NATCHEZ — The descendent of Confederate veterans and “one of the largest slaveholders in the South” issued Monday an impassioned plea to the Adams County Board of Supervisors to take down the Mississippi state flag at county-owned buildings.

That plea was ultimately met with a 4-1 vote in favor of the resolution.

Saying she was “deeply Southern,” Natchez resident Mary Jane Gaudet told the board she “grew up with Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson on my walls,” was the daughter of one of the original organizers of the Natchez Pilgrimage and a past participant in the former Natchez Confederate Pageant — now the Natchez Tableaux.

“It never occurred to me that the Confederate flag represented racism,” she said.

But as she heard more and more from family members outside the state and nation, Gaudet said, she was surprised to find the state “had a horrible reputation.”

“I am a tour guide for Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, and I brag about how Mississippi is one of the most changed states in the country,” she said. “We get along and work together probably better than any northerners.”

But the state flag, which features the Confederate battle emblem, stands as a symbol against that, she said.“We have to stand up and do the right thing, and the right thing is to recognize that our Southern heritage is that the withdrawal of Mississippi from the Union was based on protecting slavery,” Gaudet said.

Many of the old celebrations of the Confederacy were about having parties and fun, but after considering how others might view those celebrations, Gaudet realized that she, “never sensed the pain of, ‘Y’all really liked those days of when y’all were on top’” she said.

Ultimately, Gaudet’s appeal included an economic basis, saying companies didn’t want to locate in an area that appeared to endorse racism.

Saying the board may “have to go door-to-door to explain” its vote to members of the community, Gaudet said she didn’t mean to come off as “ramming things down people’s throats.”

Gaudet’s comments came after Supervisor Rickey Gray made a motion — which was seconded by Supervisor Angela Hutchins — to remove the state flag from all county properties and facilities.

Gray cited Sunday’s One Flag for All rally, where dozens of residents and elected officials gathered in Natchez to call for the state to change the flag, as part of the impetus for his motion.

“When you start to do something, I think it starts at home instead of at the state level,” Gray said, telling the supervisors that state officials had told him a change was not likely to come from the Legislature this year.

Gray also mentioned other areas and institutions that have made a move to distance themselves from Confederate imagery.

“I think if Ole Miss — the University of Mississippi — can take a lead on taking this flag down, I think everybody can follow this, because that is their flag,” he said.

Supervisor David Carter objected to the motion, saying a petition to change the state flag was circulating with the intention of having the matter placed on the ballot. When the matter came to a vote, Carter was the sole dissenter.

“I would rather see us lead from the state level and put it on the petition,” Carter said.

After the meeting, Carter said he has no problem with changing the state flag, and that if the state government took a stand on it the county should support it.

“I don’t oppose the removal of the flag,” Carter said. “I just oppose it being removed at the local level rather than the state level first. I wish we would lead like South Carolina and make the change at the state level instead of the local counties.”

When explaining his own vote in favor of removing the flag, Supervisors President Mike Lazarus was briefly emotional as he said, “I am a county supervisor, and I am a lot of things, but I am a Christian first,” and as such he did not want to keep a symbol that is offensive to others.

Lazarus said after the meeting that the flag remains the state flag and he would abide with it, “but if it offends everybody in that room, then I am not going to let that flag cause a big rift with the board.

“I have never turned around and looked at it, but if it hurts the feelings of that many people, I want to take it down.”

The flag outside the Adams County courthouse was lowered and removed at approximately 1 p.m.

Lazarus said the flags that are taken down will be stored respectfully.