LOUISIANA. 



429 



States of America ; that her citizens are absolved from 

 all allegiance to said Government ; and that she is in 

 full possession and exercise of all those rights of sov- 

 ereignty which appertain to a free and independent 

 State. 



We do further declare and ordain, that all rights ac- 

 quired and vested under the Constitution of the United 

 States, or any act of Congress, or treaty, or under 

 anv law of this State and not incompatible with this 

 ordinance, shall remain in force, ana have the same , 

 effect as if this ordinance had not been passed. 



The undersigned hereby certified that the above 

 ordinance is a true copy of the original ordinance 

 adopted this day by the Convention of the State of 

 Louisiana. 



Given under my hand and the great seal of Louis- 

 iana, at Baton Rouge, this 26th day of the month of 

 January, in the vear of our Lord, 1861. 



[L. s."] A. MOUTOX, 



President of the Convention. 

 J. TBOMAS WHEAT, Secretary of the Convention. 



The aspect of New Orleans at the time of the 

 passage of this ordinance is thus reported : 



" Every thing in this city appears to be in 

 rapid progress towards a war establishment. 

 Trade is at a stand still; the importation of 

 merchandise has almost entirely ceased; the 

 warehouses of the Federal Government are 

 everywhere literally glutted with bonded 

 goods ; the banks are remorselessly curtailing 

 their discounts ; ordinary creditors are endeav- 

 oring by all means short of legal pressure to 

 lessen the liabilities of their debtors; stores 

 and manufactories, traders, and mechanics are 

 diminishing their expenses by the discharge of 

 hands, and, save the office-holders, an influen- 

 tial, wealthy, and important body, electorally 

 considered, everybody looks dubious and be- 

 wildered, not knowing what to expect or what 

 may happen. The proceedings at Baton Rouge 

 will take no one by surprise. The Legislature 

 is engaged in spending money profusely, and 

 the Convention is engaged in laying down a 

 broad foundation for the erection of a mon- 

 strous superstructure of debt." 



In the Convention on the 31st, a resolution 

 was offered to instruct the delegates to the 

 Montgomery Convention, who had been pre- 

 viously appointed, to resist any attempt to re- 

 open the African slave trade. This was laid 

 on the table by a vote of 83 to 28. Mr. Walker, 

 of New Orleans, then offered a resolution, de- 

 claring that the foregoing vote was not the 

 sense of the Convention, but that it did not 

 consider it to be proper to bind their delegates 

 by instructions upon this or any other point. 

 After an exciting debate the resolution was 

 passed. 



On the same day, the United States Mint and 

 Custom House at New Orleans were quietly 

 taken possession of by the State authorities, 

 and the oath was subsequently administered to 

 the officials under the ordinance. In the mint 

 was $118,311, and in the sub-Treasury $483,984. 

 A draft of the United States for $300,000 was 

 presented soon after, which the sub-Treasurer 

 refused to pay, saying that " the money in his 

 custody was no longer the property of the 

 United States, but of the Eepublic of Louisiana." 



An ordinance was soon passed, however, 

 authorizing the payment of all drafts drawn 

 by disbursing officers in the regular course 

 of disbursement out of funds standing to the 

 credit of said officers respectively, provided 

 the same did not exceed $306,592. AJso all 

 drafts of the United States drawn prior to the 

 passage of the ordinance of secession, provided 

 the same did not exceed $146,226. The sum 

 of $31,164, standing to the credit of the Post- 

 office Department, was allowed to remain sub- 

 ject to its draft. 



About this time a special agent, appointed 

 by the Secretary of the Treasury at Washing- 

 ton, to secure the revenue cutters McClelland 

 and Lewis Cass from seizure by the authorities 

 of Louisiana, arrived at New Orleans. He 

 found the captain of the McClelland after a 

 long search, and delivered to him the follow- 

 ing order : 



NEW ORLEASS, Jan. 29, 1561. 



SIR: You are hereby directed to get the United 

 States revenue cutter 'McClelland, now lying here, 

 under weigh immediately, and proceed with her to 

 Xew York, where you will await the further instruc- 

 tions of the Secretary of the Treasury. For my author- 

 ity to make this order, you are referred to the letter of 

 the Secretary, dated the 19th inst., and handed you 

 personally by me. Very respectfully, 



WM. HEMPHILL JOXE3, 



Special Agent. 



To Capt. J. G. BRESHWOOD, commanding U. S. reve- 

 nue cutter Robert McClelland. 



To this letter, Captain Breshwood replied as 

 follows : 

 U. 



xrE CUTTER EOBEKT McCi.ELi.Ajn>, I 

 XEW ORLEANS, Jan. 29, 18<31. J 

 SIR : Your letter, with one of the 19th of January 

 from the Hon. Secretary of the Treasury, I have duly 

 received, and in reply refuse to obey the order. 

 I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



JOHN G. BRESHWOOD, Captain. 

 To WM. HEMPHILL JOXES, Esq., Special Agent. 



The special agent, "W. H. Jones, then sent 

 by telegraph, a despatch to Secretary Dix, as 

 follows : 



Nzw OBLEAXS, Jan. 29, 1361. 

 Hon. J. A. Dix, Secretary of Treasury : 



Captain Breshwood has refused positively in writing, 

 to obey any instructions of the Department. In this I 

 am sure he is sustained by the Collector, and believe 

 acts by his advice. What must I do ? 



W. H. JOXES, Special Agent 



To this despatch Secretary Dix immediately 

 returned the following answer : 



TBEASUEY DEPARTMENT, Jan. 29, 1861. 

 W. ffemphill Jones, Xew OrUans : 



Tell Lieutenant Caldwell to arrest Captain Bresh- 

 wood, assume command of the cutter, and obey the 

 order through you. If Captain Breshwood, after arrest, 

 undertakes to "interfere with the command of the cut- 

 ter, tell Lieutenant Caldwell to consider him as a muti- 

 neer, and treat him accordingly. If any one attempts 

 to haul down the American flag, shoot him on the spot. 

 JOHX A. DIX, Secretary of the Treasury. 



This despatch from Secretary Dix was not 

 received. It probably was withheld from the 

 agent. His further proceedings are thus stat- 

 ed in his report to the Secretary of the Treas- 

 ury : 



Believing that Captain Breshwood would not have 



