USA > Louisiana > Louisiana : its history as a French colony. Third series of lectures > Part 21
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island of Cuba. " General O'Reilly," says Michaud in his biographical sketch of that officer, "had always been an object of malignant envy, and had many ene- mies, whom the flexibility of his temper and the soft
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MESSAGE FROM O'REILLY TO AUBRY.
influence of his conciliating manners could not reconcile to his advancement, in a nation proverbially proud and suspicious of foreigners."
It was, as I said, on the morning of the 24th of July, that the inhabitants of New Orleans were informed of the arrival of O'Reilly at the Balize. In the evening, there came the intelligence that a Spanish officer, bear- ing despatches from O'Reilly to Aubry, was ascending the river. There was, on that night, no thought of sleep for the greater part of the population, and they were seen clustering 'in groups in the streets, or hurrying from house to house. At about ten o'clock, Loyola, Gayarre, and Navarro, preceded by torches and fol- lowed by their subordinates, friends, and adherents, were observed traversing the town, and moving towards the landing place. At eleven, the Spanish envoy, whose name was Francisco Bouligny, arrived in front of the public square, and, leaping ashore, was greeted by his countrymen, to whom he was a token of specdy relief. Passing through the large and anxious crowd that had gathered round them in silence, the Spanish officers went to the house of the French governor, who had retired to bed. He was immediately waked up, accor- ding to the instructions which he had left, and he received with much affability O'Reilly's messenger, who delivered to him the letter of which he had charge. Aubry read it twice over, but, on his not being able fully to understand its meaning, Bouligny proposed to trans- late it, and his offer was accepted. In this letter O'Reilly informed Aubry of the object of his mission, and requested the French governor to take all the necessary measures, to facilitate the transfer of Louisiana from France to Spain, and the execution of the designs of their respective sovereigns. " Tell General O'Reilly," said Aubry to Bouligny in answer to
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AUBRY'S SPEECH TO THE PEOPLE.
this despatch, "that I am ready at any time to deliver up this province to his Excellency, and that should the colonists make the slightest opposition to it, I am determined to join my forces to his, to punish the inso- lence of the rebels."
On the 25th, Bouligny, Gayarre, Navarro, and Loyola dined at Aubry's, with the highest among the civil authorities and the most influential among the French officers and colonists. The past seemed to have been forgotten, the dinner was very gay, and towards its close, Aubry addressing Bouligny and looking round the table, expressed to him, with marked emphasis, his satisfaction that the people had at last listened to the counsels of prudence, and had taken the only resolution which could save the colony from complete destruction. In the evening, Bouligny and the other Spanish officers promenaded through the streets of the town, and were greeted everywhere with cordiality, and even with apparent demonstrations of joy. On the next day, the 26th, at nine of the morning, Aubry addressed in these words the people, whom he had summoned to meet on the public square : "I have to announce to you that Mr. D' O'Reilly is now in the river, at the head of several regiments that have come with him from Spain. . He is sent to take possession of Louisiana, in the name of the King of Spain, by virtue of the sacred orders of their most Christian and Catholic Majesties, and he will present me with his credentials, at our first meeting. You can judge of the degree of irritation which the King of Spain must feel, from his sending to this distant country a General of such great distinction. It is therefore prudent for you to open your eyes on your past conduct, and to prevent your own ruin and that of your native or adopted country. You must be aware that nothing short of a prompt and entire submission,
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DEPUTATION FROM THE CITY.
can now ward off the misfortunes with which you are threatened. I think that, in these delicate circumstan- ces, I can assume the responsibility to assure you that, if you offer no resistance, General O'Reilly will treat you favorably, and that you will not be deceived in having full reliance on the clemency and tenderness of disposition of his Catholic Majesty. I order you, at the same time, in the name of the King, to abstain from resorting to any meeting and to forbear from taking up arms, except in obedience to an express order from me, under the penalty of being treated as rebels, who dis- obey his Majesty's commands." He then dissolved the assembly, and returned to his house ..
