The enterprise. (Thomasville, Ga.) 186?-1865, July 26, 1865, Image 1
L. C. BRYAN, Editor & Proprietor.
VOL. V.
(Tljc Southern dj'ntoprisr
o . • * % O
Tliomasville, Gfa.
. * * ♦ g —■■■
ws: I>\ KH DAY JUL V id, IStf 5.
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ferprise, and settle up th c Small'balance of the
score. \
AUGUSTIN H. HANSELL,
Attorney at Law,
• ; THOMASVILLE, GA.
Office over Store of H. Wolff & Bro*
July 1% 1865, ts ‘
Dr. W. F. DeWITT. Dr. C. W. STEGALL
DeWitt & Stegall,
KEEP constantly in store and for sale a wel
selected stock of
MEDICINES
and all other articles usually kept iu drug stores,
July 5,. 1865. ts
An Appeal to Georgians—Gov
ernorJohnson's Address.
I appear before you this “evening to
solicit your attention to your condition,
and to suggest a mode by which you
will be enabled to extricate yourselves
from your present unhappy condition.—:
After a bitter conflict of four long years
between both sections cf our country, in
which each displayed great courage and
gallantry, we find ourselves overcome by
superior numbers and’., resources. : The
people of the . Confederate States find
themselves without Government, Legis
latures or Judges,, deprived of civil gov
ernment-, yet held by the military au
thority, of the United” States, not as ter
ritories or as provinces, but as revolted
States. ; . 0 0
The Governor said- by rebellion- we
had be*n. deprived .of all civil govern
ment, but President Johnson was to-day
doing all in his power to restore civil
government to the Southern States, but
his efforts would prove futile and impo
tent without the aid of the Southern
ptople; but he apprehended the people
THOMASVII.LE, GA„ WEDNESDAY, JULY -26, 1865.
of the South were ready and willing to
co-operate” with-the United States in the
great work of reorganization’. • There is
a propei* way prescribed by the Excep
tive.Of tlie” .United States in the Oath of-
Amnesty, made so as to distinguish be
tween friend and foe,, .and to separate the
black sheep from the. white.. Every ope
is to take the oath to entitle them to be
come voters: There is no escape from
it. Every individual must take it. The
question which now presents, itself for
•our consideration is, shall we continue
in our present condition or take steps to
return to the Union ?* . If we return,
the oath is to be taken by us,'not for the
.purpose of annoyance or humiliation-,
and when the oath has been taken, arid
in return, pardons have been granted,’
these persons can organize a State Govw
eminent, and avail themselves of all of
its benefits. Mahv persons, have already
V 1 B’
taken an oath of amnesty,.but the ruling
at Washington is that the last one pre
scribed by the Executive must be taken
by each voter, and many are making the
enquiry why this second’ oath L made,
necessary.. .1 did . not know that this
question was mooted till I arrived in Sa
vannah. This evening I have had time
to investigate the subject, and I think I
• have ascertained the real reason. - The
Proclamation of Amnesty issued by Pies*
dent Lincoln in 1803 or 18.6-I—the cx
act date is not important—(a” voice—it
was in December 1863)-r operated legal
terms upon all offences and misdemeans
ors done and committed previous to that,
date. But the war continued alter .that.
time; the citizens were still in revolt
against the government, . their, armies
still remained in the field’; and those at
home were succoring them. These sub
sequent acts the proclaniadon. of PresU
dent Lincoln did not cover: These of
fences must still be accounted for.-?—.
Thus anew oath is required, and the
Gitizens must take it in order to cover
the whole. ground, place .themselves in
good standing with the Government, and
obtain complete protection- ot ‘property.
.Now, when an individual not excepted
in the proclamation takes .the amnesty
oath, he at once becomes a citizen again, i
and acquires all the benefits of loyalty ;
his property is tree from, confiscation, his
person exempted from arrest for particu
pation in the rebellion, and he can go to
the polls and cast his ballot. •
There are certain exceptions made in
the Proclamation, not of individuals, but
of classes, for the purpose of reaching
obnoxious, individuals, but 1 assure you
this discrimination is not for the purpose
of inflicting penalties upon'all, and is
not a measure of sweeping proscription.
