laws of the United States, I, Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, do admonish and warn all good citizens of the United States against taking part in or in any wise aiding, countenancing, or abetting said unlawful proceedings, and I do exhort all judges, magistrates, marshals, and officers in the service of the United States, to employ all their lawful authority and power to prevent and defeat the aforesaid unlawful proceedings, and to arrest and bring to justice all persons who may be engaged therein.*

5,

ANDREW JOHNSON.

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

Circular to the District Attorneys and Marshals of the
United States.

ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C., June

And, pursuant to the act of Congress in such case made and provided, I do furthermore authorize and empower Major General George G. Meade, commander of the Military Division of the Atlantic, to employ the land and naval 1866.-By direction of the President you are hereby instructed to cause the arrest of all prominent, leading, or forces of the United States and the militia conspicuous persons called Fenians, whom you may have thereof, to arrest and prevent the setting on probable cause to believe have been or may be guilty of foot and carrying on the expedition and enter-violations of the neutrality laws of the United States. prise aforesaid.

JAMES SPEED,

Attorney General:

III.

ACTION OF THE CONVENTIONS AND LEGISLATURES OF THE LATELY INSURRECTIONARY STATES.

NORTH CAROLINA.

1865, April 27-Gen. Schofield announced the cessation of hostilities within that State.

April 28-Gen. Schofield issued an order that, under the emancipation proclamation, all persons heretofore held as slaves are now free, and that it is the duty of the army to maintain their freedom.

May 29-William W. Holden appointed Provisional Governor.

No person will be allowed to vote who doe not exhibit to the inspectors a copy of the amnesty oath, as contained in the President's proclamation of May 29, 1865, signed by himself and certified by at least two justices of the peace.' The convention to meet October 2.

June 12-Provisional Governor Holden issued his proclamation announcing his purpose to or- September 29-The colored people of the State der år election for a convention; and to appoint met in convention in Raleigh, and petitioned for justices of the peace to administer the oath of legislation to secure compensation for labor, and allegiance and conduct the election, &c. enable them to educate their children, and askJuly-President Johnson ordered the cot-ing protection for the family relation, and for ton of the State to be restored to her, and the proceeds of all that had been sold to be paid to her agents.

August 8-Provisional Governor Holden fixed Thursday, September 21, for the election of a

convention.

Voters' qualifications are thus prescribed: "No person will be allowed to vote who is not a voter qualified as prescribed by the constitution and laws of the State in force immediately before the 20th day of May, 1861, except that the payment of poll tax shall not be required.

the repeal of oppressive laws making unjust discriminations on account of race or color.

October 2-Convention met.

October 7-The secession ordinance declared "null and void."

October 9-An ordinance passed, declaring slavery forever prohibited within the State.

October 10—Òrdinance passed, providing for an election for Governor, members of the Legislature, and seven members of Congress November 9, the Provisional Governor to give the certifi cates. Each member of the Legislature, and All paroled soldiers of the array and navy of each voter to be qualified" according to the now he pretended Confederate States, or of this State, existing constitution of the State : Provided, and all paroled officers of the army and navy of That no one shall be eligible to a seat, or be cathe pretended Confederate States, or of this State, pable of voting, who, being free in all respects, under and including the rank of colonel, if of the shall not, before May 29, 1865, have taken Presiarmy, and under and including the rank of lieu-dent Lincoln's amnesty oath, or have taken Presisenant, if of the navy, will be allowed to vote, pro-dent Johnson's cath, and who shall not in

either case be of the excepted classes. All per- | sons who have preferred petitions for pardon shall be deemed to have been pardoned if the fact of being pardoned shall be announced by the Governor, although the pardon may not have been received. The payment of a public tax shall not be required as a qualification of the voter in the elections in November next.

October 12-Convention tabled a proposition to prohibit the payment of the war debt created by the State in aid of the rebellion.

October 16-Ordinance passed, dividing the
State into seven congressional districts.

October 17-Resolution adopted, requesting
Congress to repeal the "test-oath."
October 18-Président Johnson sent this telc-
gram:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,

Governor, by a vote of 32,529 to 25,809 for
Prov. Gov. Holden.

