USA > Mississippi > Encyclopedia of Mississippi History Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions and Persons, Vol. II > Part 13
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An amendment to the constitution, supposed to have been adopted at the general election in 1899, was inserted in the con- stitution, making the judges of the supreme, circuit and chancery courts elective by the voters of the several districts, but the supreme court May 30, 1900, held that it was not constitutionally adopted. (See Judiciary.) At the congressional election in 1900 two amendments to the constitution were adopted, one strictly devoting the poll tax to the school funds of the counties (See Com- mon School Fund), and the other doing away with a State census and providing a new basis of apportionment for the legislature. (q. v.) Early in 1901 the disputes among the oyster fishermen on the coast led to the appointment of a boundary commission by the governor. (See Boundaries.) August 15, 1901, Governor Longino made a sudden demand upon the State treasurer for a count of the cash on hand. When it was made, the same day, a shortage of $107,000 was discovered, which it was understood was loaned to a foreign bank, contrary to law. The money was returned to the treasury, but after a correspondence between the governor and treasurer (for which see'message of 1902), the treasurer was suspended August 28, and he resigned September 6. This trans- action led to the indictment of the treasurer, F. T. Raiford, the cashier, and Phil A. Rush, a banker of Senatobia, who was tried, and after a mistrial, was acquitted. As Stowers' successor, the gov- ernor appointed G. W. Carlisle. A few days later, J. L. Power, secretary of state, died, and his son, J. W. Power, was appointed to fill the vacancy. November 5, there was a special election to fill these offices, at which J. W. Power received 12,335 votes to about 11,000 for other candidates, and Mr. Carlisle 13,107 votes to 9,770 for M. M. Evans. In the previous year a special election had been held to fill various vacancies in office, at which the vote was even less, practically amounting to a disregard of the franchise privilege. The total vote for presidential electors in 1900 was only 59,000. In concluding his message of 1902 Governor Longino said : "It gives me pleasure to say that it is manifest in the State
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that there exists a better recognition of the mutuality of interests among all classes, and that there is a more fraternal feeling among the people generally than I remember to have ever before wit- nessed. There exists also absolute friendliness between labor and capital and a becoming liberality of sentiment by the masses to- ward corporate and other investments of money in our midst. The progressive spirit displayed by your honorable body at the session in 1900 seems to have inspired the people with new hopes and to have given fresh impetus to all manner of business enter- prises in the State. For the past two years the capital incorporated, on which the required charter fees were paid, amounts to the handsome sum of $26,500,000. Banking capital during said period has increased about $6,000,000; ten or a dozen mills for the man- ufacture of cotton have been built; twelve railroad charters have been granted; and, as shown by the Railroad Gazette at the close of the year 1900, Mississippi stood fourth on the list of States in the number of miles of railroads built during that year. I feel that the legislature and the people are to be congratulated upon the material advancement going on in the State and the au- spicious signs for even greater success in the future."
The burning of the Deaf and Dumb asylum, March 17, 1902, led to the building on new grounds of a new building, completed in 1905. The legislature of 1902 created two new departments of State administration, of Insurance, and Archives and History, which are the subjects of special articles in this work. Upon the resignation of Treasurer Carlisle, Thad B. Lampton was appointed November 1, 1902. Attorney-General McClurg resigned Febru- ary 4, 1903, and William Williams, his assistant, was appointed by the governor to fill the vacancy. He was succeeded as assist- ant, by James N. Flowers.
June 3, 1903, is memorable as the date of the corner-stone lay- ing, or dedication, of the new Capitol, a magnificent structure then completed. (See Capitol, new.)
At the congressional election in 1902 three amendments to the constitution were submitted to popular vote. The first limited and regulated the voting of aid to railroads and other enterprises ; the second provided that when amendments are submitted to popular vote a majority of the voters for or against the amendment shall be sufficient to adopt; the third changed the beginning of ses- sions of the legislature to the first Tuesday after the first Monday of January. None of the amendments received a majority of the votes cast at the election.
