The history of Louisiana : from the earliest period, Volume I, Part 31

Author: Martin, Francois-Xavier, 1762-1846
Publication date: 1827
Publisher: New-Orleans : Printed by Lyman and Beardslee
Number of Pages: 902


USA > Louisiana > The history of Louisiana : from the earliest period, Volume I > Part 31


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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: 1768]


greatly under the influence of Foucault, the ordonna- teur, threatened Ulloa with a prosecution, as a dis- turber of the peace of the province. He alleged that Aubry had given him privately possession of the country, at the Balize. As none believed that a clan- destine act, even, if it took place, could authorise any" assumption of powers, his declaration was considered as a gross artifice. Aubry, who corroborated Ulloa's assertion, was also disbelieved. He fell into contempt, and Ulloa's opposers were emboldened.


The colonists, mistaking their wishes for their be- lief. indulged the hope that, as the taking possession, by the officers of Spain was thus protracted, the ca- tholic king must have renounced the acquisition of the province. Others viewed the cession, as a measure feigned for state purposes. Yielding to these delusi- ons, they viewed Ulloa with a jealous eye, as a per- sonage, who abused the reasons of state, which they supposed to be the cause of his coming among them. Conjectures drawn from the British prints and from conversation with individuals of that nation, who had come to New Orleans, on their way to Manshac, Ba- ton Rouge and Natchez, strengthened their belief. The public agitation for a while subsided, but was at last roused, by a rumour, that a Spanish armament, destined for Louisiana, had arrived at the Havana.


Frantic and distracted by these alternate impressi- ons of hope and fear, some of the popular leaders flat- tered themselves, with the possibility of resistance, and despatched a messenger to Governor Elliot, who had succeeded Johnson at Pensacola, to ascertain whether the support of the government of West Flori- da could be obtained. The governor declared him- self unwilling to aid his neighbours, in an opposition to a king in amity with his own. It was said he trans- mitted the message he had received to Aubry, who


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delivered it to Ulloa, and that the latter carried it to Madrid.


Disappointed at this attempt, the leaders pressed the consideration of the petition of the inhabitants, which the council had delayed to act upon.


It had been subscribed by five hundred and sixty of the most respectable inhabitants. Lafreniere sup- ported it by an eloquent speech, in which he adverted to the successful opposition of the British American provinces to the stamp act, and drew the attention of the council to the noble conduct of the people of Bur- gundy, in 1526, when summoned by Launoy, the vice roy of Naples, to recognize as their sovereign, the emperor Charles the fifth, to whom Francis the se- cond had ceded that province, by the treaty of Ma- drid. The states and courts of justice, being conve- ned to deliberate on the emperor's message, unani- rously answered that the province was a part of the French monarchy, and the king had not the power of alienating it. The nobles resolutely declared, that if the king abandoned them, they would resort to arms, and the last drop of their blood would be spilt in de- fence of their country.


At last, on the 29th of October, it was taken up, and after some debate, the council (notwithstanding the opposition and protest of Aubry) ordered Ulloa to produce his powers from the king of Spain, if he had any, that they might be recorded on its minutes, and published through the province, or depart therefrom, within one month. To give weight to the requisition of the council, about six hundred of the inhabitants of the city and German coast embodied themselves.


Ulloa took the last of the alternatives proposed to him, and was soon ready to depart; a vessel of the king of Spain, that had lately arrived afforded him an opportunity, which he improved.


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On the evening of one of the first days of Novem- ber, he went on board of the king's vessel, intending to sail early in the morning. The torch of hymen had been lighted in the house of a wealthy merchant in the city; the dance was protracted till the morning : a number of the planters, who had come to the city. had joined the festive banquet. . Wine had been sent to others, whose admission the great number of the guests in the house had prevented from attending. At dawn, all parties united, and elated by the nightly or- gie, marched to the levee, hallooing and singing. Boats were procured : no apprehension being enter- tained on board, the vessel was approached, and her cables cut asunder. It does not appear any attempt was made to punish the insult. The vessel was at the moment of departure and floated away.


A few days after, a general meeting of deputies from every parish, was convened at New Orleans, in which it was determined to make a second application, to avert, if possible, the execution of the treaty of cessi- on. This service was confided to St. Lette, a mer- chant of Natchitoches, and Lesassier, a member of the superior council.


Ulloa proceeded to Havana, where he immediate- ly embarked for Cadiz, and landed after a passage sage of forty days.