December 15-Governor Worth qualified. 1866, May 24-The Convention re-assembled. A motion to adjourn sine die was tabled, 61 to 30.

MISSISSIPPI.

1865, May 10-Governor Clark called an extra session of the Legislature for the 18th, to order a State Convention.

May 21-Major General Canby telegraphed as follows to Major General Warren, commanding the department: "By direction of the President, you will not recognize any officer of the Confederate or State government, within the limits of your command, as authorized to exer cise in any manner whatever the functions of WASHINGTON, D. C., October 18, 1865. their late offices. You will prevent, by force if W. W. HOLDEN, Provisional Governor: necessary, any attempt of any of the legislatures Every dollar of the debt created to aid the of the States in insurrection to assemble for rebellion against the United States should be re-bers or other persons who may attempt to exerlegislative purposes, and will imprison any mempudiated finally and forever. The great mass of cise these functions in opposition to your orders." the people should not be taxed to pay a debt to aid in carrying on a rebellion which they in June 13-William L. Sharkey appointed Profact, if left to themselves, were opposed to. Let visional Governor. those who have given their means for the obli-mation appointing local officers, and fixing an July 1-Prov. Gov. Sharkey issued a proclagations of the State look to that power they election for a Convention-August 7th-voters tried to establish in violation of law, constitution, and will of the people. They must meet to have these qualifications: their fate. It is their misfortune, and cannot be Voters for delegates to this convention must recognized by the people of any State professing tution and laws as they existed prior to the 9th possess the qualifications required by the constithemselves loyal to the government of the Uni-tution ted States and in the Union. I repeat that the day of January, 1861, and must also produce a loyal people of North Carolina should be exon- certificate that they have taken, before a comerated from the payment of every dollar of in- petent officer, the amnesty oath prescribed by debtedness created to aid in carrying on the the proclamation of the 29th of May, 1865, which rebellion. I trust and hope that the people of certificate shall be attached to or accompanied North Carolina will wash their hands of every-ble as a member of this convention who has not by a copy of the oath, and no one will be eligithing that partakes in the slightest degree of also taken this oath." the rebellion, which has been so recently crushed by the strong arm of the Government in carrying out the obligations imposed by the Constitution of the Union. ANDREW JOHNSON, President of the United States. EXECUTIVE OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C., August 15, 1865. October 19-Ordinance passed, that no officer Governor W. L. SHARKEY, Jackson, Miss. : of this State who may have taken an oath of I am gratified to see that you have organized office to support the constitution of the Confed-your Convention without difficulty. I hope that erate States, shall be capable of holding under the State any office of trust or profit which he held when he took such oath, until he may be appointed or re-elected to the same; and all the offices lately held by such persons are hereby declared vacant.

October 19-Convention-yeas 84, nays 12passed an ordinance prohibiting the assumption of the State debt created in aid of the rebellion. An amendment to refer this question to a vote of the people, lost.

November 9-Election of State officers and Representatives in Congress. Same day, ordinances repealing secession ordinance and antislavery ordinance, submitted to popular vote, and approved..

November 13-Legislature met. December 1-The Legislature ratified, with six dissenting voices, the anti-slavery amend

ment.

December 9-Jonathan Worth declared elected

August 14-Convention met.

August 15-President Johnson sent this tele

gram:

without delay your Convention will amend your
State constitution, abolishing slavery and deny.
ing to all future legislatures the power to legis-
late that there is property in man; also that they
will adopt the amendment to the Constitution of
the United States abolishing slavery. If you
could extend the elective franchise to all persons
of color who can read the Constitution of the
United States in English and write their names,
and to all persons of color who own real estate
valued at not less than two hundred and fifty
dollars, and pay taxes thereon, you would com-
pletely disarm the adversary and set an example
the other States will follow. This you can do
with perfect safety, and you thus place the
曾
southern States, in reference to free persons of
color, upon the same basis with the free States.
I hope and trust your convention will do this,
and, as a consequence, the radicals, who are wild
upon negro franchise, will be completely foiled
in their attempt to keep the southern State

from renewing their relations to the Union by | pensions, and have forfeited the same by taking not accepting their senators and representatives.* a part in the late war against the United States, ANDREW JCHNSON, President of the U. S. shall be exempt from poll tax. August 21-Ordinance passed that "the institution of slavery having been destroyed in the State of Mississippi," neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, &c., shall hereafter exist in the State.

