GEORGIA. 



Mf 



ion of 1SG8, bo admitted to tho vacant 

 Those in ull cases belonged to the party 

 ni' the (Jovernor, and in several instances were 

 >es. A strong otTort was made by tho 

 : vative members to prevent tla-ir admis- 

 .ii' 1 tho excitement which ensued at one 

 . iilm'mated in a violent personal assault 

 iijiuii Mr. Bryant. After a very stormy dis- 

 n, tlio gentlemen recommended by tho 

 rnor were sworn in, and the organization 

 df tin- Houso completed. Meanwhile, the Sen- 

 ate h:ul proceeded in a quiet and orderly man- 

 ner, adjourning from duy to day to await tho 

 action, of tho House. Three members had 

 been excluded on tho decision of the military 

 commission, and tho persons receiving the next. 

 highest vote admitted in their stead. On tho 

 81st of January, a joint committee of the two 

 Jl. in son waited on Governor Bullock, and in- 

 formed him that their organization was com- 

 plete, and that tho Legislature stood adjourned 

 to the 2d of February. This information was 

 transmitted to General Terry, and ho signified 

 Lis opinion that " tho Houses are now properly 

 organized for the purpose of assenting to and 

 complying with tho conditions imposed by 

 Congress for the restoration of the State to its 

 original relations with the nation." 



On tho reassembling of the Legislature, on 

 tho 2d of February, the Governor submitted 

 his message, in which he reviewed the whole 

 course of reconstruction in the State and the 

 action of . Congress relating thereto, subse- 

 quent to March 2, 1867. He then submits 

 the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments of 

 the national Constitution, and recommends 

 their ratification, but reminds the Legislature 

 of tho decision of the Attorney-General, that 

 " it is not entitled, and could not, without viola- 

 tion of law, be allowed to transact any business, 

 pass any act or resolve, or undertake to as- 

 sume any other function of a Legislature, if 

 the test-oath has not been required of its mem- 

 bers." A recess was therefore recommended 

 till the 15th, when the election of United 

 States Senators might bo proceeded with. 

 After eulogizing the Republican party, and 

 condemning its opponents, tho Governor closes 

 with the following appeal: 



The wrongs which have been done, tho lawless 

 outrages which have been committed in many parts 

 of the State, are the acts of afew irresponsible persons. 

 "When all good citizens exert their influence in favor 

 of justice, lawlessness will cease. Let us, therefore, 

 unite in a complete recognition of the rights of men, 

 irrespective of birth, color, or condition, and frankly 

 admit that, under and before the law, all men are 

 equal, that all are responsible, and see to it that by 

 future legislation tho requirements of our constitu- 

 tion are recognized that free schools are established 

 and maintained, and that protection is secured for 

 person and property, and for the free expression of 

 political opinions. Let party lines be extended so as 

 to welcome and include all who are in favor of impar- 

 tial suffrage and universal amnesty. Under our State 

 constitution no man is disfranchised, and, under the 

 Constitution of the United States, no man will be dis- 

 qualified from holding office who is ready to maintain 

 and uphold the Government. 



In the Senate, after some discussion on tho 

 Governor's message, in which certain charge* 

 of lawlessness against the people of Georgia, 

 and a declaration that all legislative action 

 since July, 1808, had la-en illegal, were severely 

 commented upon by several Conservative mem- 

 bers, the fourteenth amendment was ratified 

 by a vote of 25 to 10. A resolution assenting 

 t<> tho act of Congress striking out the relief 

 clauses of the State constitution was adopted 

 by a vote of 28 to 8, and the fifteenth amend- 

 ment adopted, 20 to 10. In tho L 

 the resolution ratifying the fourteenth amend- 

 ment received 71 votes, no one voting against 

 it. Tho Democratic and Conservative mem- 

 bers generally refrained from voting. Among 

 these was Mr. Bryant, who submitted the fol- 

 lowing in writing as tlu> reason fc r his course: 

 " It is well known that tho fourteenth amend- 

 ment to tho Constitution of the United States 

 has been ratified by both Houses of the Gen- 

 eral Assembly of this State. I believe we have 

 already legally ratified the said amendment, 

 and, therefore, I now decline to vote for its 

 ratification. I also believe that this House has 

 been illegally organized, and I therefore de- 

 cline to vote for the ratification." 



On the resolution assenting to the expunging 

 of the relief provisions of the constitution the 

 vote was 71 to 1, and tho fifteenth amendment 

 was ratified, 55 to 29. The following pro- 

 test was made by a Democratic member : "A 

 proposition to adopt the fifteenth amendment 

 meets with the uncompromising reprobation 

 of the noble, true, and brave people whom I 

 represent, and also with the feeling of their 

 Representative, and I can but, in this as well 

 as in all other hours of trial, remain true to 

 them and true to the principles on which they 

 elected me. And, though it may bo passed over 

 my head, I shall leave for them to behold, 

 spread upon the journals of this House, my de- 

 termined protest against this crowning act of 

 radicalism and treason against all good people 

 of the South." 



Having completed this action, the Legisla- 

 ture took a recess till tho 14th. 



During the recess, Governor Bullock and 

 others of his party were at Washington urging 

 upon the Judiciary Committee of the Senate 

 the propriety of allowing an election of Sen- 

 ators in Georgia on tho reassembling of the 

 Legislature. Messrs. Joshua Hill and II. V. M. 

 Miller had been elected at a previous session, 

 though never admitted to their scats, and it 

 was claimed by some that they were the legal 

 members-elect, only waiting for the action of 

 the Senate on their admission, and that another 

 election would be improper. No action was 

 taken on this question at Washington, and when 

 the Legislature came together on the 14th a 

 resolution was adopted, in tho faco of consid- 

 erablo opposition, to proceed on the following 

 day to elect one Senator, whoso term should 

 expire on the 4th of March, 1871, one whose 

 term should expire in 1873, and one to hold for 



