﻿102 
  HISTORICAL 
  OUTLINE. 
  

  

  barrassed 
  their 
  proceedings 
  and 
  to 
  some 
  extent 
  discon- 
  

   certed 
  their 
  plans. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  June, 
  a 
  proclamation 
  of 
  the 
  Baron, 
  of 
  

   the 
  24th 
  of 
  May, 
  was 
  communicated 
  to 
  Ellicott, 
  and 
  

   which, 
  having 
  some 
  doubts 
  of 
  its 
  authenticity, 
  he 
  found 
  

   was 
  not 
  known 
  to 
  either 
  Gayoso 
  or 
  Minor. 
  

  

  The 
  proclamation, 
  after 
  adverting 
  to 
  some 
  evil-disposed 
  

   persons, 
  who 
  had 
  nothing 
  to 
  lose, 
  having 
  endeavored 
  to 
  

   draw 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  Natchez 
  into 
  improper 
  measures, 
  

   the 
  consequences 
  of 
  which 
  would 
  fall 
  only 
  on 
  those 
  who 
  

   possessed 
  property, 
  whilst 
  the 
  perturbators 
  would 
  screen 
  

   themselves 
  by 
  flight, 
  proceeds 
  to 
  detail 
  or 
  reiterate 
  the 
  

   causes 
  which 
  had 
  delayed 
  the 
  evacuation 
  of 
  the 
  country, 
  

   and 
  the 
  suspension 
  of 
  the 
  measures 
  for 
  establishing 
  the 
  

   line 
  of 
  demarcation, 
  attributing 
  these 
  delays 
  to 
  the 
  im- 
  

   perious 
  necessity 
  of 
  putting 
  the 
  country 
  in 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  de- 
  

   fence, 
  to 
  protect 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  apprehended 
  attack 
  by 
  the 
  

   English 
  from 
  Canada 
  upon 
  the 
  Illinois, 
  and 
  Lower 
  Louis- 
  

   iana. 
  In 
  conclusion, 
  the 
  hope 
  was 
  indulged 
  that 
  the 
  in- 
  

   habitants 
  of 
  Natchez 
  would 
  behave 
  with 
  tranquillity, 
  and 
  

   give 
  proofs 
  of 
  their 
  affection 
  and 
  attachment 
  to 
  the 
  Span- 
  

   ish 
  government. 
  

  

  In 
  this, 
  the 
  governor 
  gave 
  proofs 
  that 
  he 
  was 
  ignorant 
  

   of, 
  or 
  mistook, 
  the 
  temper 
  and 
  wishes 
  of 
  not 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  

   inhabitants 
  of 
  the 
  district, 
  to 
  some 
  of 
  whom 
  nothing 
  

   would 
  have 
  been 
  more 
  acceptable 
  than 
  the 
  re-establish- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  rule. 
  The 
  great 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  

   people, 
  however, 
  were 
  impatient 
  to 
  become 
  citizens 
  of 
  the 
  

   United 
  States. 
  

  

  The 
  appearance 
  of 
  this 
  proclamation, 
  so 
  far 
  from 
  quiet- 
  

   ing, 
  wrought 
  up 
  the 
  public 
  mind 
  to 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  explosion. 
  

  

  At 
  this 
  time, 
  an 
  itinerant 
  Baptist 
  preacher, 
  named 
  

   Hannah, 
  asked 
  permission 
  to 
  preach 
  in 
  the 
  American 
  

   camp 
  ; 
  but, 
  as 
  public 
  worship 
  in 
  the 
  Spanish 
  provinces 
  

  

  