The Primary election law of 1902 (q. v.) had its first trial in 1903. There was a primary election August 6, under the manage- ment of the Democratic executive committee. for the nomination of a Democratic State ticket, including United States senator. It resulted in a choice of candidates for all offices except that of governor, for which James K. Vardaman received 39,679 votes, F. A. Critz 34,813, and E. F. Noel 24.223. and railroad commis- sioners for the first and second districts, for which latter offices
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the vote was very light. A second primary election was held August 27, the two candidates having the highest votes being the only candidates permitted in each case, and the vote for governor was, Vardaman 53,032 ; Critz 46,249. R. L. Bradley was success- ful over J. D. McInnis, and S. D. McNair over F. M. Sheppard. for railroad commissioners. Unsuccessful candidates who received large votes at the first primary were W. G. Kiger for lieutenant- governor, F. M. Runnels for secretary of state, J. W. Maxwell for auditor, J. H. Sharp for treasurer, G. C. Myers for clerk supreme court, I .. Brame for attorney-general, W. G. Stovall, railroad com- missioner. For list of successful candidates see Vardaman's Adm. The ticket thus nominated was elected without opposition at the regular election in November. the vote cast for governor being 32.000. Under the Primary Election law no opposing candidates could be put upon the ticket unless nominated at regular primaries.
E. W. Brown, clerk of the supreme court, died September 18, 1903, and the governor appointed George C. Myers to the vacancy. At the regular election in November Mr. Myers, as a candidate, was opposed by W. J. Brown, Jr., J. O. Walton, J. W. Brady, A. C. Fant and Henry Yerger. There was no majority, and in 1904 the house of representatives elected Mr. Myers.
In his last message (1904) Governor Longino said, "Encouraged by liberal laws and tempted by the unequalled opportunities for profitable investment, capital has poured into the State by the millions and given to Mississippi an industrial, manufacturing and commercial importance and thrift, never before enjoyed by our people." The statistics collected by Secretary Power showed that in the four years 1896-99. 365 charters were granted and recorded, and in the period 1900-03 the number was 1.312. These enter- prises were capitalized at $25,644,000 in the first period, at $73,- 500,000 in the second. The bulk of investment, as indicated by the charters, was in mercantile companies, lumber manufacturing, oil mills, electric companies and banks. The valuation of prop- erty for taxation had been increased to $250,000.000, an addition of about $100.000.000 to the valuation that prevailed from 1870 to 1890, and later. In the four years of the administration 733 miles of new railroad had been built, and 400 more were under construc- tion. In the same time the expenditures of the State government had risen to an average of about $2.500.000 annually, and educa- tion both in the common schools and colleges was supported with a liberality before unknown.
Long's Expedition. James Long, a native of Culpepper county, Virginia, in his boyhood left home for Kentucky, and thence trav- elled into Tennessee. He made a mercantile venture at the age of 15, but having failed. clerked two years in his father's store, and studied medicine under Dr. Holland. of Tennessee. He was a great favorite with Gen. Andrew Jackson, and at the age of 20 was attached to the medical staff of Carroll's brigade, in the New Orleans campaign. After the victory of January, 1815, he accom- panied Generals Carroll and Coffee to Natchez, and while in at-
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tendance upon an invalid soldier at the home of a Mr. Calvitt, met Jane Wilkinson, the fourteen year old niece of Gen. James Wilkin- son. They were married in May. Subsequently he practiced medicine a while at Port Gibson, until, at the solicitation of his wife, he bought a plantation near Walnut Hills. From that he turned to the business of a merchant at Vicksburg, which occupied him two years before 1819.
There was a public meeting at Natchez in that year, in support of an expedition against the Spanish authorities in Texas, which Gen. Adair was expected to lead. When Adair declined, Dr. Long was invited to take the command. He accepted with enthusiasm, pledged all he had to the enterprise, and many choice spirits joined with him, among them Henry S. Foote. Long and about 75 men left Natchez, June 17, 1819, and pushed on to Nacogdoches, where, soon after their arrival, the force was increased to 300 men. The purpose of the movement, on the part of the leaders and the best element, was to get possession of Texas and open it to settlement from the United States. A government was organized, with Long as president, and a supreme council, of which 11 members were chosen : Horatio Bigelow, Hamlin Cook, W. W. Walker, Stephen Barker, John Sibley, S. Davenport, John G. Burnet, Joshua Child, and two Mexicans, Procello and Guitaris. Texas was declared an independent republic and laws were enacted. Long made a trip to Galveston to enlist the aid of LaFitte, the ruler of that port, and armed parties were sent out to various places, and in their absence, the remaining revolutionists were stampeded from Nacog- doches by news of the approach of Spanish troops. There was a desperate flight to the Sabine, with the Spaniards in hot pursuit. A number of the party were killed, among them David Cook, brother of the general. Long's wife, after a journey of great hard- ship, joined him in Texas just in time to join in the flight. Long collected the remnant at Point Bolivar, went to New Orleans, re- turned to Galveston with reinforcements, and took possession of Goliad, after which he was notified of the success of the Mexican revolution (1821) under Iturbide. He was invited to the capital. and treated with distinction, but soon fell under suspicion, and was assassinated. (Foote's Texas and the Texans.)