The Chevalier Dessales, who sailed with him from New Orleans, saw at Havana Urissa, the former consul of Spain at Bourdeaux, who having been ap- pointed Intendant of Louisiana, was on his way with eight hundred soldiers. He had stopped at Ha- vana, to take in one million of dollars for the king's service, in his new acquisition : hearing of Ulloa's ill success, he returned to Europe.


In December, the British evacuated and demolish -. ed Fort Bute.


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The passage of the deputies of the people of Loui- siana was not so expeditious as that of Ulloa. They were three months on the water. The complaint of the king of Spain had reached the court, long before their arrival at Paris. Bienville, on whose aid and services they much relied, was now dead. and the Duke of Choiseuil still in power. St. Lette had been a schoolmate of his. The Duke received his former play fellow with open arms, but frowned on the deputy and his colleague. He told them their ap- plication was too tardy, as the king of Spain had di- rected such a force to be sent to New Orleans, as would put down any opposition that could be made. He gave St. Lette a very lucrative office in the East Indies, and Lesassier returned home.


The deputies had been instructed to renew the re- presentation, which Milhet had made in regard to the depreciated paper currency, whichinundated the pro- vince. They obtained an arrest of the king's coun- cil of the twenty-third of March, which is believed to be the last act of the French government concerning Louisiana.


It provided that the bills, emitted by the colonial government, or the receipts for so much of them, as according to a former order had been left with the treasurer, should be reduced to three-fifths of their nominal value.


The holders of these bills or receipts were direct- ed to bring them, before the first of September fol- lowing, to Marignier, who was authorised to give there- for, (after a deduction of two-fifths) a certificate bearing interest at five per cent.


Provision was made for cases, in which there had been a judicial deposit.


Shortly after the return of Lesassier, the distress, which the accounts he brought excited, was relieved


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by letters from Bordeaux, intimating that theprovince was to continue a colony of France.


But on the twenty third of July,intelligence reached New Orleans of the arrival at the Balize of a Spanish frigate, with twenty-eight transports. having four thou. sand five hundred soldiers on board, and a large sup- ply of arms and ammunition. This threw the town into great consternation ; resistance was spoken of, and messengers were despatched up the coast.


On the next day. an express, with a message to Aubry, from Don Alexander O'Reilly, the command- er of the Spanish forces. landed on the levee.


The inhabitants of the city, on the invitation of Au- bry, met him in the church, and he read to them the message. They thus learned that the general was sent by his sovereign to take possession of the colo- ny ; but not to distress the inhabitants; that. as soon as he had obtained possession, he would publish the re- maining part of the orders of his royal master; but, should any attempt be made to oppose his landing, he was determined not to depart, till he had put his majesty's commands in complete execution.


The inhabitants immediately came to a resolution to chuse three gentlemen. to wait in their behalf on the general, and inform him that the people of Loui. siana were determined to abandon the colony, and had no other favour to ask from him, but that he would allow them two years, to remove themselves and their effects.


The choice of the meeting fell on Grandmaison, the town major, Lafreniere, the attorney general, and Mazent, formerly a captain in the colonial troops, now a planter of considerable wealth.


O'Reilly received them with great politeness; and assured them he would cheerfully comply with any reasonable request of the colonists; that he had their LOU. .. . 46


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interest much at heart, and nothing on his part should be wanting to promote it. He added all past trans- actions would be buried in oblivion, and all who had offended should be forgiven, and said every thing, which he imagined would flatter the minds of the peo- ple.


In the mean while, the planters of the German, and some of the Acadian, coast had taken arms, and a considerable number of them, headed by Villere, marched down to the city.


The deputation reached New Orleans on the first of August, 'and-made public the kind reception O'Reilly had given them, and the fair promises he had made. This considerably quieted the minds of the inhabitants, and many, who had determined on an im mediate removal from the province, now resolved to return and gather their crops.


A fortnight elapsed before the armament reached the city. It cast anchor before it, on the sixteenth; the inhabitants flocked to the levee on the following day, but the landing did not take place till the eigh- teenth.


At three o'clock, in the afternoon of that day, the Spaniards disembarked, and O'Reilly led his men to the public square, before the church, in the middle of the city, where Aubry, at the head of the troops of France received him ; the white banner flying at the top of a high mast, in the middle of the square. It was now slowly lowered, while that of Spain was hoisted, and as they met at half mast, they were salu- ted by a feu-de-joie from the troops of both nations. The French flag being lowered and the Spanish fly- ing on the top of the mast, O'Reilly, attended by Au- bry. and followed by the officers of both nations, who were not under arms, perambulated the square, in to- ken of his being in possession of the colony. His suite


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