the territory from the head waters of the Coosa westward to Cotton Gin Point, and to a line running from thence to the Caney Creek, on the Tennessee. The Americans continued to press into the territory, which reached that year 75,000 population, 46,000 of whom were in the counties of Pearl River, in the Tennessee valley, upon the Tombigbee and at Mobile. The following year the limits of the present state of Mississippi were defined and carved out from the territory towards marketman of Mobile, and finally Govbe admitted into the Federal Union. The territorial government of Alabama was at the same time established with the counties of Mobile, Baldwin, Washington, Clarke, Madison, Limestone, and Lauderdale, and a seat of government at St. Stephen's. William Bibb was appointed governor, and the first legislature convened in 1818. The counties of Cotaco, Lawrence, Franklin, Limestone, Lauderdale, Blount, Tuscaloosa, Marengo, Shelby, Cahawba, Dallas, Marion and Conecuh, were laid off: "The flood-gates of Virginia, the two Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia, were now hoisted, and the mighty streams of emigration poured through them, spreading over the whole territory of Alabama. The axe resounded from side to side, and from corner to corner. The stately and magnificent forests fell. Log-cabins sprang as if by magic into sight. Never before nor since has a country been so rapidly peopled." Chapter XLI. contains an interesting account of the modern French colony in Alabama, or the Wine and Olive Company, obtained from the materials of A. B. Meck, Esq., George N. Stewart, Esq., who was agent of the Company, and Armand Pfister, of Montgomery, a descendant of one of the grantees. These Frenchmen, after the fall of Napoleon, from their attachment to his cause, were forced to abandon their country. Congress granted them four townships, at two dollars an acre, on a credit of fourteen years, on condition of introducing the vine and the olive. The land was divided between 340 allottes. The region in which they resolved to establish themselves, was an immense forest of trees and canes, interspersed with prairie. Cabins were erected about the White Bluff, in a rude and scattered manner, constituting a town, which was called Demopolis, the city of the people; the site proved, however, not within the grant, and was bought by an American company afterwards from the United States for $52 an who was at last reduced to the condition of a ferryman on the Alabama. His wife, who shared his fortunes, had been Marchioness of Sinabaldi, and Maid of Honor to Queen Caroline; Colonel Cluis, who had had the custody of Ferdinand of Spain, when imprisoned by Napoleon, afterwards tavern keeper at Greensboro'; Simon Chandon, a distinguished iteratem and author; General Bertrand Clausel, the commander at Bordeaux, afterernor of Algeria, under Louis Philippe ; Henry L'Allemand, a Lieutenant-General of the Imperial Guard; Marshal Grouchy, whose son settled the grant; M. Lacanal, head of the Department of Education under the Emperor; General Juan Rico, an eloquent member of the Spanish Cortes, etc., etc. It is needless to say, that from a thousand untoward circumstances, the colony was a miserable failure. Says Colonel Pickett: "But in the midst of all their trials and vicissitudes, the French refugees were happy. Immured in ral years, want pressed them on all sides-cut off the depths of the Tombigbee forest, where, for sevefrom their friends in France, surrounded by the Choctaws on one side, and land-thieves on the other assailed by the venom of insects and prostrating fevers-nevertheless, their native gayety prevailed. Being in the habit of social intercourse, their evenings were spent in conversation, music and dancing. The larger portion were well educated, while all had seen much of the world, and such materials were ample to afford an elevated society. Sometimes their distant friends sent them rich wines and other luxuries; and upon such occasions parties were given, and the foreign delicacies brought back many and the abundance of wild game, rendered the cominteresting recollections. Well cultivated gardens, mon living of the French quite respectable. The female circle was highly interesting. They had brought with them their books, guitars, silks, parasols and ribbons, and the village in which most of them dwelt, resembled in the night a miniature French town. And then farther in the forest others lived, the imprints of whose beautiful Parisian shoes on solitary traveler. And then again, when the old imthe wild prairie, occasionally arrested the glance of a perial heroes talked of their emperor, their hearts warmed with sympathy, their eyes kindled with enthusiasm, and tears stole down their furrowed cheeks." The time had come when, from the rapid increase of the population of Alabama, she might take a place among the states of the confederation, on