Longstreet, Augustus B., was born in Augusta, Ga., Sept. 22, 1790, a descendant of Dirk Langestraat, a Dutch settler of Long Island; graduated at Yale college in 1813; was admitted to the bar in 1815; married Frances Eliza Parker, of North Carolina. about 1815 ; was a member of the Georgia legislature in 1821 ; was made judge of the circuit court in 1822; became a Methodist preacher in 1838: was pastor of the Methodist church at Augusta in 1839; president of Emory College. 1839-48. "Called to preside over the Centenary College. of Louisiana, he accepted the call, but remained there only five months, when, finding the field wholly unsuited to his views, he resigned and returned to Geor- gia. Hardly had he arrived in the state when he received the in- formation, from official and private sources, nearly all at the same
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time, that he had been elected unanimously to the presidency of the University of Mississippi, not having been a candidate for the office. Here his career was eminently successful. Entering upon the duties of his office in September, 1849, he gave his best serv- ices to the institution, and in the unparalleled prosperity of the University during the seven years of his incumbency, he reaped the truest, richest and most gratifying reward for all his unweary- ing and faithful toils. He tendered his resignation of the office of president in July, 1856, and retired to a residence distant some twelve miles from Oxford, where he proposed to spend the evening of his days in tranquil retirement. In this, however, he was destined to be disappointed, as on the 25th of November, 1857, he was elected president of the South Carolina College, and after two years spent there, was compelled to abandon the office and retire to private life by the revulsion of public affairs, consequent upon the breaking out of the Civil War. After the close of the strife he returned to Oxford, and ended his days in the midst of his family and his many friends on the 9th of July, 1870." (Me- morial by John N. Waddel.) His famous book of character sketches, "Georgia Scenes," was begun when he was a judge. In that period also, he was an ardent politician of the State Rights school. (See Lamar, L. Q. C.)
Longtown, a post-village in the northwestern part of Panola county, 12 miles west of Como depot, on the Illinois Central R. R., and 16 miles northwest of Sardis, the county seat of justice. It has two churches and a high school. Population in 1900, 175.
Longview, a post-hamlet in the central part of Oktibbeha county, on the Aberdeen division of the Illinois Central R. R., 7 miles by rail southwest of Starkville, the county seat and the nearest bank- ing town. Population in 1900, 40.
Longwood, a post-hamlet in the southwestern part of Washington county, 1 mile from the Mississippi river, and a station on the Riverside division of the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., 18 miles south of Greenville. Population in 1900, 30; estimated in 1906 to be 100.
Lonoke, a postoffice of Benton county, 10 miles southwest of Ashland, the county seat.
Looxahoma, a post-hamlet of Tate county, 8 miles east of Sena- tobia, the county seat, and the nearest railroad and banking town. It has two churches, several stores, a gin and a good school. Popu- lation in 1900, 87.
Lopez. See Quitman and Quitman's Adm. In 1848 Lopez was executed by garrote in Cuba, and with him Clement Stanford, a daring young enthusiast from Natchez.
Lorena, a post-hamlet of Smith county, 12 miles south of Forest, on the A. & V. R. R., the nearest railroad and banking town, and 12 miles north of Raleigh, the county seat. Population in 1900, 100.
Lorenzen, a post-hamlet of Sharkey county, situated on Indian Bayou, 3 miles west of Rolling Fork, the county seat, and nearest
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railroad and banking town. It has a money order postoffice. Popu- lation in 1906, 76.
Loring, a postoffice of Madison county, about 14 miles northeast of Canton, the county seat.
Loring, Israel, was born in Sunbury, Mass .; moved to Marietta, Ohio, in 1287; was a commissary in Gen. Wayne's army ; moved to Claiborne county, Miss., 1803, and built the first frame house in Port Gibson ; was third grand-master of Masons in the State; died at Port Hudson, June 18, 1843.
