The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-06-02
LOUISIANA TO GET
REBEL PAPER BACK


ing nearly fifty years in the archives
of the War Department, it now
seems probable that the Ordinance
of Secession passed by the State of
Louisiana, will be returned to that
state. A resolution introduced by
Senator Foster providing for it's re-
turn has been favorably reported to
the Senate, and it's passage is ex-
pected.
The suggestion for it's return was
made by the War Department Off
Gals. They saw no reason for it's
retention among the War Depart
ment records, though they lacked
authority to return it to Louisiana
Their suggestion was warmly receiv-
ed in Louisiana, and for several
years efforts have been made to en-.
act legislation for it's return. Thus
far Senator Hepburn, noted for way
ing the bloody shirt in the Senate
on similar questions, has blocked ac-
ton upon the resolution by raising
point of order. There is reason to
believe, however, that his opposition
will be rendered Intellectual at this
session.
The document was enacted in con,
vention at Baton Rouge on January
IS, 1861. 1t remained at the State
Capitol until the capture of the city
by Federal troops. At the War Dc.
partment there is now no one who
is familiar with the history of it's
receipt in Washington. During the
Federal occupation of Louisiana,
there were many records shipped to
Washington, and IT. is presumed that
the Ordinance of Secession was
among them.
The Louisiana ordinance is nnusu-
al in that it is done in both English
and French, in parallel columns.
Out of the 121 names signed to it,
nearly half are plainly French in
their derivation. The document has
been kept rolled up in a metal tube
since its seizeure, and as a result,
the parchment is showing signs of
cracking. The signatures near the
bottom are fast fading, and are
scarcely legible. A curious feature
is that the document is undated. The
signatures include those of A. Mou-
ton, President of the convention.
The whole argument upon which
the Southern statesmen based their
claim Of the right of state to Sc
cede is found in one word in the
Louisiana ordinance. This word is
compact" by which the document
Of secession characterizes the feder-
al constitution. The Northern view,
coming down from the old Federal
party, was that the Constitution was
contract, from which no party
could withdraw, rather than a tenn
parary agreement to be terminated
upon the desire of any party to do
so. The text of the ordinance was
as follows:
can ordinance to dissolve the I'm
ion of the States of Louisiana and
other states in the United States OF
America with her. under the COM
pact entitled the Constitution of the
United States of America.
eve, the people of the state of
Louisiana, in convention assembled,
do declare and ordain and it is here
by declared and ordained:
'"That the ordinance passed by us
in convention on November IL,
1911, whereby the Constitution o,
the United States and the amend
ments to the Constitution were
adopted, and all laws and ordinances
by which the state Of Louisiana be-
came member Of the Federal I'm
ion, be and the same hereby are re-
pealed and abrogated and that the
Union now subsisting between Lou
isiana and the other states under the
name of the United States of Ameri-
ca is hereby dissolved.
eve do further declare and or
dain:
t'That the State of Louisiana
hereby resumes all rights and pow
ers heretofore delegated to the gov
eminent of the United States; that
her citizens are absolved from all al
legiance to said government; and
that she is in full possession of all
those rights of sovereignty which
appertain to a free and independent
state.
"That all rights acquired and YES
ted under the Constitution of the
United States, or any Act of Con-
gress or treaty, or under any laws of
this state and not incompatible with
this ordinance shall remain in force