A short time after, Lafreniere called on Governor Aubry, and informed him that, having full confidence in the generosity and magnanimity of General O'Reilly, he, Marquis, and Milhet had resolved, provided that Aubry favored them with a letter to his Excellency, to go down the river, in order to present their homages to the Spanish general, to give him the assurance, in the name of the people, of their complete submission, and to entreat him to intercede for them near his Catholic Majesty, whose clemency they implored. Aubry eagerly accepted this proposition, encouraged Lafrenière in his resolution, and told him that it was the only rational one he could take. On that day, the Spanish officers dined again at Aubry's, with some of the former chief conspirators, and then Bouligny departed with Lafrenière, Marquis, Milhet, the harbor master, and the oldest commissioned captain in the French troops, whom Aubry sent, the one, to pilot O'Reilly's vessels through the pass at the Balize, and the other to compli- ment his Excellency, as is customary on such occasions.
After forty hours' navigation, Don Francisco Bouligny reached the Balize, and presented Lafrenière and his
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ADDRESS OF LAFRENIÈRE.
companions to O'Reilly, who received them in state, on the deck of the flag ship, which was crowded with a host of officers, who had come from the other vessels to witness the scene. Lafrenière was to be the spokesman of his party, but, when introduced to the presence of O'Reilly, he felt one of those sudden emotions, from which the boldest heart is not free, on occasions of peculiar solemnity, and his powers of speech failed him for a moment ; but encouraged, however, by the benignant expression which he observed in O'Reilly's face, he soon rallied, and, in a somewhat faltering voice, delivered the fol- lowing address, which O'Reilly ordered Bouligny to take down : "Excellency, Mr. Marquis, an ex-captain of a Swiss company, Mr. Milhet, a lieutenant of militia and a merchant, and I, Lafrenière, a planter, and the King's attorney general, have been chosen as delegates by the inhabitants of Louisiana, and requested to come and assure your Excellency of their submission to the orders of their Catholic and most Christian Majesties, and of their veneration for the virtues and military talents which have raised you to the eminent dignities with which you are clothed. We are instructed to express to you the profound respect of the colony for his Catho- lic Majesty, and its love for his most Christian Majesty, and for all the august house of Bourbon. The colony never had the intention to be wanting in the profound respect which it cherishes for the great monarch whom you represent. The harshness of Mr. Ulloa's temper, and the subversion of the privileges guarantied by the act of cession, were the only causes of the revolution which took place in the colony. We beg your Excel- lency not to consider Louisiana as a conquered country. The orders of which you are the earer, are sufficient to put you in possession of this province, and they make a greater impression on our hearts, than the arms which
O'REILLY'S REPLY. 291
you carry with you. The French are docile, and accus- tomed to a mild government. On your arrival, you will find every one disposed to yield obedience to the orders of the two majesties. The colony claims from your be- nevolence the grant of privileges, and from your equity, the allowance of sufficient delays for those who may choose to emigrate."
Don Alexandro O'Reilly* listened to this address, without interrupting the orator, and with the grave and imposing aspect, said an eye-witness, which his rank and dignity required. He then answered : " Gentlemen, it is impossible to judge of facts and events, without having previously obtained a sufficient knowledge of their causes. On my arrival in your town, I shall take special care to become acquainted with the whole truth, . to form right conclusions, and to examine the reasons alleged for your justification. You may rest assured that no one can be better disposed than I am, to render good services to the colonists, and that my doing the least injury to any one would be to me a matter of deep regret.f I shall be the first to furnish you with all the means I may possibly dispose of, to enable you to tran- quillize the people; and you may assure them of the good dispositions with which I am animated, and which · are natural to my character. I see with pleasure the resolution which you have taken. Had it not been so, you may well be persuaded that I would have caused the flag of my king to be respected, and that, to accom- plish it, I would have allowed no consideration to arrest me in my course. Such was my resolution, and I would
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* Don Alexandro O'Reilly escuchó esta arenga sin interrumpirla, con la serie- dad y señorio correspondiente á su caracter.
t Yo seré el primero en facilitar á los medios para que tranquilizen á todo el pueblo, asegurando le de las buenas disposiciones en que me hallo llevado de mi caracter.
