LOUISIANA'S ORDINANCE OF SECESSION.

199

was instantly excluded from the committee. | enter into stipulations to guarantee the exercise of The Ordinance was reported January 24th, those rights." and discussion on it postponed to the succeeding day. A resolution, to thank the Governor for seizing the forts at the mouths of the Mississippi, and the arsenal at Baton Rouge, was offered. A warm discussion followed, when a message was received from the Governor, giving particulars of the acts of seizure. The resolution was finally adopted-118 to 5. The discussion on the Ordinance was continued through Friday. Saturday, the proposition to submit the Ordinance to a vote of the people was rejected by a vote of-yeas, 45; nays, 84. The Ordinance itself was then put upon its direct passage, and was adopted, by the vote of 113 to 17. It read :

"An Ordinance to dissolve the Union between the State of Louisiana and the 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 Convention assembled, do declare and ordain, and it is hereby declared and ordained, that the Ordinance passed by this State on the 22d of November, 1807, whereby the Constitution of the United States of America and the amendments of said Constitution were adopted, and all the laws and ordinances by which Louisiana became a member of the Federal Union, be, and the same are, hereby repealed and abrogated, and the union now subsisting between Louisiana and the other States, under the name of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved.

After the adoption was announced, Gov. Moore and his staff, in military dress, entered the hall, and formally presented the President of the Convention with the Pelican flag. One hundred guns were fired from the State-house grounds. The Commissioners of Alabama and South Carolina were present, and, on Friday, made "powerful addresses," urging immediate secession, and the sending of delegates to the Montgomery Convention. Their influence contributed much toward suppressing the cooperationist or delay sentiment in the Convention. Saturday, the Convention adjourned, to meet at New Orleans on Tuesday. Wednesday, Jan. 30th, delegates were elected to the Montgomery Congress. Slidell and Benjamin, the telegraph reported, were defeated for delegates. It should here be said, however, that they preferred not to be deputized. It was understood that both of these gentlemen entertained a scheme for a Confederacy, to embrace the original "Louisiana purchase" and Texas-of which they, of course, were to become chiefs; but, the influence of the Commissioners from other States, and the desire of the delegates to throw the responsibilities of reorganization upon a Congress of States, prevailed to induce the representation of Louisiana in that Congress. Benjamin and Slidell, thus presented the spectacle so frequently recorded in history, of having built a house only to be turned out of it.

"We further declare and ordain, that the State of Louisiana hereby resumes the rights and powers On the 29th, the United States revenue heretofore delegated to the Government of the Unit-cutter McClelland, one of the best vessels in ed States of America, and its citizens absolved from allegiance to the said Government; and she is in full possession of all the rights and sovereignty that appertain to a free and independent State.

"We further declare and ordain, that all rights acquired and vested under the Constitution of the United States, or any act of Congress, or treaty, or under law of this State not incompatible with this Ordinance, shall remain in force and have the same effect as though this Ordinance had not passed."

The following resolution was annexed: "We, the people of Louisiana, recognize the right of free navigation of the Mississippi River and tributaries by all friendly States bordering thereon. We also recognize the right of the ingress and egress of the mouths of the Mississippi by all friendly States and powers; and hereby declare our willingness to

the Customs' service, was handed over to the Louisiana authorities by her commander, Breshwood, a Virginian. Secretary Dix had sent a special agent to New Orleans to relieve Captain Breshwood of the command. At the appearance of this agent, Captain Breshwood refused to obey orders, and transferred his vessel as stated. The revenue cutter Cass, at Mobile, commanded by Captain J. J. Morrison, a Georgian, was, on the same day, transferred to the State authorities of Alabama, to save it from the special orders of the determined Dix. Although these vessels were under charge of the Treasury Department, the War Department had the officering of them. Mr. Floyd had chosen the

proper men for the act of treason at the met at Austin, Jan. 28th. proper time.

These transactions were but preliminary to the seizure of the United States Customhouse, Mint, and Sub-treasury, in New Orleans. These buildings and contents were taken possession of February 1st, by order of the Governor, acting by advice of the Convention. The Mint and Sub-treasury contained $511,000 in specie, subject to call of the Federal Government. General Dix had, on January 25th, given Adams' Express an order for $350,000 of $389,000 then at the Mint. The Express, on applying for the coin, was put off with evasive answers by the officer in charge, and, on the 1st, was informed that the State had seized the money. Howell Cobb here proved that he, too, was a "benefactor to Southern independence”—having, like his friend Floyd, so far studied contingencies, that the right men were placed in the right place to "do the nice thing" at the right time.

It

The forts seized, January 11th-12th, comprised the fine structures at the main mouth of the Mississippi-St. Philips and Jackson; the fort at the Lake Ponchartrain entrancePike; and Fort Macomb, at Chef Menteur. The works at Ship Island, upon which Government had spent a large sum of money, were, also, cleared of Federal workmen. was to this incomplete structure that Mr. Floyd ordered the forty-six heavy guns from the Alleghany Arsenal. [See page 115.] Louisiana, by these several "appropriations," became possessed of property which cost the General Government over seven million dollars. When we add to this the original purchase money of millions paid Napoleon I. for the Territory, and also add the seven millions paid annually, for many years, by the country, as a duty on sugar, almost expressly to protect" Louisiana sugar planters, and give them a monopoly in the market-we may safely conclude that whatever grievances Louisiana may have suffered in the Union, they did not prevent her from fattening out of the National Treasury.

