USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume I > Part 30
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Confederate Memorial Hall, in New Orleans, was established in the year 1889 for the preservation of relies of the Civil war, particu- larly those pertaining to the State of Louisiana. Prior to that time a number of small associations in the state were interested in the collection of these relies. These associations were all consolidated and Frank T. Howard donated a building, which was completed in
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1891. A small annual appropriation from the state assists in main- taining the institution, but it is mainly supported by voluntary con- tributions from Confederate veterans and their friends. The col- lection numbers about 20,000 articles, many of them of valuable historic significance.
Confederate States .- The Confederate States of America included the states that seceded from the Union in 1860-61. South Carolina was the only state that passed an ordinance of secession in 1860, though five others seccded before President Lincoln was inaugu- rated. The Confederate government was organized by a convention or congress which met at Montgomery, Ala., Feb. 4, 1861. At that time only seven states had withdrawn from the Union. These states, with the dates on which they passed secession ordinances, were as follows: South Carolina, Dec. 20, 1860; Mississippi, Jan. 9, 1861; Florida, Jan. 10; Alabama, Jan. 11 ; Georgia, Jan. 19; Louisi- ana, Jan 26; and Texas, Feb. 5. Texas was not represented at the opening of the convention, but her delegates arrived in time to con- cur in the organization of the provisional government, of which Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was elected president, and Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia, vice-president. These officers were inaugu- rated on Monday. Feb. 18, and on March 11 the delegates from the seven states unanimously adopted a constitution for the permanent government of the "Confederate States of America."
On April 15, 1861, President Lincoln issued a proclamation declar- ing that in the seven seceded states "the laws are now opposed and the execution thereof obstructed by combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings or by the powers vested in the marshals of law," and calling for 75,000 troops "to suppress said combinations and to cause the laws to be duly executed." Alexander H. Stephens, in his "Constitutional View of the War Between the States," says: "The effect of these proclamations of Lincoln was, in less than thirty days, to drive the in- ner tier of the four border states, so-called, from the old into the new Confederacy." Virginia seceded on April 17, Arkansas on May 6, North Carolina on May 20, and Tennessee on June 8, all becoming members of the Confederacy in due form. In addition to these eleven states the Confederate government recognized Missouri as a member of the Confederacy, and also extended recognition to the revolutionary government in Kentucky, though neither of the two states ever ratified an ordinance of secession.
Soon after the inauguration of Mr. Davis as president of the Con- federate. States, three commissioners-John Forsyth of Alabama, Martin J. Crawford of Georgia, and Andre B. Roman of Louisiana- were sent to Washington, "for the purpose of negotiating friendly relations between that government (the United States), and the Confederate States of America, and for the settlement of all ques- tions of disagreement between the two governments, upon princi- ples of right, justice, equity and good faith." Another commission, consisting of William L. Yancey of Alabama, A. Dudley Mann of Virginia, and A. P. Rost of Louisiana, was sent to Europe "to pre-
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sent the Confederate cause and position to England and France, with a view of opening negotiations with those powers." The peace commissioners visited Washington, according to their instructions, but William H. Seward, secretary of state in Lincoln's cabinet, re- fused to grant them an interview or to answer any communication from them. The European commission also failed to accomplish its purpose and in the fall of 1861 John Slidell (q. v.) of Louisiana and James M. Mason of Virginia were sent as commissioners to Europe, but were arrested and taken from the British mail steamer Trent by a U. S. war vessel. The government of the Confederate States of America ceased to exist in the spring of 1865, and after a long, tedious, and in many instances unjust, process of "reconstruction," the states were readmitted into the Federal Union.
Confiscation .- In 1863 the Federal government adopted the policy of confiscating the property of those who had been active in the establishment or support of the Confederacy. Concerning the re- sults of this policy in Louisiana, especially in the city of New Or- leans, a report made in the early part of 1865 says: "The govern- ment has in fact made very little by its confiscations of 1863-64. The defaulting quartermaster here turned over $75 as the total net proceeds of the sales of all the splendid Paris-made furniture, gold and silver plate, and an infinitude of valuable things which were taken from the houses of rich absentees and registered enemies of New Orleans ; and Judge Durell of the United States district court says that the net proceeds of the confiscation sales of the property adjudged to the United States in his court will not exceed $100,000. This includes such properties as the 800 valuable city lots of John Slidell, with many a splendid store and family residence upon them. Harpies, who have done nothing but make money out of both parties during the war, profit by confiscation, the government does not."
