340 



GEORGIA. 



Governor to issue seven per cent, bonds for that 

 amount. 



On the 16th of March, the Constitution of the 

 Confederate States was taken up, and adopted 

 by the unanimous passage of the following or- 

 dinance : 



Be it ordained, by the people of Georgia, in Conven- 

 tion assembled, and it is hereby ordained by authority 

 of the same, That the Constitution adopted by the 

 Congress at Montgomery, in the State of Alabama, in 

 the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and 

 sixty-one, for the "permanent Federal Government" 

 of the Confederate States of America, be and the same 

 is hereby adopted and ratified by the State of Georgia, 

 " acting in its sovereign and independent character." 



Thus Georgia was the second State to adopt 

 the Constitution without any reference of the 

 question to the people. By such action the 

 principle of popular government is destroyed. 



If the State Conventions which were called 

 for another purpose can assume that they are 

 the people, that they have the unlimited power 

 of the people and can do whatsoever they list, 

 and if, under such an assumption of power, they 

 can appoint delegates to a General Convention 

 without consulting the people, and can fix upon 

 them a new Government without their consent, 

 then a principle which has always been consid- 

 ered fundamental in the country and " prized 

 above all price," is gone. 



Seven of the ten members from Georgia in 

 the Congress were also members of the State 

 Convention. 



The State Convention adjourned on the 23d 

 of March. A State Constitution was adopted, 

 to be submitted to the people for ratification or 

 rejection in July. 



This new Constitution, although differing 

 wholly from the old, made but few essential 

 changes in the organic law of the State. The 

 most important of these alterations were the 

 linking together in one Senatorial district of 

 three contiguous counties, without regard to 

 size or population, for the purpose of reducing 

 the number of Senators to forty-four ; requiring 

 the assent of two-fifths of the members present 

 to have the yeas and nays entered on the jour- 

 nal, instead of two members, as under the old 

 instrument. All elections by the people were to 

 be by ballot, but all elections by the General 

 Assembly should be viva wee. Under the new 

 system, Judges of the Supreme and Inferior 

 Courts were to be appointed by the Governor, 

 and confirmed by two-thirds of the Senate, in- 

 stead of being elected by the people and Legis- 

 lature, as heretofore. Another clause provided 

 that the Governor should have been a citizen of 

 the Confederate States twelve years. 



The official vote on the Constitution was, for 

 ratification, 11,497; against ratification, 10,697. 

 Majority for ratification, 860. 



After the proclamation of President Lincoln 

 was issued, great excitement prevailed, espe- 

 cially in Savannah, and military preparations 

 were commenced with great vigor. On the 

 secession of Virginia, a salute of eight guns 

 was fired. A full armament of one hundred 



and fifty guns was sent to Fort Pulaski. Fort 

 Jackson, on the Savannah River, below the 

 city, was put in a complete state of defence. 

 An exterior line of fortification to 'protect the 

 mouth of the river was also commenced, chiefly 

 on Tybee Island. 



On the 26th day of April, the Governor 

 issued his proclamation, forbidding the pay- 

 ment of debts to Northern creditors, as fol- 

 lows : 



Whereas, by the oppressive and wicked conduct of 

 the Government and people of that part of the late 

 United States, known as the anti-Slavery States, war 

 actually exists between them and the people of the 

 Southern States ; and whereas, the President of the 

 United States has issued his proclamation, declaring 

 his determination to blockade the ports of the South- 

 ern States, and is now collecting Federal troops upon 

 Southern soil for the purpose of subjugating and en- 

 slaving us ; and whereas, property belonging to the 

 citizens of the State of Georgia, whenever found with- 

 in the anti-slavery States is seized and forcibly taken 

 from its owners ; and whereas, all contracts made with 

 the enemy during the existence of hostilities are, by 

 the law of nations, illegal and void, and all remedies 

 for the enforcement of contracts in our courts between 

 citizens of this State and citizens of the States making 

 war upon us, which were made prior to the commence- 

 ment of hostilities, are suspended till the termination 

 of the war ; and whereas, in the language of the law 

 of nations, " the purchase of bills on the enemy's 

 country, or the remission and deposit of funds there, 

 is a dangerous and illegal act, because it may be cher- 

 ishing the resources and relieving the wants of the 

 enemy, and the remission of funds in money, or bills 

 to subjects of the enemy, is unlawful ;" and whereas, 

 sound policy as well as international law absolutely 

 forbids that any citizen of this State shall, under any 

 pretext whatever, assist the enemy by remitting, pay- 

 ing, or furnishing any money or other thing of value 

 during the continuance of hostilities, to the Govern- 

 ment or people of the States which have waged and 

 are maintaining a most unnatural and wicked war 

 against us ; and whereas, justice requires that all sums 

 due from citizens of this State to individuals in such 

 hostile States, who do not uphold and sustain the sav- 

 age and cruel warfare inaugurated by their Govern- 

 ernment, should be promptly paid so soon as hostili- 

 ties have ceased, and the independence of the Confed- 

 erate States is recognized by the Government of the 

 United States : 



Therefore, in view of these considerations, I, Joseph 

 E. Brown, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of tne 

 army and navy of the State of Georgia, do issue this, 

 my proclamation, commanding and enjoining upon 

 each citizen or inhabitant of this State, that he abstain 

 absolutely from all violations of tjie law above recited, 

 and that he do not, under any pretext whatever, remit, 

 transfer, or pay to the Government of the United 

 States, or any one of the States composing said Gov- 

 ernment, which is known as a Free Soil State, includ- 

 ing, among others, the States of Massachusetts, Rhode 

 Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl- 

 vania, and Ohio ; or to any citizen or inhabitant of any 

 such State, any money, bills, drafts, or other things of 

 value, either in payment of any debt due, or hereafter 

 to become due, or for or on account of, any other cause 

 whatever, until the termination of hostilities. 



And I hereby invite each citizen or inhabitant of this 

 State, who is indebted to said Government, or either 

 of said States, or any citizen, or inhabitants thereof, to 

 pay the amount of such indebtedness, whenever dp*, 

 into the treasury of Georgia, in any funds bankable in 

 Augusta or Savannah, or to deposit the same, subject 

 to the order of the Treasurer of this State, in any one 

 of the solvent banks of either of said cities, or in any 

 legally authorized agency of either of said banks ; and 

 upon the making of any such deposit at the Treasury, 