that truly American condition of sovereignty, full and perfect, except as to certain powers, and those only which are delegated to the federal Union. The convention was held at Huntsville, on the 5th of July, 1819, representing twenty-two counties. Many of its members have since been distinguished in the history of the state; and, although their biographies are deeply interesting, we could have wished that the author had devoted less of his space to them and more to the general deliberations of the convention, which are always interesting. and which constitute the land-marks in all subsequent times for the due understanding and administration of government. In a sub sequent edition we trust that Mr. Pickett | I will here allude to such internal improvewill adopt the suggestion, in which he will ments as are already completed, or are in do good service to the rising generation of active progress: Alabamians. ALABAMA-HER RESOURCES, AND THE PROPORTION OF WEALTH SHE CONTRIBUTES TO THE NATIONAL WELFARE.-Natural Advantages. Open to the Gulf of Mexico on the south boundary, with a spacious bay, over the bar of which ships drawing twenty and three-quarter feet at low tide safely ride, and into which all of her rivers (with two exceptions) flow-the one invites thither ships of the largest class, and the others bear to Mobile, from the fertile valleys and plains above, their valuable productions-Alabama is watered by the following noble rivers : Navigation... 60 Mobile Bay. .450 Mobile River. 540 The same. 150 Tombigbee. 130 Ohio River. 200 Apalachicola. 170 Alabama. 40 do. 50 Tombigbee. 35 do. 1945 M'ls in length. Such are our great and peculiar advantages of navigation that our citizens will never be compelled to abstract from other investments-they may choose largely of their capital for internal improvements. But there is a railroad now in progress, the Mobile and Ohio, that I may properly regard as associated with the natural advantages of the state. The Gulf of Mexico, sweeping up into this division of the continent, continued northerly by the Bay of Mobile, with the Mississippi River inclining from its mouth north-east, throws this river at the mouth of the Ohio within four hundred and forty-five miles of Mobile, the commercial emporium of Alabama. The country between those two points being remarkably level, the route unobstructed by a single mountain or river, or any stream of moment, and running in its whole extent through one of great beauty and fertility, and already settled by an active and wealthy population, must throw their great trade, and travel through Alabama into Mobile; and in twenty hours, or less, citizens of Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky or elsewhere, may leave Columbus, in Kentucky, the upper terminus, and arrive at Mobile with their produce in onefifth the time they could reach New-Orleans. Before I proceed to the other very interesting portions of this branch of the subject, A railroad from Selma, or some other points on the Alabama, to the Tennessee river; one connecting the Tuscumbia and Decatur with the Mobile and Ohio road; and another from Blakely, opposite Mobile, to Columbus, Georgia-each of which would add greatly to the traffic and wealth of the state, and pay good dividends-are perhaps the only ones of importance contemplated. To continue with natural advantages: From Tuscaloosa, on the Warrior, in the direction of Selma, on the Alabama, are bituminous coal-fields and iron ore, with marble, and hard and soft limestone quarries, in rich and inexhaustible profusion, immediately on navigable streams. The lands are covered with splendid forests of white and live oak, cypress, pine, cedar, mulberry, hickory, &c. Water power is unlimited and never-failing, Irrigated by so many streams, as indicated by 1,945 miles of navigation, with the innumerable tributaries thereto, the lands of Alabama are of amazing superiority, as their productions hereinafter noticed will exhibit, and, with a climate temperate and uniform, it is decidedly healthy. Productions. To regard alone the ascertained value and extent of the surplus products of Alabama which we ship off, compared with those of other states, omitting an estimate of our own heavy consumption of corn, wheat, hogs, cattle, sheep, timber, cotton consumed in home manufactures, value of negroes raised, and horses and mules raised, which would amount to several millions-confining ourself to the surplus productions, I say we will, I think, do so with some astonishment, as associated with it must be the effort to estimate the vastness of the capital employed to produce it. Her surplus productions are cotton, lumber, staves, turpentine, manufactured cottons, coal, &c. What is her cotton crop and its value? I will arrive at it in this way, and pardon me for assuring those who read this, that I am quite sure I shall not be far from correct. To