Year: 1861

From the Philadelphia Press


A well-known merchant of this city, who
was in New Orleans on the day Louisiana
passed the Secession Ordinance, and who wit
messed the illumination in honor of that trea-
sonable act, has related to US, with a request
that we would suppress names, the following
rscy incident, which alike illustrates the ira
dictionary when woman wont, she won't"
Characteristic of the sex and the fact that the
Union people of the South have, at this time,
no voice In the newspaper reports of the dis
union section. 1t so happened that on the day
Of the illumination the captain of Mississippi
steamboat and his lady were stopping at the
st. Charles, and occupied front room, on the
third hoor-the first floor Of chambers-exactly
In the center of the hotel. The captain was a
Union man, and-as the sequel will show--so
was hfs wife. All the city was sgitated during
the afternoon in prospect of the grand gala
night. The st. Charles was to be illuminated,
of course. Accordingly some time during the
afternoon a servant knocked at the door of the
captains room, carrying all the necessary
trsppings for lighting up the chamber win
dows. Mrs. - opened the door, when the
following dialogue ensued:


Lady-What have you got there?


Servant-Candles, misses, to light your win
dows for de Illumination.


L.-Well, you can return them to where you
brought them from, as shall not allow them
in this room.


S.-(Not to be foiled so easily, resumed y
Oh! but massa told me to put up de lights,
and so rs got to put 'em up.


Can't help that; this is my room, and I
shsn't allow the windows to be illuminated for
what am opposed to; so that ends it.


This closed the first act. The servant re-
ported to the proprietors, who Immediately
proceeded to the lady's room with a view to
convincing her of the Importance of permitting
the servant to make ready for the grand even
ing light-up. Said they, "This room is the
most central in the entire 'front.' and not to
illuminate 1t will be to mar seriously the effect
Of the whole, to which the lady replied


am sorry, gentlemen, to cause you any
inconvenience, but believe this room for the
time being is ours by right, and must posi-
lively decline, IN any way, TO add eclat to a
great outrage, as L conceive the whole dis
union movement to be. My husband (who was
out at the time) is a Union man, and am a
Union woman, and this room cannot be illu-
minated. few more words were exchanged
which ended by the lady politely requesting
the proprietors to leave her room. Determined
not TO be outdone In a matter of such grave
importance, the captain was next found and
appealed to- He heard their case; said that
his wife had reported him correctly on the
Union question, nevertheless, he would 20
with them to the room and see if the matter
could be amlcably arranged. Scene third en-
sued The captains deposition to yield was
not to be seconded by his better half They
next proposed to yacste the best chamber in
her favor, In some part Of the house, if that
would De satisfactory, but the lady's NO"
was still rs peremptory ever. Her point
was gained, and the St. Charles was doomed
10 have a front dark chamber


Pleased with this triumph, Mrs. .- devised
the following maneuyer to make the most of
her victory y:-SummOning a servant, she sent
him out to procure for her an American Gag,
which, at dusk, she suspended from her win
dow. This made the fourth act in the play,
and, as the fifth is always indispensable, it had
It's place here. When evening came, the
streets, animated by a merry throng, were il
Eliminated, but, alas the st Charles was dis
figured by its sombre chamber, when suddenly
a succession Of lamps, suspended 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 honor
of It's overthrow. The effect was to give the
impression that the whole house was thus pay
ing homage to the American flag; and what is
most significant, is the fact that the latter was
greeted by the passing crowd with vociferous
applause. So much for the frmness of true
Union woman.