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CLOSE OF THE INTERVIEW.
have ascended the river as high as the Illinois, if neces- sary. Men, when in a state of frenzy, do not reflect, and cannot see the consequences of their actions. If it were not so, how could a handful of people, like you, have imagined themselves capable of resisting one of the most powerful sovereigns of Europe ? How could . you think that the most Christian King, bound to the king my master, by the ties of blood and by those of the closest friendship, could ever have assisted you, and lent a willing ear to the clamors of a seditious people ?"
Here, Marquis interrupted the General, to object to the application of the word seditious, and to give some reasons in explanation of the course pursued by the colo- nists. The General answered with gentle condescen- sion : " Be at ease ;* I have already told you, gentlemen, that I will listen with pleasure to your arguments, when the time shall come. God be praised, I am free from all prejudices, and I am aware that things, which from afar may look as if they were clothed with the dark hue of guilt, may, at a shorter distance, appear decked in the white robes of innocence."
The General detained them to dine with him, treated them with the most delicate politeness, with the utmost suavity of manner, and sent them back, says Bouligny, one of the persons present at the interview, full of ad- miration for his talents, and with good hopes that their past faults should be forgotten.
O'Reilly, in order to have proper quarters prepared : for his troops, sent back Bouligny to New Orleans, with two other officers named Karbonary and Bordenave.
On the 15th of August, Aubry went down the river, to
* El General le respondió con dulzura-Ya he dicho a Vs, Señores, que á un tiempo escucharé con gusto las razones de Vs. A Dios gracias, estoy libre de preocupaciones, y no ignoro que muchas veces las cosas que parecen negras desde lejos, suelen verse blancas, quando uno se aprocsima.
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293
LANDING OF THE SPANIARDS.
offer his respects to O'Reilly, who was on his way up, and to come to an understanding with him, as to the man- ner and time of taking possession of the colony. On consultation, they fixed the 18th for that ceremony. On the 16th, Aubry returned to New Orleans, and issued a proclamation, enjoining the inhabitants of the town and the most respectable among those of the neighboring country, to be at the august ceremony, and to be ready to present themselves to his Excellency, Don Alexandro O'Reilly, in order to assure him of their entire submission and of their inviolable fidelity to his Catholic Majesty. On the 17th, in the morning, the whole Spanish fleet, num- bering twenty-four sails, appeared in front of New Or- leans. Immediately all the necessary preparations were made for landing, and flying bridges were dropped from the vessels to the bank of the river. On the 18th, early in the day, the French governor, with a numerous train of officers, came to compliment the new governor, who went ashore in company with his visiters, and proceeded with them to the house which was destined for him. But before 12 o'clock, O'Reilly returned to his fleet, in order to prepare for the landing of the whole of his forces.
At 5 o'clock, in the afternoon, a gun fired by the flag ship gave the signal for the landing of the Spaniards. The French troops and the militia of the colony, with Aubry at their head, were already drawn up in a line, parallel to the river, and in front of the ships, in that part of the public square which is nearest to the church. On the signal being heard, the Spanish troops were seen pouring out of the fleet in solid columns, and moving, with admirable precision, to the points which had been designated to them. These troops, numbering 2600 men, were among the choicest of Spain, and had been picked by O'Reilly himself. With colors flying,
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LANDING OF THE TROOPS.
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and with the rapidity of motion of the most practised veterans, they marched on, battalions after battalions, exciting the admiration and the awe of the population by their martial aspect and their brilliant equipments. The heavy infantry drew themselves up in perpendicu- lars, on the right and left wings of the French, thus form- ing three sides of a square. Then came a heavy train of artillery of fifty guns, the light infantry, and the com- panies of mountain riflemen, (fusileros de montañas,) with the cavalry, which was composed of forty dragoons, and fifty mounted militia men from Havana. All these corps occupied the fourth side of the square near the river, and in front of the French, who were drawn up near the cathedral. All the vessels were dressed in their colors, and their riggings were alive with the Span- ish sailors in their holiday apparel. On a sudden, they gave five long and loud shouts of: Viva el Rey-Long live the King, to which the troops, on the square, re- sponded in a similar manner. All the bells of the town pealed merrily ; a simultaneous discharge from the guns of the twenty-four Spanish vessels enveloped the river in smoke; with emulous rapidity, the fifty guns that were on the square roared out their salute, making the ground tremble as if convulsed with an earthquake ; . and all along the dark lines of the Spanish infantry, flashed a sheet of fire, as the weaker voice of musketry, also shouting in jubilation, attempted to vie with the thunder of artillery. All this pomp and circumstance of war announced that General O'Reilly was landing.
