144 
VIEWS OF LOUISIANA. 
of title, particularly of a people who came into their power witlfe 
out any participation on their pan, and without having been 
consulted. Six years have passed away without the final adjust¬ 
ment of the claims, and even those that have been decided upon* 
will give rise to lawsuits; it Is probable there will be as copious 
a harvest of these as ever was furnished by any of the states. 
The lower class have never been in the habit of thinking be¬ 
yond what immediately concern themselves; they, cannot there¬ 
fore, be expected to foresee political consequences. They were 
formerly under a kind of dependence, or rather vassallage, to the 
great men of villages, to whom they looked up for their support 
and protection. Had they been more accustomed to think it 
possible, that by industry it was in their power to become rich, 
and independent also, the change would have been instantly felt 
in their prosperity. But they possess a certain indifference and 
apathy, which cannot be changed till the present generation shall 
pass away. They are of late observed to become fond of intoxicat¬ 
ing liquors. There is a middle class, whose claims or posses¬ 
sions were not extensive, but sure, and from the increased value 
of their property, have obtained since the change of government, 
a handsome competence. They, upon the whole, are well satis¬ 
fied ; I have heard many of them express their approbation of the 
American government, in the warmest terms. They feel and 
speak like freemen, and are not slow in declaring, that formerly 
the field of enterprise was occupied by the monopolies of a few, 
and it is now open to every industrious citizen. 
There are some things in the administration of justice, which 
they do not yet perfectly comprehend; the trial by jury, and the 
multifarious forms of our jurisprudence. They had not been 
accustomed to distinguish between the slow and cautious ad¬ 
vances of even-handed justice , and the despatch of arbitrary pow¬ 
er.* In their simple state of society, when the subjects of litiga¬ 
tion were not of great value, the administration of justice might 
fee speedy and simple; but they ought to be aware, that when a 
* Some of the more important lawsuits, however, where more exten¬ 
sive bribery could be carried on, are known to have slept for fifteen 
years. 
