338 



GEORGIA. 



South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, 

 and of such other slaveholding States as might 

 hold conventions earlier than the assembling 

 of the Georgia State Convention, was adopted 

 at this meeting. It was signed by fifty-two 

 members of the Legislature. The State Con- 

 vention of South Carolina refused to receive it. 

 Its principal points were the following: 



" In behalf of the people of Georgia, whom 

 we represent, this meeting, composed of mem- 

 bers of the General Assembly, do most respect- 

 fully but earnestly ask the people of our sister 

 States, above named, to appoint delegates to 

 such a General Convention of Southern States, 

 or of as many as will convene ; and that until 

 such General Convention shall assemble and 

 deliberate, no final separate State action shall 

 be taken on the question of our longer contin- 

 uance as members of the present Confederacy 

 of our States. 



"We urge this request, deeply feeling its 

 importance to all, and to our great common 

 cause. 



" "We have but one interest ; we are separate 

 independent sovereignties but in welfare, 

 feeling, and destiny, we are one individual 

 people. 



" The action of one State must affect all the 

 Southern States. The separation of one from 

 all must greatly involve hot only the feelings, 

 but the interests of all. No slaveholding State 

 can live for itself; we must live with and for 

 each other. God has not mingled more in- 

 distinguishably the drops of water in our 

 rivers, than that He has linked indissolubly 

 the destinies of our people and their children 

 forever. 



"In climate, soil, productions, and systems 

 of labor, we are as identical with each other as 

 we are separate from the balance of the world. 



"Let us consult together, then. Let us so 

 act that all may agree. 



" Our people must be united. Onr common 

 interest must be preserved. Our common move- 

 ment must be successful. Common dangers 

 must be avoided. Our equality, our honor 

 shall be preserved. All these can devise a co- 

 operation. Not for our enemies, but for our- 

 selves, our safety, our children, our peace, our 

 necessities, we beseech you so to order your 

 action, as that consultation and cooperation 

 % shall not be defeated. 



" Nearly all our sister Southern States are, 

 even at this writing, moving to this end. "We 

 believe all most certainly a very large ma- 

 jority will unite in such a Convention. The 

 incurable embarrassments and dangers can 

 thereby be avoided, and incalculable good 

 ensured. 



" "We know we cannot be mistaken as to suc- 

 cess, when we appeal to the noble chivalry of 

 the Southern people not to take a final step, 

 which must inevitably and irretrievably, in its 

 very nature, involve all, without at least offer- 

 ing to consult with as many as will consult ; 

 and, above all, such action will not be taken 



against the urgent request of those who beg 

 that consultation, and who are now moving to 

 secure it." 



Numerous public meetings were at this time 

 held in many counties of the State, at which 

 resolutions were adopted expressing apprehen- 

 sions of the consequences of the " election of 

 Lincoln and Hamlin," but manifesting a disin- 

 clination to proceed to acts of immediate se- 

 cession, until other measures had been tried. 

 They were dignified and conservative in lan- 

 guage, and clearly indicated that hostility to 

 the Union was neither deep-seated nor bitter. 



The election for delegates to the State Con- 

 vention took place on the 4th of January. The 

 vote on that occasion was thus spoken of soon 

 after : 



" "We know as well as any one living that the 

 whole mov.ement for secession, and the forma- 

 tion of a new Government, so far at least as 

 Georgia is concerned, proceeded on only a 

 quasi consent of the people, and was pushed 

 through, under circumstances of great excite- 

 ment and frenzy, by a fictitious majority. 

 "With all the appliances brought to bear, with 

 all the fierce rushing, maddening events of the 

 hour, the election of the 4th of January showed 

 a falling off in the popular vote of 25,000 or 

 30,000, and on the night of that election the co- 

 operationists had a majority, notwithstanding 

 the falling off, of nearly 3,000, and an absolute 

 majority of elected delegates of 29. But, upon 

 assembling, by coaxing, bullying, and all other 

 arts, the majority was changed." 



This convention assembled at Milledgeville 

 on the 16th of January. General "W. Crawford 

 was elected President. Commissioners Orr, 

 from South Carolina, and Shorter, from Ala- 

 bama, were invited to seats in that body. On 

 the 18th, a resolution declaring it to be the 

 right and duty of Georgia to secede, and ap- 

 pointing a committee to draft an ordinance of 

 secession, was offered and put to vote. On a 

 division, the vote was ayes, 165 ; noes, 130. 

 The ordinance was as follows : 



AN ORDINANCE to dissolve the union between the Slate of 

 Georgia and otJier States united with her under the 

 compact of Government entitled the Constitution of 

 the United States : 



We, the people of the State of Georgia, in Conven- 

 tion assembled, do declare and ordain, and it is hereby 

 declared and ordained, that the ordinance adopted by 

 the people of Georgia in Convention in the year 1788, 

 whereby the Constitution of the United States was 

 assented to, ratified, and adopted, and also all acts and 

 parts of acts of the General Assembly ratifying and 

 adopting the amendments to the said Constitution, are 

 hereby repealed, rescinded, and abrogated ; and we 

 do further declare and ordain, that the Union now 

 subsisting between the State of Georgia and other 

 States, under the name of the United States of Amer- 

 ica, is hereby dissolved ; and that the State of Georgia 

 is in full possession and exercise of all those rights of 

 sovereignty which belong and appertain to a free and 

 independent State. 



The vote on its adoption was ayes, 208 ; 

 noes, 89. 



On the night after its passage, great demon- 