He soon appeared in the square, where he was re- ceived with all the honors due to a captain general, drums beating, banners waving, and all sorts of musical instruments straining their brazen throats, and by their wild and soul stirring sounds, causing the heart to leap and the blood to run electrically through the hot veins.
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295
RECEPTION OF O'REILLY.
. He was preceded by splendidly accoutred men, who bore heavy silver maces ; and the whole of his retinue, which was of the most imposing character, was well calculated to strike the imagination of the people. With a slightly halting gait he advanced towards the French governor, who, with the members of the Council and all the men of note in the colony, stood near a mast which supported the flag of France. Immediately be- hind O'Reilly followed the officers of the colonial ad- ministration of Louisiana, Don Joseph Loyola, the commissary of war and intendant; Don Estevan Gayarre, the contador, or royal comptroller ; and Martin Navarro, the treasurer, who were to be restored to their respective functions, which had been interrupted by the revolution. "Sir," said O'Reilly to Aubry, "I have already com- municated to you the orders and the credentials with which I am provided, to take possession of this colony, in the name of his Catholic Majesty, and, also, the in- structions of his most Christian Majesty, that it be delivered up to me. I beg you to read them aloud to the people." Aubry complied with this request, and then, addressing the colonists by whom he was sur- rounded, said : " Gentlemen, you have just heard the sacred orders of their most Christian and Catholic Majesties, in relation to the province of Louisiana, which is irrevocably ceded to the crown of Spain. From this moment, you are the subjects of his Catholic Majesty, and by virtue of the orders of the King, my master, I absolve you from your oath of fidelity and obedience to his most Christian Majesty." Then turning to O'Reilly, Aubry handed to him the keys of the gates of the town. The banner of France sunk from the head of the mast where it waved, and was replaced by that of Spain .*
* Los Franceses, dirigidos por su Gobernador, dieron cinco veces : Viva el
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THE CLOSING CEREMONIES.
Following the example and the orders of Aubry, the French shouted five times : " Viva el Rey !" Long live the King !- which was repeated three times by the Spanish troops, who recommenced their firing in unison with the fleet.
Then O'Reilly, followed by the principal Spanish of- ficers, and accompanied by Aubry and his retinue, pro- ceeded to the cathedral, where he was received at the threshold by the clergy, with all the honors of the Pal- lium t and with the other usual solemnities.t The curate, or Vicar General, in the name and on behalf of the people, addressed to the General a pathetic harangue, coupled with the most caressing protestations of fidelity on his part. The General answered with concise elo- quence, declaring his readiness to protect religion, to cause the ministers of the sanctuary to be respected, to support the authority of the King and the honor of his arms, to devote himself to the public good, and to do justice to all. . He then entered the church, where a Te Deum was sung, during which the troops and the fleet renewed their discharges in tokens of rejoicing.
When the pious ceremony was over, O'Reilly and Aubry returned to the public square, where all the Span- ish troops filed off before the governors, in the most re- doubtable order and equipage, says Aubry in one of his despatches, and, after having saluted them, retired to their respective quarters.
In a despatch in which, some time after the taking possession of the country by the Spaniards, he rendered to one of the French ministers an account of the events
Rey! Nuestra tropa lo ejecuto très veces con una descarga graneada, y al mismo tiempo que la salva de la fregata comandante.
t A sort of canopy, under which the Chase of the Eucharist is carried in processions.
El cura ó Vicario principal hizo á S. E. una arenga muy patética en nombre del pueblo, y con las mas tiernas protestas de fidelidad.