It is used simply as a means of separa
ting the. guilty from the innocent —
Those within the exceptions can make”
special application.for pardon, and 1 feel
confident that nine-tenths of those withs
in the excepted classes will be pardoned.-
The clemency of the Government is wide. •
sweeping and awaits the return of nearly
all with open arms. When that is done
my instructions are to proceed at once,
a sufficient number having taken the
oath, to convene a convention of the
people. My request is that you aid me
m this particular, and when the convent
tion shall have met, it will proceed to
form a Constitution for the State adap
ted to the new order of things ; will pro
vide for the election of a Governor, fur
members of the Legislature, J udges of
the Courts and all civil When
this machinery shall have been puc in
motion the fuetions .of my office will
have been discharged. I have been ap
pointed simply to aid you to form a gov*
ernment. ft is not my province to ad
minister law or make laws, but simply to
convene a convention of the people. Ob
jections are;often urged against the tak
ing of this oath. It is objected that by
the oath we swear to support all the
proclamations relating to slavery, and
these proclamations declare that the
slaves in the revolted States shall become
free from and after a certain period, un
less the people of those States return to
their allegiance. From information, I
presume something over 100,000 slaves,
. the'exact number I do riot know-—have’
been * ulh ed’in. the armies of the Uni--
.ted States and that ethers, male and fv
•malc, have abandoned their former own
ers and are now • under the ’ power and
within the ootitrol of the United Staf
T apprehend that; no person of consider.-.
ate judgement entertains the opinion for
a moment t-bat the Government’ will ev
er return these-people, thug enlisted and
under their control, to their condition of
original servitude. ‘ The Government of
r the. Unite- States must necessarily come
in conflict with tlie relations which ex
isted’ previously between them and their*
former owners. Some new course .must’
•be taken’with them—what, that shall be
is difficult to suggest: The question• is’
a large one and full of difficulties. Amain,
a'resol; tion W&'S adopted bv both Souses
of the- last Cdi. “v.-s of the (Suited States
declaring • that slavery or involuntary.
servitude should not exist jn the United
■States, except for crime,,and that ’Con
gress might fnact laws tu Carry this ‘iijto
effect. . This was 1” ssv! as a proposed
amendment to the Constitution of the
United States,’and “•now .Only awaits the
ratification of three-fourths of the States
by Convention .or in • Legislature, to be
come. part and ’ parcel of the Consfcitip
tioih it has already; been adopted by
twenty-five States, and .the v.otes of only
two more are - ry for its constitu
tional ratification; Th s question is now
being mado .au issue in the State of Ken
tucky ; and New-. Jersey, Delaware and
Virginia will no doubt.accept the amend
ment, which’ will secure the. necssary
number ofiStyics. • It- will then make no .
difference to you of- to mo Low Georgia
shall act in the premises,’ for without our
ratification’it will become the fundamj>nf
t-al law of-the land. p .. .”. ‘•’
• Now-1 call yd(ur ‘attention .to certain
powers*of the President and Congress.
• The President i's authorized by the -Con
stitution .tb command the .military forces
of the United Stales to suppress insur-1
re'etions and’to. repel iiivafforas. The
writ of habeas corpus muy.be suspended ’
in case of rebellion, and Congress has
•power to. make capture’s by sea and by
land. War has existed between the
United States and-the. South’ within the
meaning and purview of the Constitution;
it was a rebellion large’ for an in
surrection. The President, by virtue of
his office as Commanderffin-chief of the
armies, had a.right to make captures—:o
cseize. horses,'to take property —he had a
right to capture on- -soldiers, to make
prisoners and to release them on parole
or'not. We could under bur l right as
belligerents do the same thing—-it was
a. right of war. It follows as a legal se
quence that the President had the pow*
ev to capture a negro, to hold him in
custody, to'detain him whether consider
.ed •as property or q person. The presi-J
dent acquired an', authority'over persons’
and property, which he could not exer
•cise in tune of pease. It was a latent
power, a war power; and by virtue of this
power to coin man(j the armies of the
’ United States, he ssued that proclama
tion as a rule, of .war. for the purpose of
suppressing the rebellion. The s slaves,
upon the surrender t>f our armies, were j
captured, legally if iot actually—in law !
it makes .no; difference’ whether tliey’ {
were actuallycaptured c-r not—and to*>
night, .by virtue of that proclamation,;
they stand emancipated. I state this to ]
be my opinion as'a lawyer, and as a Jaw
yer, I State that in. nn opinion, such will
be the decision of the Supreme - Court.,
I could wish myself; • that such had
not been the case, and that the change
had not been thus violently and abrupt- j
ly made; But slavery iri any event is! j
gone and gone forever, and I have no j
tears to shed or lamentations • to rnalko j
over its departure. . • ’•
What other objection: is there? In (
that oath we swear to - support the Con.
stitution and the Union. Some object
that we cannot live in the Union again
in friendship. IFhyuot ? There may
be some animosity still at the North,
where there are, as here,.many bereaved >
families, and unpleasant, reminiscences
of the war. But must we always live as ?
