10 



ALABAMA. 



States is the Constitution of the United States ; and 

 whereas that Constitution has been violated by a ma- 

 jority of the Northern States in their separate legis- 

 lative action, denying to the people of the Southern 

 States their constitutional rights ; and whereas a sec- 

 tional party, known as the Republican party, has, in a 

 recent election, elected Abraham Lincoln for President 

 and Hannibal Hamlin for Vice-President of these 

 United States, upon the avowed principle that the Con- 

 stitution of the United States does not recognize prop- 

 erty in slaves, and that the Government should pre- 

 vent its extension into the common territories of the 

 United States, and that the power of the Government 

 should be so exercised that slavery should in time be 

 extinguished : Therefore be it 



Resolved by the people of Alabama in Convention as- 

 sembled, That the State of Alabama will not submit to 

 the Administration of Lincoln and Hamlin, as President 

 and Vice-President of the United States, upon the 

 principles referred to in the foregoing preamble. 



On the 10th, the ordinance of secession was 

 reported, and on the llth, it was adopted in 

 secret session by a vote of ayes, 61 ; noes, 39. 

 It was as follows : 



AN ORDINANCE to dissolve the Union between the State 

 of Alabama and other States united under the com- 

 pact styled "the Constitution of the United States 

 of America." 



Whereas the election of Abraham Lincoln and Han- 

 nibal Hamliu to the offices of President and Vice-Pres- 

 ideut of the United States of America, by a sectional 

 party, avowedly hostile to the domestic institutions 

 and to the peace and security of the people of the State 

 of Alabama, preceded by many and dangerous infrac- 

 tions of the Constitution of the United States by many 

 of the States and people of the Northern section, is a 

 political wrong of so insulting and menacing a char- 

 acter as to justify the people of the State of Alabama 

 in the adoption of prompt and decided measures for 

 their future peace and security : Therefore, 



Be it declared and ordained by the people of the State 

 of Alabama, in convention assembled, That the State of 

 Alabama now withdraws, and is hereby withdrawn, 

 from the Union known as" the United States of Amer- 

 ica," and henceforth ceases to be one of said United 

 States, and is, and of right ought to be, a sovereign 

 and independent State. 



SEC. 2. Be it further declared and ordained by the 

 people of the State of Alabama in convention assembled, 

 That all the powers over the territory of said State, 

 and over the people thereof, heretofore delegated to 

 the Government of the United States of America be, 

 and they are hereby, withdrawn from said Govern- 

 ment, and are hereby resumed and vested in the peo- 

 ple of the State of Alabama. 



And as it is the desire and purpose of the State of 

 Alabama to meet the slaveholding States of the South 

 who may approve such purpose, in order to. frame a 

 provisional as well as permanent government, upon 

 the principles of the Constitution of the United States, 

 Be it resolved by the people of Alabama in convention 

 assembled, That the people of the States of Delaware, 

 Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, 

 Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Ar- 

 kansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri, be, and 

 are hereby, invited to meet the people of the State of 

 Alabama, by their delegates, in convention, on the 4th 

 day of February, A. D. 1861, at the city of Montgom- 

 ery, in the State of Alabama, for the purpose of con- 

 sulting with each other as to the most effectual mode 

 of securing concerted and harmonious action in what- 

 ever measures may be deemed most desirable for our 

 common peace and security. 



And be it further resolved, That the president of this 

 convention be, and is hereby, instructed to transmit 

 forthwith a copy of the foregoing preamble, ordinance, 

 and resolutions, to the Governors of the several States 

 named in said resolutions. 

 Done by the people of the State of Alabama in con- 



vention assembled, at Montgomery, on this, the llth 

 day of January, A. D. 1861. 



WILLIAM M. BROOKS, 



President of the Convention. 



A majority and minority report were presented 

 on the ordinance of secession. Trouble arose 

 in the Convention, because a portion of the 

 members desired that the ordinance should not 

 take effect until the 4th of March. A number 

 refused to sign it for this reason, and as late as 

 the 17th of January, a despatch was sent to the 

 Senators and Representatives of the State in 

 Congress at Washington, to retain their seats 

 until further advised. 



A proposition was also made in the Conven- 

 tion to submit their action to the people, for 

 ratification or rejection. This was refused, and 

 an exciting scene ensued. 



Nicholas Davis, of Huntsville, declared his 

 belief that the people of North Alabama would 

 never abide the action of that Convention, if 

 denied the right of voting upon it. Mr. Yan- 

 cey thereupon denounced the people of North 

 Alabama as tories, traitors, and rebels, and said 

 they ought to be coerced into a submission to 

 the decree of the Convention. Mr. Davis re- 

 plied that they might attempt coercion, but 

 North Alabama would meet them upon the line 

 and decide the issue at the point of the bayonet. 



The ordinance was adopted about two o'clock 

 in the afternoon. Subsequently in the after- 

 noon, an immense mass meeting was held in 

 front of the Capitol, and many cooperation 

 delegates pledged their constituents to sustain 

 secession. A flag which had been presented 

 by the ladies of the city to the Convention, 

 was then raised over the building, amid the ring- 

 ing of bells and firing of cannon. 



In Mobile the news was received at once, 

 and the day became one of the wildest excite- 

 ment. The people were at the highest point 

 of enthusiasm until a late hour at night. To 

 add to the excitement, news was received that 

 the State of Florida had passed a secession or- 

 dinance. 



Immediately on the receipt of the news, an 

 immense crowd assembled at the " secession 

 pole " at the foot of Government street, to 

 witness the spreading of the Southern flag, and 

 it was run up amid the shouts of the multitude 

 and thunders of cannon. One hundred and one 

 guns for Alabama and fifteen for Florida were 

 fired, and after remarks from gentlemen, the 

 crowd repaired to the Custom-House, walking 

 in procession with a band of music at the head, 

 playing the warlike notes of the "Southern 

 Marseillaise." 



Arrived at the Custom-House, a lone star flag 

 was waved from its walls amid enthusiastic 

 shouts. The balcony of the Battle House, op- 

 posite, was thronged with ladies and gentle- 

 men, and the street was crowded with excited 

 citizens. Standing upon the steps of the Cus- 

 tom-House, brief and stirring addresses were 

 delivered by several speakers. 



The military paraded the streets. The Cadets 



