Year: 1861

and inform him that the Convention had met, and
inquire whether he has any communication to
make to this body, reported that tho committee
had performed their duty.


MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR.


Mr.. T. W. Hasey, Private Secretary of his Ex-
cellency Thomas 0. Moore, Governor, delivered
the following communication:


Baton Rouge, La Jau "a 1851
To the Honorable the President and Members


of the Louisiana State Convention


Gentlemen-I have the honor to enclose TO YOU
herewith a copy my annual message to the Lou
isiana Legislature for your considera tion-this be-
ing the only communication am at present pre-
pared to make.


Very respectfully,


Your obsdient servant


THOMAS 0. MOORE,


Governor of the State of Louisiana
Gentlemen Senate and House of Representatives of the
State Of Louisiana D.


Ny opinions on the momentous questions which
have conVulsed and are destroying the Federal
Union, were fully expressed in my Message at the
recent extra session of the Legislature. Your
prompt action showed how deeply you moved
by the portents OF the times-the threatened de-
sructlOn OF essential rights and most vital inter-
ests Of the savehoding States under the forms of
perverted Constitnton--and by the absolute duty
of seeking at once for the of selfprotection.
Inc vote OF Ltle people mas since confirmed the
faith Of their Representatives in legislative and
executive station, that the undivided sentiment of
the State is for immediate and effective resistance
and that there is not found within her limits any
difference OF sentiment, except as to minor points
of expediency in regard to the manner and time of
making such resistance so to give it the most
imposing form for dignity and success. Our enc
mics, who have driven on their conflict with the
slaVeholding States to this extremity, will have
found that throughout the borders of Louisiana we
are one people--a people with one heart and one
mind-who will not be ca oIed into an abandon
ment of their rights, and who cannot be subdued.


Whatever lingering hopes might have been felt
by cOnfiding men of the South that these dissen-
sions would be healed by the voluntary act of the
people of the North, within the Union have dsap-
pcared under the accommodating proofs that the
Northern majority is implacable. No proffer of
peace On any terms has emanated from them The
propositions rendered by the most moderate minded
and uuionoying statesmen of the South-not as
expressing the whole measure of rights to which
the Southern people entitled, but as q project
for Cancellation to which they might be brought to
consent for the old love of Union, which was the
passion of Southern hearts-have been contume-
lousy rejected.


The common cry throughout the North is for
coercion into submission, by force of arms, if need
be, of every State, and of all the States of the
South, which claim the right of separation, for
cause, from Government which they deem fatal
to their safety. There can no longer be doubt of
the wisdom of that policy which demands that the
conflict shall come, and shall be settled now


The sovereign people Of this State have so de-
creed; and within few hours the Delegates will
meet in Convention, to put this judgmentinto form
from which there will be no right, and no dsposi-
ton, within the State, to appeal. Being executed
by an unanimous and willing people, it will be
entitled to the respect of the world. and the
acqulescence OF all powers and authorities what
soever.


Bnt it has been made apparent by the course of
events elsewhere, by the intentions Of those hay
ing authority in the Federal Government, as devel-
thlIp ont nY 9TH H.,
occupy the same relation towards these questions
Louisiana, that this right of independent action
will be obsructed By force. The hostile occupa-
ton OF Fort Sumter in the harbor Of Charleston,
for the purpose of overawing the State of South
Carolina, subduing her to the will of the Federal
authorities, and collecting taxes from her people
by force, is one glaring example of the modes by
which Southern State may be subjected to duress.
The baled attempts to reinforce that fortress are
of the same character of aggressive purpose as
the subsequent occupation of Fort Pickens in the
harbor of Pensacola, in order to keep the State of
Florida in forced connection with a repudated
GOTGrnment At the same time that these acts of
extraordinary rigor in aggression are practced to-
wards the South, the Northern populace of Penn
sylVana are permitted to defeat the action of the
Federal authorities at Pittsburg, by forbdding the
transmission of the public property to its de-
signated points in the South, on grounds of hos
tility to the South, to which dictaton the intimi
dated authorities succumbed. Warned by these
acts, and the uniform tenor of hostile language en-





and the uniform assertion of the doctrine of passive
obedience in the manifestoes of the Executives of
Northern States, and the open menaces that the
incoming Administration would carry out the same
tYrannlGal purposes with even more rigor deter
mined that the State of Louisiana should not be
left unprepared for the emergency. She has
long and exposed frontier on which the Federal
Government possesses fortresses capable of being
used for the subjugatiOn of the country, and to
aunul the declared will of the people. Near this
capitol, where the Delegates of the sovereign peo-
pie are about to assemble, was military depot
capable IN unscrupulous hands, of being employed
Tor the purpose OF oVerawing and restraining the
deliberations of free people. On these grounds,
respecting the manifest will of the people, and to
the end that their deliberations shall be free, and
their action supported by the full possession of
the whole territory of the State, decided to take
possession of the military posts and munitions of
war within the State, as the necessity of
such action should be developed in my mind.
Upon information which did not leave me in doubt
as to my public duty, and which convinced me-
moreover, that prompt action was the more neces-
sary in order to prevent a collision between the
Federal troops and the people of the State |
authorized these steps to be taken, and they were
accomplished without opposition or difficulty
In so doing, I was careful to coniine myself to
such acts as were necessary to effect the object
with the greatest certainty and the least risk of
violence.


In accordance with an arrangement entered into
with the Commanding Officer, in the presence of a
force too large to be resisted, Baton Rouge Bar
racks and Arsenal with all the Federal property
therein were turned over to me on the 1lth and
18th instant and on the 18th the Federal troops
departed About the same time the State troops
occupied Fort Pike, on the Rig0lets, and Forts
Jackson and st. Philip, on the Mississippi river
and such other dispositions were made as seemed
necessary for the public safety. Receipts were
given in all instances for the property found in
order to protect the officers who were dspossess9d
and to facilitate future settlement. For the neces-
sary expenses, / have drawn on the appropriation
made by the last Legislature for military purposes
A detailed report of these proceedings and of the
expenditures incurred will be laid before you in
few days.


With full sense of the responsibility I have
assumed, the whole subject respectfully submitted
to the Legislature.


Mr.. Mcfarland submitted the following resou-
ton, which was adopted:


ResolUed By this Convention that William
Bloomfield, Postmaster of the House of Repre-
sentatives, be and he is hereby appointed Post
master of this body during its sessions at this place.
and that he shall perform all the duties properly
belonging to said office.


On motion by Mr.. Wilkinson, Mr.. Bush's resolu-
tion approving the course of the Governor in
taking possession of the forts, arsenals and mu-
nitions of war situated within the limits of the
State was taken up, and on further motion by
the same member to adopt said resolution, second
ed by Mr.. Heron,


Mr.. Davidson called for the yeas and nays. They
were ordered and being taken, resulted as follows,