TERMS $4 A Year,.in Advance.
’ Jews and Samaritans? And shall’ wa
allow the people of the North to outstrip
us in liberality?’ I -have- lately been
atnmong them, and I.have been treated
always with kindness, i saw no nianifes
tatiot-i of unkind sentiments. The only
adverse- feeling J saw manifested was in
.regard to the treatment of Federal pris.
oners at'Adersonville ; and mankind will
ijQin, iind we will join, them iti denounc
ing that as the most atrocious of cruel
ties. Hut no such stigma should rest ©o
the South, for her people had nothing
to do with it. ; The ‘stigma • should not
rest’ upon the Southern people, for though
they were o;n the outside they were yet
prisoners -as much-as those that- were
within. • • • • . •
Y\ e should all lay aside our animosi*
ties and meet, the North again as friends
and brothers. You need allow no pride
, to-influence you against it. ’ Cannot inr
divitfuais in private life give up opinions
when’ their leaders, their prominent, men
those who help form and control public
opinion, have.given up theirs ? All your
•leaders are willing to give up their pass
sions and prejudices and go back to the
,Uoion under • which we prospered, and
.in which we had no serious calamity un
til we were tempted to forsake it.- That
.same government which gave us securi
ty, comfort at home.and respect abroad,
will still continue to afford.us protection
and prosperity.- / • •
There is,- then, h-6 real objection to
going back to-the Union. Why should
• we. not ?’ Our young men wish to.bs •
educated.; - Some will take -to the Jaw*
SQiiie to medicine, and some to merchan
. !, to .share the honors and-advantages
ol the Union. By taking • this course
we can open Congress to them, some- of
them can become Ministers, we can oaco
•more be represented among the law
ers of. the nation,'and Georgia have her
•influence in the General Government
and stand-redeemed and.regenerated • :
;• There is another important considera
tion. l>o you want your city-built up,
labor employed, capital, profitably invest*
ed? Then you must be advocates of
the Government •’ Unless yo.u are, capk
tai, ever timid, ‘will stay abroad; van
must give security, by law, to property,
and become- advocates of law, and what
is true, of Savannah is true of every town
and city in Georgia, “and of the State
itself. ..
X believe I have spoken on all the irn*
portant points. Now, are you prepared
to come forward and extricate Georgia
from her difficulties by taking the oath
.of amnesty and establishing own
government? •” ; •
I have conversed with Gen Gillniore
and the military commander in this city,
A Provost J udge is to be appointed in
every district to. administer the -oath,
give a certified copy to the person taking
it,, and send the original io Washinton.
Every opportunity is t 0 be given. Comq
forward and do it yourself and take your
neighbor by the arm and induce him to
do so Put yourself in the right posN
tion and there will be no difficulty. If
Georg"a is the first State to return to the
L ni r >n, it will not only confirm her right
to the title of the Empire State of the
South, but give her new claims to honor
and glory. .Redeem her, and State af
ter State will wheel into line. After the
waste and ravage of both-armies, she
will “ bud and blossom, as the the rose/*
If we cultivate. further animosity we
shall become hatefui to others and our
selves, calamity after calamity will come
. upon us, and we. shall still live under
military burdens. . . •
• Your destiny is. in your own hands. .
I . have made these remarks with a
view to induce you to renew your alle
giance to the government of our country.
I approach a step .above —let us renew
♦our allegiance to the King Eternal, and
having on our bended knees confessed
that we have ail sinned, with hearts at
tuned by contrition, go forth and sing
the angelic eong, “ Peace, peace on
earth, and good will toward men!”
—4 ♦
The estate of Col. Cam. Colt, of pistol noto
riety, pays an income tax. of $225,000...
NO. 2.