ALABAMA. 



17 



several regiments of loyal troops. Let us have 

 no fear, but face the danger like men who are 

 ready to do their duty at all hazards. It is now 

 my duty to say that the Senate of Alabama is 

 organized and ready for duty." 



After some unimportant business, the Senate 

 adjourned. 



The proceedings were annulled by the sub- 

 sequent action of Congress in the admission of 

 Alabama. 



On the 28th of February, General Meade 

 issued an order instructing all officers, whose 

 duty it is made by law to provide for the re- 

 lief of paupers, to extend relief to all persons 

 entitled to claim and claiming the same as 

 paupers, without any discrimination as to race 

 or color. And that in all public institutions 

 supported by legislative appropriation or tax- 

 ation, for the benefit of the deaf and dumb, 

 the blind, or insane, indigent colored persons 

 should be received on the same conditions and 

 enjoy all the benefits which white persons were 

 entitled to receive and enjoy in such institu- 

 tions. 



About this time some difficulty arose be- 

 tween the military authorities and judiciary. 

 The Hon. B. T. Pope, Judge of the Twelfth 

 Judicial Oourt, was arrested and incarcerated, 

 by First-Lieutenant Charles J. Johnson, com- 

 manding at Jacksonville, for violation of Gen- 

 eral Order No. 53, which instructed all judges 

 to see that juries were empanelled "without 

 discrimination." Judge Pope interpreted the 

 order as meaning, " without discrimination as 

 to color, but requiring the other qualifications 

 required by statute." In this view he was sus- 

 tained by Major-General Meade, who ordered 

 his discharge from arrest, and censured the 

 conduct of Lieutenant Johnson. 



A military commission was convened on 

 the 13th, at Selma, for the trial of several per- 

 sons charged with riot and assault and battery. 

 The indictment contained several charges and 

 specifications. The court found all the pris- 

 oners, except two, guilty, and sentenced them 

 to terms of imprisonment varying from one to 

 five years, and a fine of five hundred dollars 

 each. General Meade approved of the pro- 

 ceedings and findings, but mitigated the sen- 

 tences. These trials caused more than ordi- 

 nary excitement, from the fact that they came 

 within the civil jurisdiction. 



; A State convention assembled at Montgom- 



ery on the 3d of June. After two days' de- 

 liberation it adopted a resolution in favor of 

 sending delegates to the National Democratic 

 Convention, to be held at New York, on the 

 4th of July, and passed the following resolu- 

 tions : 



Resolved, That, haying entire confidence in the prin- 

 ciples and the patriotism of the Democratic party, 

 we hereby pledge ourselves to support the candidates 

 of that party for President and Vice-President of the 

 United States, to be nominated at the coming conven- 

 tion in the city of New York on the 4th of Julv next. 

 Resolved, That slavery having been prohibited in 

 the State of Alabama by a convention of the people 

 VOL. vm. 2 A 



thereof, held in _ September, 1865, we hereby again 

 proclaim our faithful adherence to that ordinance, 

 and we assure the people of the United States that 

 there are no laws in force in this State, enacted by 

 our authority, which make any distinction in the 

 protection which they give the person and property 

 of both races, and we hereby declare our solemn pur- 

 pose that these laws shall be faithfully and impar- 

 tially administered as soon as the military are with- 

 drawn, and we are permitted to manage our own 

 affairs. 



Resolved, That the thanks of the Southern people, 

 as well as all friends of free government, are eminently 

 due to Andrew Johnson for the unflinching courage 

 and unsurpassable ability with which he has acquitted 

 himself of his official oath to preserve, protect, and 

 defend the Constitution of the United States ; that 

 this convention pays to him its respects and admira- 

 tion, both as a patriot and a man, being incorruptible 

 in both capacities, as proven by the ordeal through 

 which he has just triumphantly passed. 



About this time a meeting was held at Mont- 

 gomery in support of General Grant for the 

 presidency, at which some soldiers attended, 

 who gave expression to their feelings in oppo- 

 sition to General Grant, and were strongly 

 censured in a military order issued by Major 

 "W. F. Hartz, commanding the sub-District of 

 Montgomery. 



In the early part of June, a bill, for the ad- 

 mission of North Carolina, South Carolina, 

 Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida, passed both 

 Houses of Congress over the President's veto, 

 and these States thus became entitled to rep- 

 resentation in Congress. 



Immediately upon the passage of this bill, 

 the Governor-elect, "W. H. Smith, issued the 

 following proclamation, convening the Legis- 

 lature, in order to conform to the conditions 

 of the act of Congress, and to ratify the pro- 

 ceedings of the constitutional convention : 



MONTGOMEBY, ALA., June 26, 1868. 



Whereas, by the terms of an A,ct of the Congress of 

 the United States, entitled an " Act to admit the 

 States of North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, 

 Georgia, Alabama, and Florida to representation in 

 Congress," it is provided as follows : 



" That, if the day fixed for the meeting of the Le- 

 gislature of either of said States, by the constitution 

 or ordinance thereof, shall have passed, or have so 

 nearly arrived before the passage of this Act, that 

 there shall not be time for the Legislature to assemble 

 at the period fixed, such Legislature shall convene at 

 the end of twenty days from the time this Act takes 

 effect, unless the Governor shall sooner convene the 

 same." 



Now, therefore, I, William H. Smith, Governor- 

 elect .for the State of Alabama, bv the power and au- 

 thority in me vested by said Act of Congress, do 

 hereby convene the Legislature of this State at tho 

 capitol, at the hour of 12 M., Monday, July 13, 1868. 

 W. H. SMITH, Governor-elect. 



The Legislature accordingly assembled on 

 July 13th. Of the 84 members comprising the 

 House, 26 were blacks. Mr. J. Carraway (col- 

 ored) was elected Speaker of the lower House. 

 The following message from the Governor was 

 read in the Senate : 



EXECUTIVE DEPAKTMENT, STATE or ALABAMA, > 

 MONTGOMERY, July. 13, 1868. > f 

 Gentlemen of tTie Senate and House of Representatives : 



I have received from Major-General Meade, com- 

 manding the Third Military District, an official order, 