Throughout the state a large number of plantations were held by the Freedmen's bureau as liable to confiscation, but in the end most of them were returned to their rightful owners. Among these plantations were some of the finest sugar estates in the country. and when their owners recovered possession of them after the war they were found to be in a sorry condition. Levee protection had been neglected, buildings and other improvements wantonly destroyed, and once fertile fields were overrun with weeds and shrubbery. Such is the curse of war.
Congregational Church .- (See Protestant Churches.)
Congressional Districts .- When the state of Louisiana was admit- ted to the Union in 1812, it was entitled to but one representative, and Thomas B. Robertson was elected from the state at large. There continued to be but one Congressional district up to the year 1822, when the legislature of that year apportioned the state into three districts, and on March 4, 1823. Louisiana was for the first time represented by three Congressmen. It had this number of Con- gressional districts until 1842, when, by virtue of the increase in the population of the state as indicated by the U. S. census of 1840, the general assembly created a fourth district, and when the 28th Con-
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gress convened at Washington, D. C., on March 4, 1843, the state had four representatives. On April 4, 1865, an act of the legislature apportioned the state into five districts. A legislative enactment of Aug. 22, 1868, revised the apportionment of April 4, 1865, but the state still consisted of five districts, to-wit: The 1st, which included all of the parish of Orleans on the right bank of the Mississippi river and so much of the parish on the left bank as is below and east of Canal street, comprising the 4th, 5th, 6th. 7th, 8th, and 9th repre- sentative districts of the above mentioned parish, and the parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, St. Tammany, Washington, St. Helena and Livingston : the 2nd district embraced all of the parish of Or- leans on the left bank of the Mississippi river above and west of Canal street, which territory comprehended the 1st, 2nd. 3rd and 10th representative districts of Orleans, and the parishes of Jeffer- son, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. James, Terrebonne and Lafourche; the 3rd district included St. Mary, St. Martin, Assump- tion, Ascension, Vermilion, Calcasieu, Lafayette. St. Landry, Iber- ville, and East and West Baton Rouge parishes; the 4th district was comprised of the parishes of East and West Feliciana, Pointe Coupée, Avoyelles, Rapides, Sabine, Natchitoches, De Soto, Caddo, Bossier and Winn; and the 5th district embraced the parishes of .Claiborne, Bienville, Jackson, Union, Morehouse, Carroll, Ouachita, Madison, Caldwell, Franklin. Tensas, Catahoula and Concordia.
· Louisiana continued to be represented in the lower house of Con- gress by a representative from each of these districts until the con- vening of the 44th Congress on March 4, 1875, when by virtue of the legislative enactment of March 21. 1874, the state was entitled to one Congressman from each of the following six districts: The 1st, composed of the parishes of Plaquemines. St. Bernard, and that portion of the parish of Orleans lying on the right bank of the Mississippi river, and that portion on the left bank situated below Julia street and the canal, where the 3rd, 4th. 5th, 6th, 7th. 8th, 9th and 15th wards were located; the 2nd, comprised of the 1st, 2nd, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th wards of the city of New Orleans, and the parishes of Jefferson, St. Charles, St. John and St. James ; the 3rd, made up of the parishes- of Iberville, Ascension, Assumption, Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. Mary, Iberia, St. Martin, Lafayette, Vermilion. Cameron and Calcasieu : the 4th, constituted of Rapides, Vernon, Sabine. Natchitoches. Grant, Winn. Red River, De Soto, Caddo, Bossier, Webster and Bienville parishes : the 5th, composed of the parishes of Concordia, Caldwell. Franklin, Tensas, Madison, Richland. Ouachita. Jackson. Lincoln, Union, Morehouse. Carroll, Claiborne and Catahoula : and the 6th district, comprised of Avoyelles, St. Landry, Pointe Coupee. East and West Feliciana, East and West Baton Rouge, St. Helena, Livingston, Tangipahoa, Washington and St. Tammany parishes. The state continued to be represented by six congressmen until the convening of the 58th Congress, when, by authority of the legislative enactment of June 19, 1902, it was represented by seven. The 1st district, which comprehends the 3rd. 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 15th wards