September 12-Convention met.

them out, and thereby subvert the Constitution | cers hereinafter appointed for that purpose in of the United States. I do not believe the great the county where he offers to vote; and any mass of the people of the State of Georgia, when person offering to vote in violation of these rules left uninfluenced, will ever submit to the pay-or the laws of Alabama on the 11th of January, ment of a debt which was the main cause of 1861, will be punished. bringing on their past and present suffering, the result of the rebellion. Those who vested their capital in the creation of this debt must meet their fate, and take it as one of the inevitable results of the rebellion, though it may seem hard to them. It should at once be made known at home and abroad, that no debt contracted for the purpose of dissolving the Union of the States can or ever will be paid by taxes levied on the people for such purpose.

ANDREW JOHNSON,
President of the United States.

Hon. W. H. SEWARD:
We are pressed on the war debt. What should
the Convention do?
J. JOHNSON,
Provisional Governor of Georgia.
MILLEDGEVILLE, October 27, 1865.

His Excellency JAMES JOHNSON,

Provisional Governor of Georgia : Your several telegrams have been received. The President of the United States cannot recognize the people of any State as having resumed the relations of loyalty to the Union that admits as legal, obligations contracted or debts created in their name, to promote the war of the rebellion. WILLIAM H. SEWARD.

WASHINGTON, October 28, 1865.

November 8-Convention adjourned. November 15-Election held for State officers and Representatives in Congress.

December 4-Legislature met.

December 5-Legislature ratified the anti-slavery amendment.

1866, January-A convention of colored persons at Augusta advocated a proposition to give those who could write and read well, and possessed a certain property qualification, the right of suffrage.

March 10-Bill passed legislature, authorizing an extra tax, the amount to be fixed by the grand juries, but not to exceed two per cent. upon the State tax, for the benefit of indigent soldiers, and the indigent families of deceased soldiers of the Confederate and State troops. Artificial arms and legs to be furnished disabled soldiers.

ALABAMA.

1865, June 21-Lewis E. Parsons appointed Provisional Governor.

July 20-Provisional Governor Parsons issued a proclamation, fixing August 31 for an election for a Convention, under these restrictions: "But no person can vote in said election, or be a candidate for election, who is not a legal voter as the law was on that day; and if he is excepted from the benefit of annesty, under the President's proclamation of the 29th May, 1865, he must have obtained a pardon.

"Every person must vote in the county of his residence, and, before he is allowed to do so, must

September 18-Election for State officers fixed for first Monday in November-the Provisional Governor authorized to order an election for Representatives in Congress.

September 20-Slavery abolished, "as the institution of slavery has been destroyed in the State of Alabama." Secession ordinance declared "null and void." Rebel State debt repu diated, 60 to 19.

September 30-Convention adjourned.
November 20--Legislature met.

December 2-Anti-slavery amendment ratified in this form:

1st. That the foregoing amendment to the Constitution of the United States be, and the same is hereby, ratified, to all intents and purposes, as part of the Constitution of the United States.

2d. That this amendment to the Constitution of the United States is adopted by the Legislature of Alabama with the understanding that it does not confer upon Congress the power to legislate upon the political status of freedmen in this State.

3d. That the governor of the State be, and he is hereby, requested to forward to the President of the United States an authenticated copy of the foregoing preamble and resolutions.

December 5-The President sent this response His Excellency L. E. PARSONS.

Provisional Governor :

Gov. R. M. Patton vetoed three bills. He vetoed the bill to regulate contracts with freedmen, because no special law is necessary. He adds:

Information from various parts of the State shows that negroes are everywhere making contracts for the present year upon terms that are entirely satisfactory to the employers. They are also entering faithfully upon the discharge of the obligations contracted. There is every prospect that the engagement formed will be ob served with perfect good faith. I therefore think that special laws for regulating contracts between whites and freedmen would accomplish no good, and might result in much harm."

