308 



GEORGIA. 



37) dated March 12th, which recited the reso- 

 lution of the convention and the provisions of 

 the constitution alluded to, and continued : 



2. Therefore, by virtue of the plenary powers vested 

 by the reconstruction acts of Congress in the com- 

 manding general of the Third Military District, and 

 for the purpose of giving temporary effect to the 

 wishes of the people of Georgia, as expressed by their 

 delegates hi convention : 



It is ordered, That the foregoing sections of said 

 constitution shall, from this date, be deemed to have 

 taken effect and to be in full force in the State of 

 Georgia, and shall continue hi full force and validity, 

 until further orders from these headquarters. 



8. The courts and officers of the Provisional Govern- 

 ment of said State, and all the municipal and other 

 officers in the same, are hereby required to enforce and 

 carry out the above provisions for the relief of the 

 people of the State of Georgia. 



One of the judges, having refused to comply 

 with this order, was removed by the following 

 edict from headquarters : 



Special Order, No. 83. Extract. 

 HEADQUARTERS THIRD MILITARY DISTRICT, 

 DEPARTMENT or GEORGIA, FLORIDA, AND ALABAMA, 



ATLANTA, GA., April , 1868. / 

 1. John T. Clarke, Judge of the Superior Court, 

 Pataula Circuit, State of Georgia, haying published in 

 the Early County News an order adjourning the Su- 

 perior Court of Early County, from the^ second Mon- 

 day in April until the second Monday in June next, 

 assigning, as cause of such adjournment, the exercise, 

 on the part of the major-general commanding, of il- 

 legal, unconstitutional, oppressive, and dangerous 

 orders and measures, the said John T. Clarke, Judge 

 as aforesaid, is hereby removed from office. 



By order of Major-General MEADE. 

 E. C. DRUM. Assistant Adjutant-General. 

 Official: C. D. EMORY, A. D. C. 



Almost the last act of the convention, before 

 voting on the ratification of the constitution, 

 was the adoption of the following resolutions, 

 submitted by G. W. Ashburn, as a substitute 

 for the report of a committee of seven which 

 had been appointed to procure the names of 

 persons desiring to be relieved from political 

 disabilities : 



Whereas, The strength of republican government is 

 best promoted, and its principles maintained, by the 

 broadest platform of enfranchisement : and 



Whereas, A portion of Georgia's citizens are under 

 political disabilities which debar them from exercis- 

 ing the highest privilege of American citizenship 

 that of the elective franchise : Be it, therefore, 



Resolved, That this convention do request the Con- 

 gress of the United States to enact or pass such laws 

 as will remove the political disabilities from all the 

 citizens of Georgia. And be it further 

 t Resolved, That a copy of this preamble and resolu- 

 tion be furnished to the President of the Senate and 

 Speaker of the House of Eepresentatives. 



The convention finally adjourned on the llth 

 of March, having been in actual session sixty- 

 seven days. 



On the 30th of March, Mr. George "W. Ash- 

 burn, who had taken a very prominent part in 

 the late convention, was assassinated in the 

 city of Columbus. No efforts being made on 

 the part of the civil authorities to bring the 

 perpetrators of this crime to trial, General 

 Meade speedily removed the mayor and alder- 

 men of the city, together with the marshal and 



his deputy, and appointed others in their 

 places, putting Captain Mills, of the 16th In- 

 fantry, at the head of the administration as 

 mayor. With the aid of the city government 

 thus constituted he proceeded to arrest several 

 citizens on suspicion, and to institute a trial by 

 military commission. Finding it very difficult, 

 however, to obtain any clear evidence against 

 the persons arrested, they were released on 

 bail, and a government detective was obtained 

 and further arrests made. The commission 

 was proceeding with the trial, but apparently 

 attaining no satisfactory results, when the State 

 acceded to the conditions of the act of Congress 

 restoring her to her relations to the Union in 

 July. General Meade, therefore, directed the 

 military tribunal to proceed no farther, and 

 the prisoners were remanded to custody, to 

 await the action of the civil authorities. They 

 were afterward released on giving bail for 

 their future appearance, in case they were 

 called on to appear, and this seems to have been 

 the end of the affair. 



The Constitutional Convention had passed an 

 ordinance before its adjournment, providing for 

 an election, to take place on the 20th of April 

 and following days, for the ratification of the 

 constitution by the people and for the choice 

 of Governor, members of the General Assembly, 

 and Eepresentatives to Congress. It is declared 

 that the qualifications of voters for these 

 offices shall be the same as those required by 

 act of Congress of those voting on the ratifi- 

 cation of the constitution ; and General Meade 

 was requested to give the necessary orders to 

 carry these provisions into effect, and to cause 

 due returns of the results of the election to be 

 made. The ordinance further provides that 

 the officers chosen at this election shall enter 

 upon their duties " when authorized so to do 

 by acts of Congress or by the order of the 

 general commanding, and shall continue in 

 office till the regular succession provided for 

 after the year 1868." The following oath is 

 prescribed for any person whose right to vote 

 is challenged at the poll : 



You do solemnly swear (or affirm) that yon have 

 been duly registered agreeably to the acts of Con- 

 gress ; that you have not prevented or endeavored to 

 prevent any person from voting at this election; that, 

 if the constitution upon which the vote is now being 

 taken is ratified, you will truly and faithfully sup- 

 port it, so help you God. 



General Meade's election order relating to ] 

 the vote on the ratification of the constitution, 

 was issued on the 14th of March ; and on the 

 day following a second order was published, 

 applying the same regulations to the election 

 of the officers provided to be chosen by the or- 

 dinance of the convention. After reciting the 

 action of the convention, and the provisions of 

 the acts of Congress relating to the holding of 

 an election, he appoints the 20th of April and 

 three succeeding days for the purpose, and lays 

 down the regulations to be observed in the fol- 

 lowing terms : 



