The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-09-17
HISTORIC DAYS.

Hon. Sidney S. Conner died at
Amite City last Friday night at
the age of seventy years. HE
was the last of the members OF
the historic convention thatpassed
the Ordinance of Secession" says
a news item.
Nearly half century has pass
ed since the Ordinance of Seces-
sion Of Louisiana from the Union
was passed in Baton Rouge al
1870 pm. on Saturday, January
90, 1861, by vote of 121 ayes to
seventeen nays. All the members
were present and voted. The Or
dinance was signed by all but
eight delegates. The delegates
who refused to sign the ordinance
were Isaiah Garrett, of Ouachita
Christian Roselius, Orleans; J. A.
Rozier, of Orleans; Lewis, of Or
leans; Stocker, of Orleans; Tall
liaferro, of Catahoula, Meredith,
of Caldwell, and Hough, of Cald-
we'll.
Alexander Mouton, of Lafayette
Parish, was elected President OF
the Convention; j. P. Wheat, OF
Orleans, Secretary; W. M. Kidd,
of Jackson, Assistant Secretary,
and John O. Nixon, of the New
Orleans Crescent, Official Printer.
Bossier Parish was represented
by Thomas j. Caldwell and DR..
Henderson Mcfarland. The del
egate from this Senatorial District
was Maj. Robert Hodges, Of Bos-
sier Point. Leon Dawson Marks,
Benjamin l.. Hodge and George
Williamson, were the delegates
from Caddo Parish.
Alexander Declouet and John
Perkins were elected by the Sc
cession Convention delegates at
large to represent the State at
Montgomery, Ala, for the forma-
ton of a Southern Confederacy.
The delegates elected to represent
the four Congressional Districts
were Charles M. Conrad, of Or
leans; Duncan F. Kenner, of Or
leans; Gen. Edward Sparrow, OF
Carroll, and Henry Marshall, OF
DeSoto. Conrad and Kenner
We're elected on the first ballot.
Sparrow had no opposition. In
the Fourth District there were
four candidates-Henry Marshall,
B. l.. Hodge, Benjamin w. Pearce
and John K. Elgee. Marshall was
elected on the third ballot by the
following vote: Marshall, 81;
Hodge, 81.
George Williamson, of Caddo,
was appointed Commissioner from
Louisiana to Texas.
Ex- Gov. Manning, Commits
sioner from South Carolina, and
ex-Gov. John A. Winston, Com
missioner from Alabama, were
invited to seats on the floor of the
Convention.
When the vote on the Ordinance
of Secession was announced, amid
deafening applause and the BOOM
ing of captured cannon, the Pei
lean flag was unfurled to the Con-
vention. 1t was a memorable, an
Undesirable event never to be
forgotten. The editor of the Ban
ner, then in his teens, was seated
at a desk near the President, a
deeply interested spectator, and
witnessed what took place and
heard all that was said. Beard.
less boy as we were then, the great
gravity of the occasion impressed
us as one to be cherished as long
as patriotism has an abiding place
in the hearts of men. Brave men
"breathed deeper and freer for
it, in exultant patriotism, while
tears flowed freely down the sad,
pallid cheeks of gray-haired pa
trlots to whom the Union was dear,
but who loved far more the land
of their birth.
There were many of the ablest
and most prominent men of Lou
isiana who were delegates in the
State Convention and members of
The General Assembly, in session