he
permanent law of the land. True, these decisions may be revised and
overruled, but this is not likely to be done by those judges who have
made them, and the tenure of office is such as practically to make
them permanent.

Under the first Constitution of the State, these judges were nominated
by the executive, and confirmed by the Senate. This Senate consisted
of seventeen members, chosen by the people from senatorial districts
containing a large area of territory and a numerous population. This
concentration of responsibility insured the selection of men of the
first abilities, attainments, and moral character. So long as this
system obtained, the Supreme Bench was ably filled, and its duties
faithfully and wisely discharged, with one exception only; but for the
sake of those who, though not blamable, would be deeply wounded, I
forbear further remark.

Governor William C.C. Claiborne, who was the Territorial Governor, was
elected by acclamation the first Governor of the State. He was a
Virginian and a man of fine attainments. His peculiar temperament was
well suited to the Creole population, and identifying himself with
that population by intermarrying with one of the most respectable
families of New Orleans, and studiously devoting himself to the
discharge of the duties of his office, he assumed some state in his
style of living, and when going abroad kept up something of the
regality of his colonial predecessors. Thus suiting the taste and
genius of the people, and in some degree comporting with what they had
been accustomed to, at the same time assuming great affability of
manner, both in private and in the discharge of his public duties, he
rendered himself extremely popular with both populations.

Governor Claiborne studiously promoted harmony between the people of
the different races constituting the population of the State, and
especially that of New Orleans. The State had been under the dominion
of three separate nations. The mass of the population, originally
French, very reluctantly yielded to Spanish domination, and not
without an attempt at resistance. For a time this had been successful
in expelling a hated Governor; but the famous O'Reilly, succeeding to
the governorship of the colony, came with such a force as was
irresistible, suppressing the armed attempt to reclaim the colony from
Spanish rule. He made prisoners of the chiefs of the malcontents, with
Lefrenier at their head, and condemned them t