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of the City of New Orleans, and the parishes of St. Bernard and Plaquemines, is now represented by Albert Estopinal, Democrat, who was elected to the 60th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Adolph Meyer, and was reelected to the 61st Con- gress. The population of this district, according to the census of 1900, was 178,670. The second district embraces the 1st. 2nd, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th wards of the city of New Or- leans, and the parishes of Jefferson, St. Charles, St. James and St. John the Baptist, in which Robert C. Davey was elected in Nov., 1908, by a majority of 5,940 votes over the Republican nominee, A. L. Redden. According to the last census the population of this dis- trict was 183,424. The 3rd district is made up of the parishes of As- sumption, Iberia, Terrebonne, Lafayette, Lafourche, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion. In this district Robert F. Broussard was elected in 1908 by a majority of 3,514 votes over S. P. Watts, the Republican candidate. The population of this district was 200,596, according to the last census. In the 4th district, which includes the parishes of Bienville, Bossier. Caddo, De Soto, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Webster and Winn, John T. Watkins, at the general election of 1908, received 3,122 more votes than his Republican opponent, E. P. Mills. The population of this district in 1900 was 96,261. The 5th district, in which Joseph E. Ransdell was elected in 1908, is comprised of Caldwell, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas, Union and West Carroll parishes, and according to the last census it is the second most populous district in the state, containing 207,430 persons. At the election of 1908 Mr. Ransdell was reelected without opposition. The 6th district, represented by Robert C. Wickliffe, includes the parishes of Ascen- sion, Iberville, East and West Baton Rouge, East and West Felici- ana, Livingston, Pointe Coupée, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangi- pahoa and Washington, and in 1900 it was the most populous dis- trict in Louisiana, having at that time 211,967 inhabitants. The 7th district comprehends Acadia, Avoyelles, Calcasieu, Cameron, Grant, Rapides, St. Landry and Vernon parishes. In this district Arsene P. Pujo was reelected in 1908 by a plurality of approxi- mately 1,800 votes over his Republican and Socialist opponents, C. C. Duson and James Barnes, respectively. According to the latest official count the population of the 7th was 203,277.
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Congressional Representation .- The following list contains the name of every senator and representative who has ever served the state of Louisiana in the Congress of the United States. During the Civil war the state was without representation in the 3Sth and 39th Congresses, and had only a partial representation in the 37th. (See Confederate Congress.) The figures after each name give the number of the Congress or Congresses of which the senator or representative was a member.
Senators .- Barrow, Alexander, 27, 28, 29; Benjamin, Judah P., 33, 34, 35, 36; Blanchard, Newton C., 53, 54; Bouligny, Dominique, 18, 19, 20; Brown, James, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18; Caffery, Donelson,
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52, 53, 54, 55, 56: Claiborne, William Charles Cole. (died before taking his seat), 15: Conrad, Charles M., 27, 31; Destrehan, Jean Noel. (resigned before taking his seat), 12; Downs, Solomon W., 30, 31, 32: Eustis, James B., 45, 49, 50, 51: Foster, Murphy J., 57, 58, 59, 60; Fromentin. Eligius, 13, 14, 15 ; Gayarre, Charles E. A., (resigned before taking his seat), 24: Gibson, Randall Lee, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52; Harris, John S., 40, 41 : Johnson, Henry, 15, 16, 17, 18, 28, 29, 30; Johnston, Josiah Stoddard, 18, 19, 20, 21. 22, 23; Jonas, Benjamin F., 46, 47, 48: Kellogg, William Pitt, 40, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47; Livingston. Edward, 21, 22: McEnery, Samuel Douglas, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60; Magruder, Allan B., 12; Mouton, Alexander, 24, 25, 26, 27; Nicholas, Robert Carter. 24, 25, 26; Porter, Alexander, 23, 24, 28: Posey. Thomas, 12; Slidell, John. 33, 34, 35. 36; Soulé, Pierre, 29, 31, 32, 33: Waggaman, George A., 22. 23; West, J. Rodman, 42, 43, 44; White, Edward Douglas, 52, 53.
