The leading men of the communities first formed in the five counties on the Mississippi were men of intelligence and substance.  The very first were those who, to avoid the consequences of the war of the Revolution, had sought security here.  Some, who conscientiously scrupled as to their duty in that conflict—­unwilling to violate an allegiance which they felt they owed to the British crown, and equally unwilling to take part against their kindred and neighbors—­had left their homes and come here.  There were not a few of desperate character, who had come to avoid the penalties of the criminal laws of the countries from which they had fled.  The descendants of all these constitute a large element of the population of these counties at the present moment.  Some of these sustain the character of their ancestors in an eminent degree; others again are everything but what their parents were.

One feature of the country is different from that of almost any other portion of the United States.  The descendants of the first pioneers are all there.  There has been no emigration from the country.  The consequence is that intermarriages have made nearly all the descendants of the pioneers relatives.  In very many instances these marriages have united families whose ancient feuds are traditions of the country.

The opprobrium attached to the name of Tory (which was freely given to all who had either avoided the war by emigration, or who had remained and taken part against the colonies, and then, to avoid the disgrace they had earned at home, and also to escape the penalties of the laws of confiscation, had brought here their property) induced most families to observe silence respecting their early history, or the causes which brought them to the country, and especially to their children.  This was true even as late as forty years ago.  There were then in these counties many families of wealth and polish, whose ancestors were obnoxious on account of this damaging imputation; and it was remembered as a tradition carefully handed down by those who at a later day came to the country from the neighborhoods left by these families, and in most instances for crimes of a much more heinous character than obedience to conscientious allegiance to the Government.  But success had made allegiance treachery, and rebellion allegiance.  Success too often sanctifies acts which failure would have made infamous.

  “Be it so! though right trampled be counted for wrong,
    And that pass for right which is evil victorious,
  Here, where virtue is feeble and villany strong,
    ’Tis the cause, not the fate of a cause, that is glorious.”

The inviting character of the soil and climate induced (as soon as a settled form of government promised protection) rapid emigration to the country.  This came from every part of the United States.  Those coming from the same State usually located as nearly as practicable in the same neighborhood, and to this day many of these are designated by the name of the country or State from which they came.  There are in the County of Jefferson two neighborhoods known to-day as the Maryland settlement and the Scotch settlement, and the writer has many memories—­very pleasant ones, too—­of happy hours in the long past spent with some of nature’s noblemen who were inhabitants of these communities.