******************************************** Transcript c. Washington Parish @ Geocities January 18, 2009 washington_parish_louisiana@yahoo.com ******************************************** 12th Congress No. 296 1st Session. Application to Annex West Florida to the Mississippi Territory. Communicatd to the House of Representatives, November 20, 1811. To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States: We, the inhabitants of West Florida, your petitioners, represent to your honorable body, that, while we rejoice in the late event which has brought about ouremancipation from the iron shackles of despotism, or rather released us from the more horrid calamities of anarchy, we still labor under the painful apprehension that your enlightened body will eithe rcontinue us a separate Territory or attach us to the Territory of New Orleans, instead of incorporating us with th eMississippi Territory, which we most ardently wish, for the following reasons: The geographical and relative situation of West Florida and th eMississippi Territory plead powerfuly in the favor of th emeasure. The climate, the soil, the people, the manners, and the politics of both countries, are the same, being only divided by an ideal boundary. We are all Americans by birth, and in principle; but if we are united with the Territory of Orleans, we will be subjected to all the inconveniences and miseries resulting from a differnece of people, language, manners, customs, and politics. The safety, and , indeed, the political salvation of the Goernment of th eUnited States, entirely depend on the unanimity of al its parts, which is best insured by combining persons and things homogenous in their nature. If this be ture, and if West Florida and th eTerritory of Orleans differ in every material respect, (of which there can be no doubt, ) it follows that a coalition of the two countries would be productive of discord, the evil genius of republican Governments. Your petitioners are aware of the policy suggest by some, of adding us, who are all Americans, to the people of the Territory of Orleans, who are chiefloy French, in order to counterat the French inflouence. This may be sound policy , but to make us the instruments of effecting that object, at the same time that it might be advantageious to the Unite States in general, it would be destructive to ur indidvidual happines; a asacrifice too great, we trust , to be required of us to make by a Government, wise in its constitution, and just in its administration. If, to counteract French influence, and subvert French politicsw, by populating the country with Americans, be the policy of the Government, your petitioners conceive that object wil be shortloy effected by the very great emigration of Americans from all parts of the United States. If those emigrants are subjected to tall the inconveniences which we depreciate from a simiar connecion, the case in not so hard with them as it woud be with us, because they have voluntarily chosen that situation. But waiving all objection on the score of dissimilarity betiwixt us and the people of Orleans, nautre herself seems to have thrown a barrier in the way to oppose the union. The city of New Orleans is, and in alol probability will continue to be the seat of Government of that country; where of course, all public business must be transacted, and whic will, therefore induce the necessity of the personal atttendance of a great proportion of the poeple within the jurisdiction of that Government, at the city of New Orleans, which will will be extremely incovenient to the inhabitants of West Florida, on account of th eloargeness and difficult navigation of lake Ponchartrain, whic completely insulates us from the city of New Orleans. If, however, your honorable body should deem it unadvisable to attach us tothe Territory of Orleans, in order to prevent ameasure calculated to continue us under a separate territorial Govenrment, we be leave to state that, owing to the local situation of our country, it is not susceptible of a thick settloement; that , if it were settled wit as many personas as th enature of the country will admit, yet we do not believe there would be wealth tnough among us to defray the expensese of a Govenrment, without operating a very serious injury to us. But, admitting we are able to bear the expensese of a territorial Government, if the Mississippi Territory , and the Territory of Orleans, should become States, ind=epenedent of us; we would forever remain a Territory; for,neither in point of numbers, nor in point of extent of country, would we ever arrive at the proud magnitude of claiming an admission into the Union, as a free, sovereign and independent State. Our only hope of participating witht hthe reet of our brethren on the continenet, in the rights and blessings of State sovereignty, is bult upon the pleasing anticipation of becoming a part of the Mississippi Territory. By that means, independent ofu our own individual interest, the Mississippi Territory will derive the advantage of an extensive seacoast, of which she will otherwise be deprived. For the foregoing reasons, we humbly trust that your honorable body will grant our request, by adding all that tract of country,now inpossession, by virtue of the Presdidnt's proclamation of 1810, to the Mississippi Territory. There is also another subject in which your petitioners are deeply interested, to which we beg leave to call your attention. Your petitioners have generally emigrated to this country since the cession of Louisiana to the United States. When possession of New Orleans, and that of the country west of the Mississippi was taken, and the province of West Florida left in possession, and under the exclusive jurisdiction of Spain, we took it for granted that the Government of the United Stated either did not claim, or, if they did, meant not to insist upon their claim to West Florida; we, therefor, have made settlements onland, under the ruls and forms of the Spanish Government, expecting to hold our lands to ourselves and our heirs forever. We, therefore, pray your honorable body to confirm to us our settlement right, made between the time of the cession of Louisiana, until the time of taking possession of West Florida, wherever tye have been made bona find, and not with an intention to monopolise unreasonable quantities of land, under such regulations asmay best comport with the wisdom and justice of Congress. We humbly trust that your enlightened body will grant this requet, whenyou take into view all the circumstances which it involves. The consequences to us and our families are alolo important. If we are deprived of our possessions, we are deprived of our property; and, consequently, will be reduced to the extremes of want and wretchedness. GEORGE PATTERSON, And fourhundred and ten others. [Note.-See report No. 301] -------------- END TRANSCRIPT ******************************************************************************