Representatives .- Acklen, Joseph Hayes, 45, 46; Baird, Samuel T., 55, 56; Blackburn, William Jasper, 40: Blanchard. Newton C., 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53: Boarman, Aleck, 42; Boatner, Charles J., 51, 52. 53, 54 : Bouligny, John Edmund, 36; Bossier, Pierre Evariste, 28; Breazeale, Phanor, 56, 57. 58: Brent. William L., 18, 19, 20; Broussard, Robert F., 55, 56, 57, 58. 59, 60, 61; Buck, Charles F., 54; Bullard, Henry Adams, 22, 23, 31; Butler, Thomas, 15, 16; Chinn, Thomas W., 26; Coleman, Hamilton Dudley, 51; Darrall, C. B .. 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47 ; Davey, Robert Charles. 53, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60; Davidson, Thomas G .. 34, 35, 36; Dawson, John B., 27, 28; Dunbar, William, 33; Elam. Joseph B., 45, 46: Ellis, E. John, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48: Estopinal, Albert, 60, 61; Eustis, George, Jr., 34, 35; Favrot, G. K., 60: Flanders, Benjamin F., 37; Garland, Rice, 23, 24, 25, 26; Gay, Edward J., 49, 50, 51; Gibson. Randall Lec, 44, 45, 46, 47; Gilmore, S. C., 61; Gurley, Henry H., 18, 19, 20, 21; Hahn, Michael. 37, 49; Harmanson, John H., 29, 30, 31; Hunt, Carleton, 48; Hunt, Theodore G .. 33: Irion, Alfred Briggs, 49; Johnson, Henry, 23, 24, 25: Johnston, Josiah Stoddard, 17; Jones, Roland, 33; Kellogg. William Pitt, 48; King, J. Floyd, 46, 47, 48, 49; Labranche, Alcee, 28: Lagan, Matthew D., 50, 52; Landry, J. Aristide, 32; Landrum, John M .. 36; La Sere, Emile, 29, 30, 31 : Leonard, John Edwards, 45: Levy. William M .. 44; Lewis, Edward Taylor, 48; Livingston, Edward, 18, 19. 20: McCleary, James, 42; Mann, James, 40; Meyer, Adolph, 52. 53, 54, 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60; Moore, John, 26, 27, 32: Morey Frank 41, 42, 43, 44; Morse, Isaac Edward, 28, 29, 30, 31: Nash, Charles E., 44: Newsham. Joseph Parkinson, 40, 41; Newton Cherubusco, 50; Ogden, Henry W., 53, 54, 55; Overton, Walter H., 21: Penn, Alexander G .. 31, 32; Perkins. John. Jr .. 33: Price, Andrew, 51, 52, 53. 54; Pujo, Arsene P., 58, 59. 60, 61 : Ransdell, Joseph Eugene, 56, 57. 58, 59, 60. 61 : Ripley, Eleaser W., 24, 25; Robertson. Edward White, 45. 46, 47, 50; Robertson, Samuel Mathews, 50, 51. 52. 53. 54. 55, 56. 57, 58. 59, 60; Robertson, Thomas Bolling. 12, 13. 14, 15; St. Martin, Louis, 32, 49: Sandidge. John M., 34, 35: Sheldon, Lionel A., 41, 42, 43; Sheridan, George A., 43; Slidell, John, 28, 29; Smith,
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George L., 43; Spencer, William B., 44; Sypher, Jay Hale, 40, 4.1. 42, 43 ; Taylor, Miles, 34, 35, 36: Thibodeaux. Bannon G., 29, 30; Thomas, Philemon, 22, 23: Vidal. Michael, 40; Wallace, Nathaniel Dick, 49: Watkins, John T., 59, 60, 61 ; White, Edward D., 21, 22, 23. 26, 27; Wickliffe, Robert C., 61; Wilkinson, Theodore Stark, 50, 51.
Connelly, a post-village in the northern part of Bienville parish, is a station on the Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific R. R., about 3 miles east of Gibsland.
Conrad, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Natchitoches parish, is about 3 miles west of Black lake and 2 miles northeast of Grappes Bluff, the nearest railroad station.
Conrad, Charles M., U. S. senator from Louisiana, was born at Winchester, Va., about 1804. While still young he moved with his family to Mississippi and later to Louisiana. He studied law ; was admitted to the bar; commenced practice in New Orleans; entered politics, and was a member of the state house of representatives for a number of years before he was elected U. S. senator from Louisiana, as a Whig, in place of Alexander Mouton, resigned, serving from April 14, 1842, to March 3, 1843. In 1844 he was sent as a delegate to the state constitutional convention, and elected representative from Louisiana to the 31st Congress, as a Whig, serving from Dec. 3, 1849, to Aug. 17, 1850, when he resigned. President Fillmore appointed him secretary of war and he acted in this capacity from Aug. 13, 1850, to March 7, 1853. He was a delegate from Louisiana to the Montgomery Provisional Con- federate Congress of 1861, and representative from Louisiana in the 1st and 2nd Confederate Congresses, 1862-64. He died at New Or- leans, La., Feb. 12, 1878.
Consolidated Bonds .- (See Finances, State.)
