Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-04-11
NUMBER IA
A Secession Incident.


| A well-knswn merchant Of this-oity, who
was in New Orleans on the day Louisiana
passed Secession ordinance, and who wit
messed the illumination in honor Of that trea-
sonable act, has related TO as, with request
that we would suppress names, the following
raoy incident which alike illustrates the
traditicnary VIXEN q woman wont. she won't
characteristic Of the sex, and the fact that
the Union people Of the South have, at this
time, no yeice In the newspaper reports of
the disunisn section. 1t so happened that en-
the day Of the illumination the captsin Of
Mississippi steamboat and bis lady were
stopping az abs st. Charles, and occupied
front room, on the third foor-the first door
OF Enthusiastically in the centre Of the
hetei. The captain was Union man, and
as the sequel will show-so was his wife
All the city was agitassd during the after
noon in prospect of the grand gala night
The St. Charles was to be illuminated, of
course. Accordingly. some time during the
afternoon servant knocked at the door of
the captains room. carrying all the nec-ssa-
ry srappings for lighting up the chamber
windows. Mrs. - opened the door,
| when the following dialogue ensued;
Lady. What have you got thersi
Servant. Candles. Misses, to light your
| windows fer ds'lumination.
L. Well. you can return them to whe:e
you brought them from, as shall net allow
them in this room.
S. mot to be fsilsd SO easily, resumed.)
Oh but massa told me to put up de lights,
and SO rs got to put 'sm up,
L, Can't help that, this is my room, and
shan't allow the windows to be illumina-
ted fer what am opposed to 80 that ends
it.
This closed the Hrss act. The servant re-
ported TO the proprietors, who Immediately
proceeded to the ladys room with view to
convincing her Of the importance Of permits
ting the servant to make ready for the grand
evening Gght-up. Said they, "This room
is the most central in the entire front. and
net to illuminate il will be to mar seriously
the effect of the the WHOLE" to which the la
dy replied:
Il am sorry, gentlemen. to cause You any
'asonvenienoe, but believe this room for the
time being is ours by right. spd..I must pes
isiTsly decline, in any way. to add eclat to a
great outrage, as conceive the whole disun.
ion movement to be. My husband (who was
oui at the time] is Union man, and am a
union woman, and this room cannot be illu L
minated" A few more words were exchange
ed. which ended BY the lady politely rsqsuss.
ting thespropristsrs to leave her room. De-
termlned net to be.,ontdene in @ matter of
such grave. Importance. ..the captain was
next found and appealed to. He heard their
case; said his wife had reported him COR
rectly On the UAien question. nevertheless. he
woald 60 with them to the reom and see If
the matter could be smicably arranged
Scene third ensued. The captains dispesi.
ton to yield was not to 30 seconded BY his
better half. They next proposed to yscats
the best chamber in her favor, in some other
part of thehouss, if that would be sasisfa story.
bus the lady'a "No" was still as perenp-
tory as ever. Her point was gained, and
the st. Charles was doomed to have dark
front chamber.
Pleased with this triumph, Mrs.---de>
Sised the following manevre to make the
most Of her victory. Summoning q servant.
she sent him out to procure for her an Amer
lean flag, which, ut dusk, she suspended from
her window. This made the fourth act in
the play, and as the fifth is always indispen-
sable. it had iss place here. When evening
came, the streets, animated by merry
throng, were illuminated, bnt, alas the S.
Charles was disfgured by its sobre chamber,
when ruddenly succession of lamps, sus-
pended on both sides of the flag. revealing
the stars and stripes, were lit up, and the
ensign of the Union waved from the centre Of
a hotel illuminated in hsner of its overthrow
The effect was, to give the impression chat
the whole house was thus paying homage TO
the Americas flag; and what is most sgnif-
can't, is the fact the latter was crested by the
passing crowd with voeifsrous applause
So much for the .frmness of true Jnien
Wewan