The enterprise. (Thomasville, Ga.) 186?-1865, July 26, 1865, Image 1

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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. SUBSCKIPTtON T ; ERMS. ;• TERMS. • The “Swu’thern. Enterprise” js published .weekly at Four Dollars per annum, strictly in adyaucr; • ADVERTING TERMS. , ’ AdVe'rtisments will be inserted for one dollar per square of twelve lines or less for each insertion: From this rate a discount of twenty-five” per cent will be made for ad vertisments inserted for three months or un der six months,and fifty per cent for twelve mouths oiMuore. All advertisments sent to the office must be marked with the number of insertions.desired or the period to be publish ed, and in evry instance accompanied with the amount required for payment. Marriag es and’ deaths will hereafter be charged for as. advestisments. Special or editorial notic es, will be published and charged at double the above rates. Payment for subscriptions may at present be made, either in current funds, or the products of the country, such as wheat, Hour,.corn, bacon, beef, sugar, syrup; tallow, sweet or irish potatoes, chickens, eggs, &c., &C.; at their market value- in Tliomasville; Remittances may be made by Express at our Visk- .All others must be at the risk of those making’the same. -Subscribers. names will he di’oped from the list at. the end of the term for which the subscription . lias been paid, unless renewed. All communications should ■be td-dressed.-tb Proprietor Southern Enterprse , Tho mu settle Georgia. To our. old Patrons. If. our adoption of the" cash -system in our terms above, heeded any apology, we would refer you to'a fact, known to many of you, that we tried the credit system from May 18- fij to April 1802, ” .and by reference t'o-our books, we find that over S4OOO still remain t here . against, subscribers, and advertisers, most y for the last two years named, .while wehavcbegn obliged daring that'tjme to* col lect money . elsewhere to pay. our debts and office expenses. This is hot generous nor fair. We sent you the paper at your request', laden with news,’ miscellanies &c.,’-enough to af ford -you many hours gratification and Amuse ment, ot” made -your trade known to the world, an and thus’enabled you to reap” a rich harvest, in business. : What each of you in-, dividually. owe us is. very small, but collec tively is> a considerable’ sum, quite sufficient to set us up. in business anew. ... We “know that money is scarce at present, but many of you have some or all of the pro ducts named in our terms, to spare, and we *sk you to renew 3 r onr patronage to.the En 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.