Lorman, a post-hamlet in the northern part of Jefferson county, and a station on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., 9 miles (direct) north of Fayette, the county seat, and the nearest banking town. It has a money order postoffice. Population in 1900, 82.
Lorraine, a post-hamlet in the southern part of Harrison county, situated on the Biloxi river, 8 miles north of Gulfport, the county seat. Population in 1900, 60.
Lotteries were frequently authorized in the early days of Mis- sissippi. The latest instance was legislation in the administration of Governor Humphreys, in aid of the Southern asylum, the Nat- chez orphan asylum, the Lunatic asylum and Orphans home. "The Mississippi Agricultural, Educational and Manufacturing Aid Society" was incorporated for the purpose "of encouraging manufactures and agriculture and to aid in raising a fund to edu- cate destitute orphans," etc., and authorized to run a lottery at Vicksburg and other points, after paying $5,000 for the benefit of the State university.
The constitution of 1869 prohibited the legislature from author- izing any lottery, or allowing the sale of lottery tickets, "nor shall any lottery heretofore authorized be permitted to be drawn or tickets therein to be sold." The prohibition is continued by the constitution of 1890.
Lottville, a post-hamlet of Madison county, 12 miles east of Canton, the county seat. Population in 1900, 22.
Lotus, a postoffice in the extreme southeastern part of Sunflower county, situated on Great Sky Lake, about 15 miles southeast of Indianola, the county seat.
Louin, an incorporated post-hamlet in the western part of Jasper county, 16 miles from Paulding, the county seat, and 4 miles southwest of the station of Montrose, on the Mobile. Jackson & Kansas City R. R. It has good general stores, a saw mill, a shingle mill, a church, a good school and a bank. The Bank of Louin was established in 1906. Population in 1900, 25; the population in 1906 was 300.
Louis Phillippe. This Bourbon prince and his party were at Natchez in the early part of the year 1:98, when the town was under two flags, and viewed with melancholy interest the remains of old Fort Rosalie. The duke of Orleans was attended by his brothers, and the Marquis de Mountjoy, and was on his way to New Orleans, to take ship and sail under armed convoy for Spain, where they would join their mother who had taken refuge in that
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country. Concerning them, Gen. Wilkinson wrote to Capt. Guion, January 10, commanding the United States battalion, "When you receive this letter you will probably see the future king of France. The duke of Orleans is popular and a soldier. Fulfill your orders respecting foreigners, and treat these wanderers, who are friendly, with hospitality and respect." (See Constitution, 1832.)
Louisiana Purchase Exposition. An act of 1902 appropriated $50.000 for "a suitable display of Mississippi's progress and his- tory, and the industrial, agricultural, mineral, educational and other resources of the State," at the centennial exposition to be held at St. Louis in 1903. The Exposition bureau was created, composed of the governor, and four members appointed by the governor-Dr. O. B. Quin of McComb City, I. C. Enochs of Jack- son, V. P. Still of Senatobia, and Frank Burkitt of Okolona. The board appointed as State commissioner R. H. Henry, of Jackson. The Commission provided a creditable exhibit, which properly presented the resources of the State. A State building was also erected, which was a replica of Beauvoir, the home of Jefferson Davis.
Louisiana Relations, 1763-79. The region of the State of Mis- sissippi was separated from the Louisiana colonial government by the treaty of Paris, 1763, which yielded the dominion to Great Britain of all the territory east of the river, except New Orleans and the island on which it stands. Kerlerec was governor at that time. He had been notified as early as the fall of 1761 that France had applied to Spain for assistance in protecting Louisiana from the English, and he sent out couriers to the Indians to advise them of the prospect of Spanish alliance and trade. Spain seemed in- disposed to give assistance without compensation, and finally. November 3, 1762, the king of France "ceded to his cousin of Spain, and to his successors, for ever, in full ownership and with- out any exception or reservation whatever, from the pure impulse of his generous heart, and from the sense of the affection and friendship existing between these two royal persons all the coun- try known under the name of Louisiana." The King of Spain ac- cepted this donation, "in order the better to cement the union which existed between the two nations as between the two kings." This conveyed to Spain Mobile and all the territory of the present state of Mississippi. But the act was kept secret, and the king of France continued to act as sovereign of Louisiana, until after the open treaty of Paris, between all the powers at war, when the cession of the eastward region was made, as above stated, by France, without any reference to the previous secret family treaty. This was in February. In March, the king of France announced that he had determined to disband his troops in Louisiana and maintain only a factory (trading establishment) with a guard of four companies of infantry. D'Abbadie was sent to New Orleans as director of the factory and military commander. Kerlerec re- turned to Paris and was thrown in the Bastile on charges of usurpation and extravagance. D'Abbadie informed his government
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that the colony was in "a state of complete destitution," "a chaos of iniquities." This was the result, after an expenditure estimated at forty or fifty millions of livres.
