over their anger and invited the leaders back to their native homes. Some returned to France and held high office. A few of the colonists remained about Demopolis, but most of them sold their lands and returned to France or scattered in the cities and sections of the great Southwest.

SUMMARY

After the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo, many of his officers and friends with their families were exiled from France. The United States granted these exiles 144 square miles of land in Mississippi Territory. After a long voyage they settled at White Bluff, which was afterward named Demopolis. There were numerous blunders in parcelling out lands, and many of the colonists were forced to give up the improvements that had been made. In spite of the many hardships and difficulties, the French spirit of gaiety remained to give cheer after .each day's work had been done. The colony, however, did not prosper, and finally ended in failure. Some of the exiles went back to France, and others removed to Mobile and other places.

QUESTIONS

1. For what purpose was the French Vine and Olive Company formed? 2. What kind of people were the French colonists? 3. Give an account of the search of the agents for a place to settle. 4. Describe the arrival and reception of the French at Mobile. 5. Why did the colonists select White Bluff as the place of settlement? 6. Describe their arrival at White Bluff. 7. On what terms were lands granted to them by the United States? 8. What troubles did they have about these lands? 9. What caused the failure of the colony? 10. Name some of the distin'guished men among the colonists. 11. What became of the exiles? 12. What names in Alabama preserve the memory of the French colony?

1. Early Life.-The Atlantic States have given to Alabama some of her noblest citizens, but William R. King, the gift of North Carolina, reached a higher position of honor than any other. His native State elected him to the legislature when he was but twenty. years of age, and gave him three successive terms. Apr. 7, He was born ten years after the Declaration of Independence, and was graduated at eighteen years of age from the University of North Carolina. He

1786

studied law under William Duffy, Esq., was admitted to the bar, and immediately became prominent in public affairs. In 1810, he was elected to represent North Carolina in the Congress of the United States.

2. War With England Advocated by Mr. King.England and France had long been at war. They would sometimes stop fighting for a few years and then go at it again. England was trying to get the other nations of Europe to combine and crush France. In the war between those two countries the United States would not take sides, and both nations tried to ruin the trade of America. They both took American seamen from American vessels and made them serve on their own ships. Napoleon made the French stop this outrage, but George III, the crazy king of England, insisted upon doing everything possible to show to the world that he would take our sailors when he pleased and insult us as it suited his convenience.

The American people were very angry because of the insults thus heaped upon their country. The kin people and friends of the seamen who had been taken from American vessels kept pleading with the officers of the United States government to do something to free the seamen. Mr. King joined with the patriots in Congress and voted the declaration of war against England. The War of 1812 followed.

During this war the city of Washington was entered by the British, and all public buildings except the Patent Office were burned. Peace was declared before the battle of New Orleans occurred; but

1812

to

1815

Jan. 8, 1815

1818

that battle established us in the respect of nations and made the world recognize us as masters of the western continent.

3. Secretary of Foreign Legations.-Upon the return of peace, Mr. King resigned his place in the house of representatives and afterward became secretary of legation to the American embassy at Naples and then at St. Petersburg, under Minister William Pinkney. He served two years in this office and learned a great deal about the people and governments of Europe.

4. Member of Constitutional Convention.—Mr. King returned to America in 1818 and made his home near Cahawba on the Alabama river. The next year he was elected a delegate to the convention which met in Huntsville to prepare the constitution for the admission of Alabama into the Union. Mr. King, Judge Henry Hitchcock, and Judge John M. Taylor were the sub-committee who put into form the original draft of the constitution of Alabama.

5. Elected United States Senator.-After the constitutional convention closed, Mr. King went back to his old home in North Carolina in order to settle up his business there and to bring to Alabama his negroes, stock, and such other property as could be moved. He started back to Alabama, and at Milledgeville, Georgia, he received a letter from Governor Bibb telling him that the legislature had elected him and John W. Walker to the United States senate. He had fine business prospects, and he knew that he would lose unless he gave them his personal attention, but, sending his people and prop

erty on to Alabama, he turned and went to Washington.

6. First Work in the Senate.-The United States once sold government lands on credit. A great many Alabamians bought lands on this credit plan at a very high price. The debt for these lands amounted to nearly twelve million dollars. It was impossible for the farmers to pay this enormous sum, and unless Congress would give relief a large number of them would be financially ruined. Mr. King and Mr. Walker did their first work in the senate by getting Congress to change the way of selling government lands, and to allow those who had already bought to give up a part of their lands as payment on the other part. By this means the people managed to pay their debts and still hold to some of their land.

7. John W. Walker.-John W. Walker,* a native Virginian, was educated under Dr. Moses Waddell and in Princeton University. He entered upon the practice of law in Huntsville and was soon ranked among the best lawyers of the state. His wife was Matilda, the daughter of LeRoy Pope, a kinsman of Alexander Pope, the English poet. Mr. Pope moved from Georgia and settled at Huntsville.

Mr. Walker was a very popular man. Everybody loved to be with him and to hear him talk. He would entertain his friends and his family so delight

*Mr. Walker's son, LeRoy Pope Walker, was the first secretary of war of the Confederate States; his grandson, Richard W. Walker, is now one of the Federal judges in northern and middle Alabama. Others of his family have held high places of honor in this and other States.