428 



LOUISIANA. 



for such purposes, and provided for the appoint- 

 ment of a military commission, the organization 

 and arming of volunteer companies, and for the 

 estahlishment of military depots. When the 

 bill was on its passage, an amendment was of- 

 fered which forbade the purchase of arms in the 

 Northern States. This was lost. A bill was 

 also introduced which provided for the con- 

 fiscation of all goods arriving from the North- 

 ern States after the 1st of January, 1861, and 

 ordering that the proceeds of any sales under 

 such confiscation should be appropriated to the 

 purchase of arms. It failed to pass the Legis- 

 lature. On the 12th, Wirt Adams, commis- 

 sioner from Mississippi, was introduced to the 

 Legislature in joint session, and made an ad- 

 dress, announcing the action of Mississippi, and 

 asking the cooperation of Louisiana. The 

 speech was eagerly listened to by a crowded 

 audience. On the next day the Legislature ad- 

 journed to January 21st. 



Friends of secession became active in New 

 Orleans, the great city of the State, as soon as 

 the movement commenced in South Carolina,, 

 and the sentiment had gathered so much 

 volume that as early as December 21st a gen- 

 eral demonstration of joy was made over the 

 secession of that State. One hundred guna 

 were fired, and the Pelican flag was unfurled. 

 Speeches in favor of secession were made by 

 distinguished citizens, and the Marseillaise hymn 

 and polkas were the only airs played. 



The moveme;/, had now commenced in 

 earnest. The influence and eiforts of New 

 Orleans were expected to carry the rest of the 

 State. Only four days later a mass meeting 

 was held to ratify the nomination of the 

 "Southern Rights" candidates, as they were 

 called, for the Convention. It was the largest 

 assemblage of all parties ever held in the city. 

 Speeches were made by prominent citizens ad- 

 vocating immediate secession amid unbounded 

 enthusiasm. The Southern Marseillaise was 

 again sung as the banner of the State was 

 raised, with reiterated and prolonged cheers 

 for South Carolina and Louisiana. A citizen 

 of eminence in the southern part of the State, 

 writing upon the condition of affairs at this 

 time, thus says : 



" In our section the excitement is confined to 

 the politicians, the people generally being borne 

 along with the current, and feeling the natural 

 disposition of sustaining their section. I think 

 that ninety-nine out of every hundred of the 

 people sincerely hope that some plan will yet 

 be devised to heal up the dissensions, and to 

 settle our difficulties to the satisfaction of both 

 the North and South; and a combined effort 

 will be made to bring about such a result, even 

 after the States withdraw from the Union." 



A State Convention was early called, and the 

 vote in New Orleans for members was close 

 enough to defeat a portion of the secession can- 

 didates. The city was entitled to twenty "rep- 

 resentative delegates" and five " senatorial 

 delegates." The " immediate secessionists" 



succeeded in electing all of the latter class and 

 fifteen of the former, whilst the " cooperation- 

 ists" obtained five of the " representative del- 

 egates." The majority of the secessionists for 

 the senatorial delegates was about 350. The 

 number of votes polled was little upwards of 

 8,000, being less than one-half the voters regis- 

 tered in the city. 



Their success, however, was regarded as 

 sufficient to be made the occasion of great re- 

 joicing. This election took place on the 8th of 

 January. On the next day three separate 

 military organizations departed to take pos- 

 session of Forts Jackson and St. Philip at the 

 mouths of the Mississippi, and also the arsenal 

 at Baton Rouge. 



On the 13th the United States revenue cutter 

 Lewis Cass was seized by a military company 

 at Algiers, opposite New Orleans. The vessel 

 was laid up and undergoing repairs. Her arma- 

 ment, consisting of one long 24-pounder and six 

 8-pounder carronades, with a large quantity of 

 cannon-balls, powder, and other military stores, 

 had been placed in the Belleville Iron Works, 

 an extensive and unoccupied brick building. 



About the same time the barracks below the 

 city, which had been for several months oc- 

 cupied as a marine hospital, were taken pos- 

 session of in the name of the State of Louisiana. 

 They contained at the time 216 invalids and 

 convalescent patients. The collector at New 

 Orleans was required to remove the convales- 

 cents immediately, and the sick as soon as 

 practicable. The reason assigned for this act 

 by the State authorities was that they wanted 

 the buildings for quarters for their own troops. 

 (See FORTS, &c.) 



The Legislature of the State assembled at 

 Baton Rouge on the 21st of January, and the 

 Governor in his message represented the finances 

 of the State to be in a 4 ur i s hi n g condition, 

 with a surplus in the Treasury. 



On the 24th the State Convention met at the 

 same place and organized. A committee of 15 

 was ordered to report an ordinance of secession. 

 Over the capital waved a flag with 15 stars. 



On the 26th the ordinance of secession was 

 adopted by a vote of ayes 113, noes 17. The 

 following is the ordinance : 



An ordinance to dissolve the union 'between tlie State of 

 Louisiana and other States united with her under 

 the compact entitled "The Constitution of the United 

 States of America." 



We, the people of the State of Louisiana, in con- 

 vention assembled, do declare and ordain, and it is 

 hereby declared and ordained, that the ordinance 

 passed by us in Convention on the 22d day of Novem- 

 ber, in the year 1811, whereby the Constitution of the 

 United States of America, and the amendments of said 

 Constitution, were adopted, and all laws and ordinan- 

 ces by which the State of Louisiana became a member 

 of the Federal Union, be, and the same are hereby, re- 

 pealed and abrogated ; and that the union now sub- 

 sisting between Louisiana and other States, under the 

 name of the " United States of America," is hereby 

 dissolved. 



We do further declare and ordain, that the State of 

 Louisiana hereby resumes all rights and powers here- 

 tofore delegated to the Government of the United 



