156 



CONGRESS, CONFEDERATE. 



Stephens was greeted with loud cheers and 

 applause from the spectators. 



The President of the Convention was di- 

 rected to appoint Committees on Foreign Af- 

 fairs, Finance, Military and Naval Affairs, the 

 Judiciary, Postal Affairs, Commerce, Patents, 

 and Printing. 



A bill was passed continuing in force, until 

 repealed or altered by Congress, all the laws of 

 the United States which were in force on the 

 1st of November, 1860, not inconsistent with 

 the Constitution of the Provisional Govern- 

 ment. 



A resolution was adopted instructing the Fi- 

 nance Committee to report promptly a tariff 

 bill for raising a revenue for the support of the 

 Provisional Government. 



A resolution was also adopted authorizing 

 the appointment of a Committee to report a 

 Constitution for a permanent Government of 

 the Confederacy. 



The name " Confederate States of North 

 America " was also adopted for the Union rep- 

 resented at Montgomery. 



At the session on the next day, Mr. Stephens 

 appeared and announced his acceptance of the 

 office of Vice-President, and said : 



" I have been notified by the committee of 

 my election as Vice-President of the Provis- 

 ional Government of the Confederate States of 

 America. The committee requested that I 

 should make known to this body, in a verbal 

 response, my acceptance of the high position I 

 have been called upon to assume, and this I 

 now do in this august presence before you, 

 Mr. President, before this Congress, and this 

 large concourse of people, under the bright sun 

 and brilliant skies which now smile so felici- 

 tously upon us. 



" I take occasion to return my most profound 

 acknowledgments for this expression of confi- 

 dence on the part of this Congress. There are 

 especial reasons why I place an unusually high 

 estimate on it. The considerations which in- 

 duced me to accept it, I need not state. It is 

 sufficient for me to say that it may be deemed 

 questionable if any good citizens can refuse to 

 discharge any duty which may be assigned 

 them by their country in her hour of need. 



" It might be expected that I should indulge 

 in remarks on the state of our public affairs 

 the dangers which threaten us, and the most 

 advisable measures to be adopted to meet our 

 pressing exigencies ; but allow me to say, in 

 the absence of the distinguished gentleman 

 called to the Chief Executive Chair, I think it 

 best that I should refrain from saying any 

 thing on such matters. We may expect him 

 here in a few days possibly by Wednesday 

 if he is not providentially detained. When he 

 comes you will hear from him on these difficult 

 questions ; and I doubt not we shall cordially 

 and harmoniously concur in any line of policy 

 his superior wisdom and statesmanship may 

 indicate. 



"In the mean time, we may be profitably 



employed in directing attention to such mat- 

 ters as providing the necessary postal arrange- 

 ments, making provision for the transfer of the 

 custom-houses from the separate States to the 

 Confederacy, and the imposition of such duties 

 as are necessary to meet the present expected 

 exigencies in the exercise of power, and raise a 

 revenue. We are limited in the latter object 

 *to a small duty, not exceeding ten per centum 

 upon importations. We can also be devoting 

 attention to the Constitution of a permanent 

 Government, stable and durable, which is one 

 of the leading objects of our assembling. 



" I am now ready to take the oath." 



The oath was accordingly administered. 



A committee of two from each State was 

 appointed to form a permanent Constitution for 

 the Confederacy. 



On the 12th resolutions were offered to con- 

 tinue in office the revenue officers of the re- 

 spective States. 



It was also resolved " That this Government 

 takes under its charge all questions and difficul- 

 ties now existing between the sovereign States 

 of this Confederacy and the Government of the 

 United States relating to the occupation of 

 forts, arsenals, navy-yards, custom-houses, and 

 all other public establishments, and the Pres- 

 ident of this Congress is directed to communi- 

 cate this resolution to the Governors of the re- 

 spective States of the Confederacy." 



On the 13th of February, the Committee on 

 Naval Affairs, and also the Committee on Mili- 

 tary Affairs, were instructed to include in any 

 plans they might propose for the army and 

 navy, provisions for such officers as might ten- 

 der their resignations. 



A resolution was also adopted instructing the 

 Committee on Commercial Affairs to inquire 

 and report upon the expediency of repealing 

 the navigation laws. 



A debate took place on the subject of a Na- 

 tional flag, proposing to make only such changes 

 as might be necessary to distinguish it easily 

 from that of the United States. 



Mr. Brooks, in the course of his remarks, 

 said the flag of stars and stripes is the idol of 

 the heart, around 'which cluster memories of 

 the past which time cannot efface, or cause to 

 grow dim. 



Mr. Miles, in reply, said he had regarded 

 from his youth the stars and stripes as the em- 

 blem of oppression and tyranny. 



The Committee to whom the subject was 

 referred made a report, which was unanimous- 

 ly adopted. It recommended that the flag of 

 the Confederate States should consist of three 

 bars of red and white the upper red, middle 

 white, lower red. The lower bar should ex- 

 tend the whole width of the flag, and just above 

 it, next to the staff in the upper left hand corner 

 of the flag, should be a blue Union with seven 

 stars in a circle. 



The form of Government adopted by the Con- 

 gress was chiefly objected to, so far as it held 

 out any encouragement for reconstruction, or 