the amount of cotton received at Mobile I will add the quantity raised in North Alabama, which is forwarded down the Tennessee, or hauled overland to Memphis. I will also add the quantity which goes down the Chatahoochee to Apalachicola. Adding these together, I will deduct the quantity raised in the eastern counties of Mississippi. This will show the crop of Alabama to result as per following table: Where received and raised Alabama and Mississippi, at Mobile North Alabama to NewOrleans, as per census of 1840, 49,225,474 lbs., No. of bales of cotton for years 1848-7 1847-8 1848-9 fited by the freighting of her six hundred thousand bales of cotton, and the return car 323,462..436,661..530,000 goes purchased by us. With such varied and extraordinary advantages for commerce, manufacturing, min at 510 lbs. to the bale, is, *96,500..*96,500..+96,500 ing, ship-building, timber-getting, &c., it is East Alabama shipped to Apalachicola for Chatahoochee ..... Less Eastern Mississippi стор..... Net crop of Alabama in bales not to be wondered at that Alabama is beginning to direct her attention to the advan+50,000..+50,000..$50,000 tage of diversifying her pursuits; and, under 469,962.583,161..676,000 $60,000.. 80,000.. 80,000 409,962.503,161..596,000 But, to renew the subject, let us glance at her wealth, and what she has done to promote the national welfare. 1st. Of lands, she owns 15,011,520 acres, and, besides, what her citizens have paid for Spanish and French grants and school lands, they have paid into the Land Offices of the Government $17,000,000 for lands in their wild state. 2d. She has paid to Maryland, Delaware Virginia, &c., enormous sums for the three hundred thousand negroes she owns. any circumstances, in time, those vast sources of wealth now reposing within her borders must become transcendently productive. The accumulation of wealth which has been going on, but which has been regularly invested in the purchase of negroes, is now being stayed from that direction, and turned toward other industrial pursuits. It is obvious, however, to every political economist that it is the interest of every interest in the country to promote the value of cotton, as should there be a violent transition of slave labor to the pursuits above alluded to, and which is entirely practicable, a derangement of trade would ensue which would be prejudicial, to say the least of it, to the interests of other sections of the Confederacy. And when cotton sells well, public lands are purchased freely, and the direct interest the government has in this matter will be readily and conveniently demonstrated by the following table, showing the number of acres of land owned by the citizens of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas, the amount paid for portions bought of the government, and the number of acres in each remaining unsold: This table shows some extraordinary facts 3d. The capital invested in foreign and domestic commerce, city and town property, abuse the South, namely, that besides the that are not often considered by those who houses, canals, and railroads, manufactures, banking insurance, iron and coal mining, government owning 82,693,611 acres of land, timber trade, steamboats, and shipping, with which would be sooner purchased up if their the increased value of lands by clearing; these states have paid $11,246,827 for the agricultural productions could be promoted; fencing, &c., value of slaves, live stock, and lands they have alone purchased of the gomoney hoarded, is very large in the aggre-vernment; and if this sum had been invested gate amount, an estimate of which I scarcely dare mention. 4th. Her liberality expends in trade with the other states a large portion of her in at the average time of their payment, say 1835, in six per cent. stocks, payable semiannually, and such dividends had been reinvested and compounded till now, it would reach a total sum to-day that would equal fully all the bona-fide capital of the North invested in cotton factories and shipping. I allude to this to present a cause why the South may appear behind the North in the progress of her factories, &c. Cotton factories and iron forges are, however, becoming numerous. Coal mining is attracting great attention, and from the great profits arising from investments in ships, and our wonderful facilities for building, with our splendid timber on the spot, &c., it is not unlikely we shall ere long enter the lists as competitors with our northern brethren in this exceedingly profitable branch of their wealth. In Alabama our citizens are generally exempt from embarrassment, and in certain quarters large amounts of money are known to be hoarded. The university and colleges, the high schools and academies, in all the principal towns and cities of the state, are in the highest degree flourishing; and the great increase of the number of churches and membership, the