Governor Patton has also vetoed the bill "to extend the criminal laws of the State, applicable to free persons of color, to freedmen, free negroes and mulattoes." He says.

"The bill proposes to apply to the freedmen a take and subscribe the oath of amnesty pre-system of laws enacted for the government of scribed in the President's proclamation of the free negroes residing in a community where 29th of May, 1865, before some one of the offi-slavery existed. I have carefully examined the

laws which, under this bill, would be applied to September 19-Slavery declared abolished the freedmen; and I think that a mere recital "the slaves in South Carolina having been emanci of some of their provisions will show the impol-pated by the action of the United States authori icy and injustice of enforcing them upon the ne- ties. groes in their new condition."

Governor Patton has also vetoed "a bill entitled an act to regulate the relations of master and apprentice, as relate to freedmen, free negroes and mulattoes," because he deems the present laws amply sufficient for all purposes of apprenticeship, without operating upon a particular class of persons.

The Legislature passed a tax bill, of which these are two sections:

"12. To sell, or expose for sale, for one year, at any one place, any pictorial or illustrated weekly, or any monthly paper, periodical or magazine, published outside the limits of this State, and not in a foreign country, and to vend the same on the streets, or on boats or railroad cars, fifty dollars.”

September 27-Election ordered for third Wednesday in October, for State officers. Ordinance passed, creating four congressional districts.

September 29-Convention adjourned.
October 18-James L. Orr elected Governor
October -Legislature met.
This telegraphic correspondence occurred:
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,

WASHINGTON, D. C., October 28, 1865.
B. F. PERRY, Provisional Governor :

Your last two despatches have been received and the pardons suggested have been ordered. I hope that your Legislature will have no hesitancy in adopting the amendment to the Constitution of the United States abolishing slavery. It will set an example which will no doubt be "13. To keep a news depot for one year, in any followed by the other States, and place South city, town or village, for the sale of any news- Carolina in a most favorable attitude before the paper, periodical or magazine, not including pic-nation. I trust in God that it will be done. torials provided for in the preceding paragraph, The nation and State, will then be left free and ten dollars."

July 20-Prov. Gov. Perry issued a proclamation fixing the first Monday of September for an election for a State Convention the qualifications of voters being thus prescribed:

Every loyal citizen who had taken the amnesty oath, and not within the excepted classes in the President's proclamation, will be entitled to vote, provided he was a legal voter under the constitution as it stood prior to the secession of South Carolina. And all who are within the excepted classes must take the oath and apply for a pardon, in order to entitle them to vote or become members of the convention.

untrammeled to take that course which sound

policy, wisdom, and humanity may suggest.

ANDREW JOHNSON, President.

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C., October 31, 1865. B. F. PERRY, Provisional Governor:

There is a deep interest felt as to what course the Legislature will take in regard to the adoption of the amendment to the Constitution of the United States abolishing slavery, and the assumption of the debt created to aid in the rebellion against the government of the United States. If the action of the convention was in good faith, why hesitate in making it a part of the Constitution of the United States?

I trust in God that restoration of the Union will not now be defeated, and all that has so far been well done thrown away. I still have faith that all will come out right yet.

This opportunity ought to be understood and appreciated by the people of the southern States. If I know my own heart and every passion which enters it, my earnest desire is to restore the blessings of the Union, and tie up and heal every bleeding wound which has been caused by this fratricidal war. Let us be guided by love and wisdom from on high, and Union and peace will once more reign throughout the land.

ANDREW JOHNSON.

COLUMBIA, S. C., November 1, 1865. His Excellency ANDREW JOHNSON,

President United States: I will send you to-day the whole proceedings of the State Convention, properly certified, as you request.

The debt contracted by South Carolina during the rebellion is very inconsiderable. Her expenditures for war purposes were paid by the confederate government. She has assumed no debt, or any part of any debt, of that governSeptember 13-Convention met. ment. Her whole State debt at this time is only September 15-Secession ordinance repealed, about six millions, and that is mostly for rail107 to 3.

roads and building new State-house prior to the