PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



C27 



result, you will respond, sir, to the intentions of his 

 Majesty, the Emperor, in devoting to this the personal 

 influence which you may have been able to acquire 

 during your long residence at Washington, and the 

 consideration which belongs to your character as the 

 representative of a sovereign animated by the most 

 friendly sentiments towards the American Union. This 

 Union "is not simply, in our eyes, au element essential 

 to the universal political equilibrium. It constitutes, 

 besides, a nation to which our august master and all 

 Russia have pledged the most fnendly interest ; for 

 the two countries, placed at the extremities of the two 

 worlds, both in the ascending period of their develop- 

 ment, appear called to a natural community of interests 

 and of sympathies, of which they have already given 

 mutual proofs to each other. 



I do not wish here to approach any of the questions 

 which divide the United States. V?e are not called 

 upon to express ourselves in this contest. The pre- 

 ceding considerations have no other object than to 

 attest'the lively solicitude of the Emperor in presence 

 of the dangers which menace the American Union, 

 and the sincere wishes which his Majesty entertains 

 for the maintenance of that great work, so laboriously 

 raised, which appeared so rich in its future. 



It is in this sense, sir, that I desire you to express 

 yourself, as well to the members of the General Gov- 

 ernment as to influential persons whom you may meet, 

 giving them the assurance that in every event the 

 American nation may count upon the most cordial 

 sympathy on the part of our august master during the 

 important crisis which it is passing through at present. 



Receive, sir, the expression of my very distinguished 

 consideration. 'GORTCHAKOFK 



Mr. DE STOECKL, <tc., <tc., &c. 



THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CONFEDERATE 

 STATES OF AMERICA. 



WE, the people of the Confederate States, each State 

 acting in its sovereign and independent character, in 

 order to form a permanent federal government, estab- 

 lish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, and secure 

 the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity 

 invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God 

 do ordain *and establish this Constitution for the Con- 

 federate States of America, 



ARTICLE I. Sec. 1. All legislative powers herein dele- 

 gated shall be vested in a Congress of the Confederate 

 States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of 

 Representatives. 



SEC. 2. The House of Representatives shall be chosen 

 every second year by the people of the several States ; 

 and the electors in each State shall be citizens of the 

 Confederate States, and have the qualifications requi- 

 site for electors of the most numerous branch of the 

 State Legislature ; but no person of foreign birth, not 

 a citizenTof the Confederate States, shall be allowed 

 to vote for any olficer, civil or political, State or Fed- 

 eral. 



2. No person shall be a Representative who shall 

 not have attained the age of twenty-five years, and be 

 a citizen of the Confederate States, and who shall not, 

 when elected, be an inhabitant of that State in which 

 he shall be chosen. 



3. Representatives and direct taxes shall be appor- 

 tioned among the several States which may be in- 

 cluded within this Confederacy, according to their 

 respective numbers, which shall be determined by 

 adding to the whole number of free persons, including 

 those bound to service for a term of years, and exclud- 

 ing Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all slaves. The 

 actual enumeration shall be made within three years 

 after the first meeting of the Congress of the Confed- 

 erate States, and within every subsequent term of 

 ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. 

 The number of Representatives shall not exceed one 

 for every fifty thousand, but each State shall have at 

 least one Representative ; and until such enumeration 

 shall be made, the State of South Carolina shall be en- 

 titled to choose six ; the State of Georgia, ten ; the 



State of Alabama, nine; the State of Florida, two; 

 the State df Mississippi, seven ; the State of Louisiana, 

 six ; and the State of Texas, six. 



4. When vacancies happen in the representation of 

 any State, the Executive authority thereof shall issue 

 writs of election to till such vacancies. 



5. The House of Representatives shall choose their 

 Speaker and other officers; and shall have the sole 

 power of impeachment; except that any judicial or 

 other federal officer resident and acting solely within 

 the limits (if any State, may be impeached by a vote 

 of two-thirds o'f both branches of the Legislature 

 thereof. 



SKC. 3. The Senate of the Confederate States shall 

 be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen 

 for six years by the Legislature thereof, at the regular 

 session next immediately preceding the commence- 

 ment of the term of service ; and each Senator shall 

 have one vote. 



2. Immediatelv after they shall be assembled, in 

 consequence of the first election, they shall be divided 

 as equally as may be into three classes. The seats of 

 the Senators of the first class shall be vacated at the 

 expiration of the second year ; of the second class at 

 the expiration of the fourth year ; and of the third 

 class at the expiration of the sixth year; so that one- 

 third may be chosen every second vear; and if vacan- 

 cies happen bv resignation or otherwise during the 

 recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive 

 thereof may make temporary appointments until the 

 next meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill 

 such vacancies. 



:-'. No person shall be a Senator, who shall have not 

 attained the age of thirty years, and be a citizen of the 

 Confederate States ; and who shall not, when elected, 

 be an inhabitant of the State for which he shall be 

 chosen. 



4. The Vice-President of the Confederate States shall 

 be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, un- 

 less they be equally divided. 



5. Th'e Senate shall choose their other officers, and 

 also a President pro tempore, in the absence of the 

 Vice-President, or when he shall exercise the office of 

 President of the Confederate States. 



6. The Senate shall have sole power to try all im- 

 peachments. When sitting for that purpose they shall 

 be on oath or affirmation. When the President of the 

 Confederate States is tried, the Chief-Justice shall pre- 

 side; and no person shall be convicted without the 

 concurrence of two-thirds of the members present. 



7. Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not ex- 

 tend further than removal from office, and disqualifi- 

 cation to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or 

 profit, under the Confederate States ; but the party 

 convicted shall, nevertheless, be liable to and subject 

 to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment accord- 

 ing to law. 



SEC. 4. The times, places, and manner of holding 

 elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be 

 prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof, 

 subject to the provisions of this Constitution ; but the 

 Congress may, at any time, by law, make or alter such 

 regulations, except as to the times and places of choos- 

 ing Senators. 



2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in every 

 year ; and such meeting shall be on the first Monday 

 in December, unless they shall, by law, appoint a 

 different day . 



SEC. n. Each House shall be the judge of the elec- 

 tions, returns, and qualifications of its own members, 

 and a majority of each shall constitute a quorum to do 

 business ; but a smaller number may adjourn from 

 day to day, and may be authorized to compel the at- 

 tendance of absent members, in such manner and un- 

 der such penalties as each House may provide. 



2. Each House may determine the rules of its pro- 

 ceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, 

 and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of the whole 

 number, expel a member. 



3. Each House shall keep a journal of its proceed- 

 ings, and from time to time publish the same, except- 



