10 



ALABAMA. 



it could not be suddenly torn asunder without leav- 

 ing everywhere deep and painful wounds, the sur- 

 render has been made without a murmur. Alabama 

 turned once more to the Government against which 

 she had been arrayed in arms, and in solemn conven- 

 tion obliterated from her records the ordinance of 

 secession, and, as far as in her power, retraced her 

 steps to the point of her departure. Additional 

 guaranties of sincerity were required at her hands, 

 and the General Assembly responded to the call of 

 the President of the United States, by ratifying the 

 Constitutional Amendment prohibiting slavery with- 

 in her borders forever, and, by legislative enactment, 

 securing protection to the freedman in all his per- 

 sonal rights, and opening the courts of the State in 

 his behalf. Having thus cheerfully complied with all 

 the conditions demanded as a prerequisite for resto- 

 ration to her rights as a State in the Union, the peo- 

 ple of Alabama waited anxiously, yet happily, for 

 the meeting of Congress, and the admission of her 

 Representatives. 



Prostrated and impoverished, as she has been, by 

 the war with her fields devastated and her homes 

 laid waste and with her relations to a large class of 

 her population radically changed the people came 

 up manfully to the duties of the hour, and with im- 

 plicit reliance upon the magnanimity and good faith 

 of the Northern people and the General Government 

 endeavored to adapt themselves as best they could 

 to this new condition, and were rapidly advancing in 

 the pursuits of peace. But it became, ere long, pain- 

 fully evident that unknown persons were busily dis- 

 seminating reports prejudicial to the honor and wel- 

 fare of our people. 



Kindly sympathy is manifested by the whites, with 

 few exceptions, toward the freedmen, and their new 

 relations to each other are being gradually adjusted 

 in a manner satisfactory to both. Contracts have 

 been made for labor, upon just and equitable terms, 

 and the freedmen are generally at work. Nothing 

 more is apparently now required for the restoration 

 of law and order in our midst than the withdrawal 

 of Federal bayonets from the State. 



Believing, then, as your committee must, from the 

 evidences oefore them, that the falsehoods propa- 

 gated in the North and in Congress are the offspring 

 of deliberate malice and design, and circulated only 

 for the basest political purposes, it remains only for 

 us, as the representatives of the people, to denounce 

 the authors as wilful culumniators and slanderers, and 

 to solemnly protest against their statements being re- 

 ceived and accepted as the truth. 



In conclusion, your committee feel this to be the 

 proper occasion for a renewed expression of the sen- 

 timents which pervade the publiq heart toward the 

 President of the United States and his policy. The 

 following resolutions, similar in language and pur- 

 port to those recently passed by the Legislature of 

 the old Commonwealth of Virginia, are respectfully 

 submitted, with the recommendation that they be 

 adopted, and that a copy be transmitted to his ex- 

 cellency President Johnson, with the accompanying 

 report. W. GARRET, 



Chairman of Com. on the part of the Senate. 



JOSHUA MORSE, 

 Chairman on the part of the House. 



Joint Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of 



Alabama on the state of the Union. 

 Resolved ly the Senate and House of Representatives 

 of the State of Alabama, in General Assembly con- 

 vened, That the people of Alabama, and their repre- 

 sentatives here assembled, cordially approve the 

 policy pursued by Andrew Johnson, President of the 

 United States, in the reorganization of the Union. 

 We accept the result of the late contest, and do not 

 desire to renew what has been so conclusively deter- 

 mined ; nor do we mean to permit any one subject to 

 our control to attempt its renewal, or to violate any 

 of our obligations to the United States Government. 

 We mean to cooperate in the wise, firm, and just 



policy adopted by the President, with all the energy 

 and power we can devote to that object. 



2. That the above declaration expresses the senti- 

 ments and purposes of our people, and we denounce 

 the efforts of those who represent our views and in- 

 tentions to be different, as cruel and criminal assaults 

 on our character and our interests. It is one of the 

 misfortunes of our present political condition that 

 we have among us persons whose interests are tem- 

 porarily promoted by such false representations ; but 

 we rely on the intelligence and integrity of those who 

 wield the power of the United States Government for 

 our safeguard against such malign influences. 



3. That involuntary servitude, except for crime, 

 is abolished, and ought not to be reestablished, and 

 that the negro race among us should be treated with 

 justice, humanity, and good faith, and every means 

 that the wisdom of the Legislature can devise should 

 be used to make them useful and intelligent mem- 

 bers of society. 



4. That Alabama will not voluntarily consent to 

 change the adjustment of political power, as fixed 

 by the Constitution of the United States, and to con- 

 strain her to do so in her present prostrate and help- 

 less condition, with no voice in the councils of the 

 nation, would be an unjustifiable breach of faith; 

 and that her earnest thanks are due to the President 

 for the firm stand he has taken against amendments 

 of the Constitution, forced through in the present 

 condition of affairs. 



A stay law was also passed at this session, 

 applicable to suits brought since May 1, 1865, 

 to mortgages and deeds of trust, with power of 

 sale when the mortgagor or trustee is in pos- 

 session. Its operation was so to delay pro- 

 ceedings as to postpone execution, except on 

 debts due the State, for two years, and then to 

 give the party one year longer in which to pay 

 off the debt in three equal instalments. A new 

 penal code was also adopted at this session, 

 making no distinction on account of color, 

 abolishing whipping and branding, and sub- 

 stituting " hard labor." Under the authority 

 of the Legislature, the Governor, on February 

 32, 1866, issued a proclamation, granting par- 

 don and amnesty to all persons who had been, 

 or were liable to be, indicted for offences 

 against the State, committed between April 

 13, 1861, and July 20, 1865, the crimes of 

 rape and murder excepted. The session closed 

 about February 20th, by an adjournment to the 

 annual session. This commenced on November 

 12th ensuing. The measures previously devised 

 to improve the finances of the State had been 

 very successful. Temporary loans had been 

 contracted and paid, and State bonds had been 

 hypothecated, instead of being sold below par, 

 and ample funds thus secured. This, however, 

 added to the debt $3 63,572, making, on Novem- 

 ber 12th, as follows: 



Original bonded debt, partly extended $3,445,000 



Amount of funded interest on the 5 



and 6 per cent, bonds 687,990 



Eight per cent, bonds sold for supplies 



and transportation 48,500 



Eight per cent, bonds advanced to In- 

 sane Hospital 5,000 



Total present bonded debt $4,186,490 



To which add amount of loan due, in- 



eluding interest and commission... $363,572 22 



Total $4,550,062 22 



