There were in the Legislature, at the time, two men of strong minds, well cultivated—­Blanc and Raphignac; they represented the city, were Frenchmen—­not French Creoles, but natives of la belle France.  They led the opposition to the admission of the Florida parishes as part of the State, and their representatives as members of the Legislature.  They were acquainted with national law, and appreciated the comity of nations, and were indisposed to such rash and informal measures as were proposed by Thomas and Moore.  The portion of the State bordering upon this Spanish territory, and especially that part on the Mississippi, were anxious for the admission and union; they were unwilling that Spain should participate in the control and navigation of any part of the river; and, being peaceable and law-abiding, they wanted such close neighbors subject to the same government and laws.  The influence of Blanc and Raphignac was likely to carry the majority and reject the application of the Floridans.

The pertinacious opposition of these men inflamed to anger Moore and Thomas.  The matter, to them, was life or death.  By some means they must get under the American flag, and they saw the only preventive in these two men.  Moore (for it was a cold day when the decision was to be made) was seen to place the iron poker in the fire, and leave it there.  Thomas was replying to Blanc in a most inflammatory and eloquent address; for, though rude and unlettered, he was full of native eloquence, and was very fluent:  if he could not clothe his strong thoughts in pure English, he could in words well understood and keenly felt.  They stimulated Moore almost to frenzy.

At that critical moment Raphignac walked to the fireplace, where Moore had remained sitting and listening to Thomas.  Warm words were passing between Thomas and Blanc, when suddenly Moore grasped the heated poker—­the end in the fire being at white heat—­and calling to Thomas with a stentorian voice, “General Thomas! you take that white-headed French scoundrel, and I’ll take blue-nose,” and, brandishing his hot poker over his head, he charged, as with the bayonet, pointing the poker at the stomach of Raphignac. “Tonnerre!” exclaimed the frightened Frenchman, and, lifting both hands, he fell back against the wall.  Moore still held the poker close to his stomach, as he called aloud, “Take the question, General Thomas!  We come here to be admitted, and d—–­ me if we won’t be, or this goes through your bread-basket, I tell you, Mr. Raphy Blue-nose!” Raphignac was a tall, thin man, with a terribly large bottled nose.  At the end it was purple as the grape which had caused it.  The question was put, and the proposition was carried, amid shouts of laughter.  “Oh!” said Raphignac, as the poker was withdrawn, and Moore with it, “vat a d—–­ ole savage is dat Larry Moore!” Thus a part of West Florida became a part of Louisiana.