decrease of crime and the orderly character of our citizens, manifest the spreading influences there of religion. The increase of population of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, is rapid and steady. For example, there were in found. In conclusion, I feel the utmost pleasure in announcing to the friends of progress everywhere that, amongst many of those who have violently opposed all measures for encouragement of enterprise and the increase of facilities for the development of our resources more actively and profitably, practical experience has exposed to them their serious errors; and now, in the most cordial manner, the most distinguished as well as many of the masses of their portion of the people, are uniting with the other portion in the most liberal and enlightened disposition to meet the calls of the whole people for the purposes alluded to. Devoting my remarks to the position, &c., of the one state, I have done so because I am a citizen of it; but the gigantic importance of the whole South may be more justly estimated by a careful consideration of what is here submitted in relation to Alabama.* ALABAMA-IRON AND OTHER MINERAL PRODUCTS OF.-At this moment the manufacture of iron is attracting the attention of our citizens, and, as much depends upon a good beginning, these hints are offered with the view of directing inquiry in the proper channel. It is not wise to spend both time and money in working out problems that have been, long ago, solved; if we begin at all, let us do so with the present state of the manufacture of pig iron and hollow-ware; the blast is urged by steam power, and the boiler is heated directly from the trundle head. These works are situated within eight or ten miles of the Coosa, and from the convenience and good quality of the ore, and the abundance of fuel, they can scarcely fail of success, under ordinary good management. The Benton works are situated on Crane creek, a short distance from the river; they have been for years in successful operation. An extension of the works, the introduction of the hot blast, and various other improvements are contemplated, which, when accomplished, will place this among the most complete establishments in the South. The following brief statement was politely furnished by one of the proprietors: "POLKVILLE, Benton Co., Ala., "Sept. 26, 1849. "We have a blast furnace, a pudd!ing furnace, and forge, in operation. We turn out daily about 6000 pounds of iron, 2000 pounds of which are put into hollow-ware and machinery-castings, 2000 pounds into bar iron, and 2000 pounds into pigs. We use 600 bushels of charcoal every 24 hours. Our iron ore beds (some of them) are within 600 yards of the furnace. Our limestone is at the furnace, and in abundance. The nearest stone coal beds that have been worked, are thirteen miles off. We are now preparing to put up a rolling mill, and think that in a short time we will be able to roll iron successfully. Our establishment is five miles east of the Coosa river, opposite the Ten Islands, and eleven miles from Greensport. We ship our iron down the Coosa in flatboats to Wetumpka, Montgomery, and Mobile. We have found the articles we produce here of a ready sale in either of those markets. We are prepared to make, turn off, and fit up, all kinds of machinery, except fine castings for cotton mills, and will be very soon ready to furnish these." Red Ochre.-There is a bed of red ochre near Bucksville, which I have had no opportunity of examining in its place, but the specimens that I have seen show that it would require but little preparation to fit it for paint. It is sufficiently rich to be used as an ore of iron. Lead Ore. Fragments of sulphuret of lead, or galena, arc scattered throughout the state in a manner that would indicate some common origin. Had they been confined to the region of the silurian or carboniferous limestone, one might refer them to the ruins of veins of this ore that are often found in these rocks; but they are equally where this is impossible. I have specimens picked up on the surface of the coal measures, and others from Clarke county, where no such veins can occur. Pieces of considerable size are found in the vicinity of Indian mounds! and the belief is induced that the position of these scattered fragments may be traced to Indian origin.* However this may be, it is quite certain that much time is unprofitably spent in searching for these mines. Lead is found in limestone near the iron works in Benton, which is the only place that I have seen it in the state. The ore is granular, and does not occur in a true vein with smooth walls, but is closely attached to the rock, and passes into it in irregular bunches. It may be traced over a distance of ten yards, and although it is not more than an inch or two in the thickest part, it may turn out to be worth the trouble of an examination below the surface. It is a pure sulphuret of lead; the cavities in it are often lined with crystals of the carbonate of that metal. The ease with which lead is reduced allows of considerable expense in mining, and I would recommend the enterprising proprietors of the iron-works, to examine this locality with some care. The existence of veins of calx spar, and sulphate of barytes, are favorable indications. Peroxide of Manganese.