The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-30
THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
By FREDERIC j. HASKTR
By FREDERIC J. HASKTN.

Louisiana has been one OF the States OF
the American Union ninety-five years to-
day, having been admitted on April 30,
1872 Birthdays Of the States are not
generally observed, California being a
signal exception. as September s, "Ad-
mission Day" is q legal holiday IN that
State. 1t has been suggested by famous
public school educator that these ami
versarles of the admission of the several
States be devoted 10 giving the children S
history classes a short review of the
story Of a State. Should this plan be
generally adopted, the children would
rarely near a more thrilling and romantic
tale than that to be told on the birthday
Of Louisiana.
De Soto first, and after a hundred
years. La Sale. discovered the great Mis-
sissippi River. which flows into the Gulf
of Mexico In what is now the State Of
Louisiana. After La Sale came Bienville,
father OF Louisiana and founder of New
Orleans, and the first permanent settle
ments were made. Scarcely had the
stOut-hearted French pioneers made a
home for themselves. when their country
was made the basis OF one OF the greatest
speculative schemes and financial frauds
the world has ever known. John Law,
2 Scotchman with brains persuaded the
French government, through Philip Of
Orleans. to found bank and issue bonds
based upon the exploitation Of this great
country of Louisiana, on the banks Of
the Father of Waters, then called in
France the River Colbert This was the
celebrated Mississippi Bubble" the
bursting Of which shook Europe through
and through, and worked lasting injury
TO Continental European enterprise in
the New World.
While the bubble was at its bright
est, and It's colors We're dazzling the eyes
Of the whole world, the city Of New Or
leans was founded, in February. Ills. by
Bienvilles newly appointed governor. 1t
was named Ia honor Of John Laws chief
patron. Philip of Orleans, regent Of
France. The older settlements of Fort
Louis on the banks OF the Mobile then
dropped into secondary Importance. II
was found that some ships could come up
through the delta Of the Mississippi. and
Bienvi'le protested against the Law Com
pany sending all the ships up the Mobile.
When New Orleans was five years old a
royal French engineer, NJ. Pauger. made
report to the King, saying the Nissis-
sippi was open 10 navigation from the
Gulf, and recommending system of Jet
ties 70 deepen the channels. Just such a
system Of jetties was successfully put in
by James B. Eads a century and a half
later, under United States supervision.
John Law was not TO be the last to
dream Of an empire in Louisiana. The
weak and dissolute Louis XIV made a
secret treaty IN 1852 and gave Louisi-
then prFr11 rrFef rarrfrc~r- Frov,
which fourteen States have been
carved, 10 his kinsman. Charles III of
Spain. The colonists did not know that
they had been deserted by their be-
loved mother country until two years
later. There was bitter resentment.
for these Louisianians We're good
Frenehmen and hot patriots, and their
love of country had been greatly
strengthened at that very time because
OF the influx of exiled Acadians who
We're driven from their Northern homes
by the cruelties OF the English. So it
came about that the patriots of Loui-
siana dreamed of an independent re-
public and there was revolution The
Spanish were strong enough to put it
down Immediately, and the Spanish
governor, Bloody O'Reilly, caused the
patriots TO be executed.
When the patriots of the English
colonies 10 the East rose in rebellion
in l775, the French-Americans of New
Orleans sympathized with them, aud
the Louisiana merchants sent supplies
OF arms and ammunition 10 Washing
tons army. Not all the Spanish gov
errors We're of the type of Bloody
O'Reilly, for the gallant young Don
,-rfre 10 fgal h1
ernor of Louisiana at twenty years
Of age. and died in Mexico as viceToy
when he was thirty. has left an illus
trious name. In 1891, just when the
American troops under Washington
were winning the victory in the war
for independence, GalveZ defeated the
British at Pensacola and the Floridas
were restored TO Spain.
Refugees from English colonies who
sought Louisiana for safety were cared
for by Galvez and given permission 10
found a new colony. They built a town
and named 1t In honor Of the young
governOr-GalveZ Town, now the Gal
weston which is the pride of Texas. It
was Galvez who gave Louisiana the
right TO share in the glory of the
American arms in the Revolutionary
war by his campaign against the Eng
lish in Florida.
But Louisiana was not yet through with
its destiny as a foundation for dreams
OF empire. Don Estevan Miro came to be
governor Of Louisiana in 17S5. The United
States were quarreling among themselves
under the operation of the inadequate
Articles Of Confederation. Miro thought
the country might go to pieces. and that
Faf raf At fT
he made friends with the pioneers. who
were pushing into Ohio, Kentucky, and
Tennessee They depended on the Mis-
sissippi River for commerce, and Miro
dominated the river.
Miro grew so popular in the Western
part Of the United States that the whole
valley of the Cumberland River was
named for him. the Miro or Nero dis
trict. The mastery of the Mississippi
River became a burning issue when
Washington was President Citizen Genet
appeared in Philadelphia. and the Span
ish intrigue" was born. Jacobin societies
in Kentucky were of strong pro-Spanish
proclivities. The Eastern States cared
little or nothing for the settlements west
of the Alleghenies. while the pioneers
looked on Miro as their friend These
dreams of a Mississippi Valley empire
from mountain chain 60 mountain chain
were not 10 be realized. But the plot
ting went on. even after Miro. William
BlOunt. first Senator from Tennessee, was
expelled from the Senate on the charge
Of having reasonable correspondence with
Louisiana Spaniards.
Napoleon arose and OvershadOwed Eu-
rope He, too, dreamed of an American
empire, and induced Charles " OF Spain
to cede TO him Louisiana in the year 1900.
Jefferson wanted IsOuisiana-he wanted
the Mississippi; he wanted the great val
lev and hc bought Il from Nanolpou