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Texas.

The Ordinance of Secession
was passed February 1st, by
a vote of 166 to 7. The document read as
follows:

"An Ordinance to Dissolve the Union between the State
of Texas and the other States under the Compact
styled the Constitution of the United States of
America.

"SEC. 1. Whereas, the Federal Government has failed to accomplish the purposes of the compact of Union between these States, in giving protection either to the persons of our people upon an exposed frontier, or to the property of our citizens; and whereas, the action of the Northern States is violative of the compact between the States and the guarantees of the Constitution; and, whereas, the recent developments in federal affairs make it evident that the power of the Federal Government is sought to be made a weapon with which to strike down the interests and property of the people of Texas and her sister Slaveholding States, instead of permitting it to be, as was intended-our shield against outrage and aggression-therefore, we, the people of the State of Texas, by delegates in the Convention assembled, do declare and ordain that the Ordinance adopted by our Convention of delegates on the fourth (4th) day of July, A.D. 1845, and afterwards ratified by us, under which the Republic

of Texas was admitted into the Union with other States, and became a party to the compact styled The Constitution of the United States of America'

be, and is hereby,repealed and annulled.

"That all the powers which, by the said compact, were delegated by Texas to the General Govern ment are resumed. That Texas is of right absolved from all restraints and obligations incurred by said compact, and is a separate Sovereign State, and that her citizens and people are absolved from all allegiance to the United States, or the Government thereof.

44

SEC. 2. The Ordinance shall be submitted to the people of Texas for their ratification or rejection, by the qualified voters, on the 23d day of February, 1861; and unless rejected by a majority of the votes

cast, shall take effect and be in force on and after the 2d day of March, A.D. 1861. Provided, that in the representative district of El Paso, said election may be held on the 18th day of February, 1861.

"Done by the people of the State of Texas, in Convention assembled, at Austin, the 1st day of Feb

The Texas State Convention of Delegates ruary, A.D. 1861."

CHAPTER X.

A CHAPTER OF INCIDENTALS. PEN PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CHIEF CONSPIRATORS. THE ACTIVE MEANS EMPLOYED то SUPPRESS UNION SENTIMENT IN THE SOUTH. A FEW

TEMPLATION.

FIGURES FOR CON

Davis.

Ir is certain so great a conspiracy as that In Mississippi, Jefferson conceived, for years, by the discontented spir- Davis, United States Senaits of the South, never could have been car-tor, was, at once, the Janus ried out with any degree of success, had it not and the Jupiter Tonans of the revolution. enlisted, as directors, men of consummate tal-Less insolent than Toombs, he was scarcely ents for the peculiar work. Great emergen-less devoted to the idea of Southern indecies produce great men, history informs us; pendence. Sagacious, calm, watchful and the adage is verified in the story of the second worldly-wise, holding the sentiment of his American Revolution, whose gigantic dimen-State as in the hollow of his hand, he drew sious created, or evoked, leaders possessed of all the qualifications necessary to direct it. The revolution in each State found a master-spirit, who controlled its wild elements completely, and, by the supremacy of its imperious will, gave it all the features necessary to immediate success, or requisite for ultimate aims. We will photograph a few of those chiefs who brought on the crisis, and who piloted the States to the destined goal of a Southern Confederacy.

Toombs.

the people and their representatives into his schemes as silently, yet resistlessly, as the deep-sea current which drives the waters of the ocean against wind and tide until they are subdued to its control. In habits unostentatious, in demeanor courteous, in conversation impressive, with industry, tact, and courage equal to any circumstances, he was qualified for the supreme authority with which he became invested-a supremacy which he doubtless determined upon when the idea of a purely Slave Confederacy was conceived.

Slidell.

disinterested to lead the Slidell was the man. As

In Georgia, the directing Will of her destiny was United States Senator Ro- In Louisiana, United bert Toombs--a man combining, in equal de- States Senator, John Sligrees, pride, self-confidence, ambition, and dell, was the directing impatience of control. Able as a debater, spirit. Mr. Benjamin, though more generally shrewd in intrigue, tireless in the pursuit of recognized as the representative of the senan object, he, at an early day, became the re-timent of his State in the Senate, was too cognized leader of those who plotted for a dis- honest, candid, and solution of the Union and the formation of van of revolution. a new Union, to be composed only of Slave sly and subtle as the snake in his own caneStates. Howell Cobb, Crawford, Iverson, brakes, he wormed himself into the counsels all had to give way before his imperious of Mr. Buchanan to such a degree as to win sway. When the uprising came, it was his the sobriquet of "wet-nurse to the Adminwand which commanded it. Legislature, istration." Then he plotted and intrigued Convention, and People, obeyed it with mili- with the genius of Lucifer. When stroking tary alacrity and precision. Georgia was his the vestments of the Executive he was only own, to order and control as he would. She feeling for the spot where to strike when the had no wish or will that was not embodied moment came to throw off his friendly mask. in one word-Toombs. Ominous word! When Louisiana hesitated, he had but to

point his finger to command her obedience. | disdain of results, which rendered him the He would have taken the State "out of the very model of a revolutionist. He gained the Union" if his constituents all had opposed. right of leadership by priority of discovery, He entered into the conspiracy like a Cartha-"always having prophecied a Southern Conginian, to conquer, not to be conquered. federacy." John Forsythe, Mr. Clay, Mr. Curry, all confessed to his ascendency, and submitted to his unnegatived dictum.

A PLANTER'S CONFESSION.