonists predOminated, and they de-
sired American rule
President John Adams sent Winthrop
Sargent, Of Massachusetts. to be governor
OF the Territory Of Mississippi. including
the State of that name and Alabama.
Gov. Sargent was not a wise man. He
went 70 Natchez with a preconceived
notion that the Mississippians were pagans
and savages. and should be treated as
such. i wasn't long until the people sent
a petition 10 Congress charging Gov.
Sargent with NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. but II
COMMISSIONERS NOTICE.