UCT
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AUBRY'S DESPATCHES.
which had preceded, and of the results which had fol- lowed, O'Reilly's arrival in Louisiana, Aubry says : " In circumstances so deplorable, without troops, with- out money, without resources, without assistance, hav- ing against me the Superior Council and the great majority of the inhabitants, I thought that, in order not to ruin this colony, it was necessary to act with the ut- most reserve. I concluded that it was my duty to en- deavor, to the best of my abilities, to prevent the effusion of French and Spanish blood, and to preserve this un- fortunate country in its integrity, until it be possible to cause its population to respect the orders of their Catholic and most Christian Majesties, determined, how- ever, as I was, to perish with the few officers and soldiers who had remained under my orders, when the fury and violence of the rebels should drive me to the last extremities, and put me under the indispensable necessity of meeting them in battle.
" At the very moment when all seemed to be lost, Providence took compassion of our calamities, and when we were near being submerged by the storm, sent us a liberator, who, by his mere presence and by his wisdom, has, in an instant, reestablished order and tranquillity in a country, which, for a long time past, was in an inde- scribable state of disorder and confusion.
" After having experienced the most terrible alarms and afflictions, in governing a colony, which I several times saw on the very brink of ruin and destruction, it has been my good luck, by the grace of God, to deliver it up in its integrity into the hands of a General, to whose presence, wisdom and firmness it is now indebted for its tranquillity. Listening with the greatest kindness to those who have any business to transact with him, he fills with hope and satisfaction all the inhabitants, who, after so many disturbances and disorders, see at last the
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LETTER FROM O'REILLY TO AUBRY.
.
restoration of peace and justice in the country. The thanks which the General was pleased to address to me at the head of my troops, and in presence of the whole people, and the approbation which he expressed of my conduct during all these past unfortunate occurrences, are to me a sure pledge of its obtaining also the sanc- tion of your Excellency."
On the 19th, the day following the ceremony of tak- ing possession, O'Reilly gave, with great pomp, a dinner to the French governor, the Spanish and French author- ities, and all the persons of distinction in the colony. In the mean time, with his customary habits of activity, he had not allowed these festivities of the preceding and of the present day, to interfere with the business which he had on hand, and he had proceeded in secret to take the depositions of witnesses, as to what had occurred in the colony, and to peruse all the papers and documents which could give the desired informations on the subject. On the very day he thus entertained Aubry and some of the chiefs of the revolution, he addressed to that of- ficer the following letter: "Sir, as you witnessed all that occurred in this colony, when Don Antonio de Ulloa, appointed governor of the same by his Catholic Majesty, was expelled from it, I beg you to enlighten me on the subject, to make me acquainted with all these events and their true causes, and to furnish me with the names of the persons who induced the people to com- mit the offence of presenting themselves with arms in their hands, to enforce the violent expulsion of Don An- tonio de Ulloa, and to renew the same excesses against all the Spanish officers and troops in the colony.
" As Governor of this colony for his most Christian Majesty, and as the commander of the French troops, you recognized Don Antonio de Ulloa as the person designated by his Catholic Majesty to take, in his royal
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LETTER FROM O'REILLY TO AUBRY.
name, full possession and command of this colony. Con- sequently, you gave to Ulloa possession of the Balize and of other posts, and the complete cession was de- ferred, only at the solicitation of Ulloa himself, until the arrival of the Spanish force which he expected, a proof of confidence on your part, which was due to the close union existing between the two crowns.
" It is expedient that you have the kindness to com- · municate to me, as soon as possible, all that you may know in relation to said revolution, without omitting to quote, literally, all the orders, protests, and public or secret documents, to which you may have had recourse, in order to reduce to, and to keep within, the bounds of duty, the chiefs and agents of the conspiracy.
" It is very essential that I should know who is the person who wrote, printed and circulated the document having for its title : Decrce of the Council, dated October, 1768, and under what authority this was done. I desire the same information with regard to the other document entitled : Memorial of the inhabitants of Louisiana on the event of the 29th October, 1768, because all the articles of said documents claim my special attention. I shall put entire faith in your informations, and I again beg you not to omit any circumstance relative to men and things, in what concerns said revolution."
On the 20th, without losing sight of the object of his investigations, O'Reilly went to pay a formal visit to the French governor, with the whole body of Spanish of- ficers .* On that very day, Aubry answered the com- munication which he had received from O'Reilly, on the preceding one. Aubry's letter is a very long document, in' which he designates all the 'chiefs of the revolution, and relates minutely their respective shares in that
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