Constitutional Commission .- The general assembly of 1892 au- thorized the appointment of a commission to consider measures in- volving amendments to the constitution of the state. The commis- sion was made np as follows: 2 members of the state senate, to be appointed by the lieutenant-governor; 3 members of the house of representatives. to be appointed by the speaker ; and 2 citizens of the state to be appointed by the governor. in July, 1893, but the organization was not completed until Jan. 3, 1894. When the legislature met on May 6 of that year the commission made its report, recommending the following amendments:
1. To provide that every voter should be able to read the con- stitution in his- mother tongue, or to be possessed of taxable prop- erty to the amount of $200, and to have paid his poll tax, the edu- cational or property qualification being alternative.
2. To provide for an increase in the amount of revenue to be devoted to the public schools; removal of the restrictions as to the amount to be appropriated for the salaries of state and parish superintendents of schools : to provide for local taxation for school purposes, and for the payment of the interest of the seminary fund out of the general instead of the public school fund.
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3. A revision of the law requiring six courts of appeals with 12 judges, so that there should be but two circuits in the state with 3 judges in each, the maximum limit of these courts to be $3,000. The judges of the new courts to be elected by the people in 1900, the 6 judges of the present courts whose terms did not expire until 1900 to preside over the new courts until their successors were elected.
4. To vest in the supreme court jurisdiction over "all cases arising under the constitution, treaties, and laws of the United States, or under the constitution of the state, or in which the legality of costs. fees, charges, or allowances shall be in dispute, whatsoever may be the amount thereof." This amendment also gave the supreme court original jurisdiction in proceedings to disbar attorneys for unprofessional conduct, and allowed the legislature to fix the qualifications of justices of the peace, whose jurisdiction was to be extended to cases involving $200, exclusive of interest.
5. To make it mandatory on the legislature to provide for the trial of offenses below the grade of felony by a jury of 6 persons, or by the court at any regular or special term, and to permit the general assembly to provide, by suitable legislation, that a verdict in both civil and criminal cases might be rendered by a majority of the jurors.
6. To enable the people of any parish or municipality to levy taxes for public improvements whenever a majority of the legal voters of such parish or municipality declare in favor of such taxa- tion. This amendment also authorized the people, under proper protection, to extend aid to such enterprises as would promote the general welfare.
7. Providing 90 working days for the general assembly in 1896, and 60 days at each session thereafter ; also enabling the assembly to enact revisions of the codes or general statutes without having them read in full in each house.
8. Giving the legislature power to provide by law for pensions to veterans of the Confederate army, and to include such pensions in the objects for which the state might exercise its taxing power.
Other amendments proposed by the commission provided for the suspension of accused public officials, pending trial; the abolition of the penitentiary lease system; the simplification of the home- stead and exemption laws; the abrogation of the paragraph of the constitution limiting the expenditures of the bureau of agriculture ; permitting city elections to be held on different days from the state elections: and removing the restriction which confined the contracts for state printing to residents of the state. When the report of the commission was presented to the legislature, a bill was at once introduced providing for a constitutional convention, but it was voted down and the report, after some minor changes, was adopted. The amendments were submitted to the people at the next state election and were all rejected. The defeat of these amendments paved the way for the constitutional convention of 1898.
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Constitutional Convention of 1811 .- The enabling act passed by Congress, Feb. 20, 1811, authorized the inhabitants of Orleans territory to form a constitution and state government preparatory to admission into the Union; to select such name as they might deem proper ; and to elect delegates, not to exceed 60 in number, on the third Monday of Sept., 1811, who were to meet in conven- tion at New Orleans on the first Monday in November. The first business of the convention was to determine whether it was expe- dient or not to form a constitution and state government for the people within the said territory. The act further provided that the state should be republican in form and the constitution should not be repugnant to the laws and constitution of the United States. The people were required to disclaim title to the unappro- priated and waste lands within the limits of the proposed state, and the same were to remain entirely under the control of the United States; lands sold by Congress were to be exempt from taxation for a period of 5 years after sale; lands belonging to nonresident citizens of the United States were never to be taxed higher than the lands of residents : no taxes were to be imposed on lands the prop- erty of the United States; "and the river Mississippi and the navi- gable rivers and waters leading into the same or into the Gulf of Mexico, shall be common highways and forever free, as well to the inhabitants of the said state as to other citizens of the United States, without any tax, duty, impost or toll therefor, imposed by the said state." Whenever the convention should assent to the requirements of the United States ; when a copy of the constitution and the proceedings should be sent to Congress, and when the proceedings of the convention should be approved by the latter body, the state, it was announced, would be duly admitted to the Union. In aid of the state, Congress provided by the same act, that five per cent. of the net proceeds arising from the sales of the lands of the United States, after Jan. 1, 1811, "shall be applied to laying out and constructing such public roads and levees in said state as the legislature thereof may direct."
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