-At the works just mentioned, a fragment of ore, which was brought there for an ore of iron, attracted my attention, and proved, on examination, to be the peroxide of manganese. I have since learned that the bed from which it was taken is probably three or four yards in thickness. This ore is used in the arts for the production of chlorine gas, which is used in bleaching establishments. The gas is combined with caustic lime, by a simple process, and in this form is barreled up and preserved for use. The gas is extricated from the lime by means of water, which absorbs the chlorine, and is then ready for use. As there is lime in abundance where this occurs, chloride of lime may be manufactured. The price of the mineral itself is about $20 a ton. The specimen I examined was quite porous, and mixed to some extent with earthy impurities, but nevertheless it contained 35 per cent. of peroxide of manganese. I trust that when this bed is fairly opened, that it will turn out to be an important acquisition to the resources of Alabama. Limestones and Marble.—The term mar ble is applied to any variety of limestone that is susceptible of a polish. I have mentioned already the occurrence of beds of marble of great thickness on the Cahawba. Many of the beds there afford specimens of great beauty; some are gray with red veins, others are red and yellow, and specimens with greeni h veins are not uncommon. There is also a buff-colored marble there, filled with organic remains, that is quite handsome when polished. Beds of white crystaline marble, clouded with red occur. On the opposite side of the river there is a black compact marble, and another on Six Mile Creek, variously intersected by veins of white. A marble of similar quality occurs on the road from Pratt's ferry to Montevallo. As no quarry of any extent has been opened at any of these places, it is impossi ble to give a correct view of their value. Marble, to be valuable, must be found in thick beds, that are free from cracks or joints. Of the thickness of the beds there can be no doubt, nor does there appear to be any reason to suppose that the other conditious are less favorable. I look upon this locality as one of great interest, in connection with the industrial resources of the state. The principal exposures occur near the head of navigation, and on the immediate banks of the rivers. On the Huntsville road, about 19 miles from Tuscaloosa, ledges are found that would afford pretty good marble. At Jonesborough, beds of variegated marble, of the red and white variety, occur. The rock is compact, and lies in thick masses, at the base of the red mountain. The same stratum occurs at Village Springs. The magnesian limestone, when compact, is susceptible of a polish, and its peculiar soft gray color I think beautiful; in addition to this, it is extremely durable. The crystalline varieties are also used as marbles. These rocks, as I have shown, extend from Shultz Creek to the upper end of the valley. When an outlet to this region is provided, the value of these beds will be appreciated. At the locality mentioned, on Big Sandy Creek, very good marbles occur, which are, *All the states from which the Indians have re-hawba. As there is abundant water-power in many respects, similar to those of the Cacently departed, have legends of lead and silver mines, that were known to, but afterwards hidden at this locality, which has already been by, them; and the tenacity with which these are turned to account by the enterprising prohave been undertaken to the west to ascertain the here, may we not hope, before a long time, believed and retained, is truly suprising. Journeys prietor, who has erected a cotton factory position of these mines, but hitherto without success. The Indians, being no geologists, located the to find also a saw-mill, for marble, in opera. mines, in the cases that have come to my notice, in tion.-Tuomey's Report. the most unpromising positions. The men with mineral rods have been industriously on the trail, and I must do them the justice to say, that where they indicated the presence of "mineral," the excavation was neither expensive nor difficult. The one I last saw was in an Indian mound, on Village Creek, where the miners had reached to within one foot of the vein ! ALABAMA.-COAL LANDS.-In the first annual report of 1850, of the Geology of Alabama, by M. Tuomey, Esq., State Geologist and Professor in the University of that state, there are the following remarks upon |