he States have a common
resemblance, but they are various in character as in geographical
outline. In Louisiana the Anglo-American finds himself
side-by-side with inhabitants of French or Spanish descent, and
in many of the country parishes the African freedmen outnumber
all the rest.

St. Anna's Asylum in New Orleans is controlled and managed by a
board of directors composed entirely of women. Among the inmates
in 1878 was a German woman who had resided in the institution for
many years. Finding herself in ill-health and fearing the
approach of the end, she confided to the ladies of the board that
she had a thousand dollars in bank which she wished to bequeath
to the home where she had been provided for and sheltered so
long. At her earnest request a will was drawn up in accordance
with her wishes, and signed by members of the board who were
present as witnesses. Shortly after, the woman died and her will
was submitted to the proper authority for admission to probate.
When the ladies were duly informed that the will was null and
void, they naturally asked why, and were told that under
Louisiana law women were not lawful witnesses to a will. Had they
only called in the old darkey wood-sawyer, doing a day's work in
the asylum yard, and had him affix his mark to the paper, the
money would have accrued to the asylum; as it was, it went to the
State.

Early in 1879, when a convention to make a new State
constitution[516] had been called and was about to assemble in
New Orleans, Mrs. Merrick tried to arouse the ladies of the
board, representing to them that in the controlling power they
exercised over St. Anna's Asylum they were only children
_playing_ they were a part of the people and citizens of the
State, when in reality they were legally powerless to perform any
free and independent act. The ladies were mortified by the
position in which they found themselves but were not willing to
take any step to remedy their pitiful case, not even to sign the
petition which was afterwards drawn up by Mrs. Saxon and Mrs.
Merrick to present to the constitution-makers to have these
disabilities removed. The petition was as follows:

_To the Honorable President and Members of the Convention of
Louisiana, convened for the purpose of fram