April 21, 1764, the king, by letter, informed D'Abbadie of the secret cession to Spain, and ordered him, when Spanish authority presented itself, to withdraw all the French officers, soldiers and officials, and send to France or to French colonies those who might not be disposed to remain under Spanish dominion. D'Abbadie published this letter in October. February 4, 1765, D'Abbadie died and Aubry became his successor. In that year the colony was greatly strengthened by the advent of the refugees from the Illi- nois and Mobile regions and the Acadians.
Despite the withdrawal of their flag, the French government had great influence over the Indians of the interior. The English blamed them with inciting the red men to hostilities, and the French retorted with denials, alleging that the British treated the In- dians with such insolence and brutality that hostilities were in- evitable.
Subsequent to the peace of 1763, the Indians of the Ohio valley made a fierce outbreak against the English, led by the famous Pon- tiac, but "even Pontiac made a peace after his ambassadors to New Orleans learned from the dying D'Addabie that their French father had indeed abandoned his red children in America." (Ham- ilton.)
At New Orleans "the French saw with distrust the frequent transportation of English troops, through the very heart of the poor remnant of their once so extensive and magnificent posses- sions. They heard with uneasiness the morning and evening guns which the English fired as they went up and down the river. This gun firing greatly alarmed and excited the Indians, who took it as a sign of hostility or triumph. They could hardly be persuaded that it was no more than a military usage, and they had imbibed the impression that the French admitted their inferiority, or showed cowardice, in not resenting this provocation offered to them. A frigate was sent to the mouth of the Manchac, where she was to remain until a fort should be constructed. It was also known that another frigate was to ascend to Natchez, where the erection of a fort was contemplated."-(Gayarre.)
Aubry had no battery on the river, but he ranged 20 pieces of artillery before the barracks, with which to return salutes. He permitted Du Parc to help the British clean out the Manchac chan- nel, but he refused Farmer and his Illinois expedition, in the spring of 1765, the use of the ordinary passage from Mobile to New Or- leans, through the lakes and Bayou St. John. "He has the river ; let him use it."
The French of Louisiana sent Jean Milhet to Paris, and he, ac- companied by the great Bienville, then in his 86th year, pleaded before the duke of Choiseul that France should retain Louisiana. It was in vain. July, 1765, brought word that the eminent An- tonio de Ulloa, appointed governor by the king of Spain, had
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reached Havana, and would soon be at New Orleans. He arrived March 5, 1766, with two companies of infantry, under Captain Pedro Piernas, and a board of officials, Loyola, Gayarre, and Navarro.
The French were still indisposed to submit. Ulloa did not in- sist, gave some time to establishing posts on the frontier, allowed Aubry to continue to be the practical head of affairs, and secluded himself for months at Balize, greatly to the bewilderment of the French, until a ship brought there as the governor's bride the young and beautiful Marchioness of Abrado, one of the richest heiresses of Peru.
In 1768 Ulloa established military posts opposite those of the British, at Manchac and Natchez, at Balize, and at "Missouri." Piernas commanded at the Natchez post. Aubry complained of this to the French government. In October the French dissatis- faction broke out in revolt. New Orleans was seized, and Ulloa was forced to take refuge in the Spanish frigate. The provincial council dismissed Ulloa from the colony. In preparing for this revolt envoys were sent to Pensacola to engage British assistance, which was refused.
The Spanish government, when informed of the revolution, dis- cussed the question whether it was advisable to attempt to hold the province. Possibly the counsel of Aranda was the shrewdest given to the king, namely, that it was necessary for the protection of Mexico, because there were no established limits between Louis- jana and Mexico, and if any power other than France should sub- sequently obtain control beyond the Mississippi, serious conse- quences would result. He would not attempt more than a military establishment, to maintain the river frontier, and depend upon setting the Indians against the English to keep the latter at bay.
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