The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1860-11-23
The Georgia Murder Bill.

We find the following remarkable doc
ument in the Mobile Register, OF recent
date {:
In his speech on Saturday night, Mr..
Forsyth read Bill, or rather the pro.
ject OF Bill, said to be the production
Of one Of the Senators from Georgia, and
TO be introduced into the next Legislature
OF that State, "lor the better protection OF
Shareholders and their property" The
reader will feel disposed TO Join in the
manifestations OF nstonishment OF that i'm.
mense audience on Saturday night, when
he reads the provisions Of this remarkable
bill. 1t has been published in severa
Georgia papers, in some without com
menls, and has been still more extensivel,
discussed with bated breath in private
| circles. 1t coolly and deliberately pro
poses 10 !egalize murder and arson, ant
10 set loose all the demons Of hell to rio
at will with the lives and property oI
Southern born men. A man committing
murder, even in the most fiendish shape,
it is no. he that would have TO be tried,
but his victim, for the conviction OF the
dead OF having exercised the functions oil
federal Office would be complete jusli.
ication Of the deed. All the processes Of
law that ensure justice even to the basest
ieions are TO be suspended; whole class
of offenders are TO be condemned by
wholesale the evidence is TO be supplied
by individual malice, hatred or revenge,
ard the sentence is 10 be executed before
the evidence is furnished or the trial com
menced. If you think we mistake the
bearing Of the bill, read it for yourself: {:
A BILL
FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE OWNERS OF
SLAVES IN THF STATE OF GEORGIA.
WHEREAS, one Abraham Lincoln, q
Black Republican, hiss been duly elected
President of the United States, for four
years from the fourth OF March mex, and,
whereas, i; is evident 10 every unprrju-
diced mind that the whole power oil said
Lincoln and his coadjuto will be welded
through the Government of the United
States for the destruction of the slave in
terests Of the South and, whereas, the
safety of the South requires that the
question should be met with the most
vigorous measures upon the part of the
people Of the sovereign Stale ol Georgia
therefore,
BE it enacIed by The Senate and House
of Repre- Csenlalives of the State of Georgia,
in General Assembly met, and it is hereby
enacted by the authority Of The same, That
from and after the passing OF ibis act, il
shall be unlawful for any person what.
ever 10 receive commission from, or
hold nn Office lnder the President OF the
United States, or 10 fulfil the duties be-
longing TO any Office in the United States
Government, within The Stale of Georgia,
which may nave been conferred upon
any citizen or resident of the State OF
Georgia by any previous Administration
of the United States Government
2. BE IL further enacted, That if any in.
dividu.l whatever shall, after the 4th oil
March next, perform any duty by virtue
Of any order or commission emanating
from the United States Government, OF
any branch thereof, such person shall be
deemed an outlaw and Il traitor to the
sovereign State Of Georgia, and shall
suffer death in any manner which il ma Y
please any good and loyal citizens OF said
State 10 lGhict.
3. BE il further enacted, That il shall be
no crime for any one or more good and
loyal citizens of the State of Georgia 10
consume by fire nil the perishable prop
erty Of said outlaw.
4. BE IL further enacted, That in all
cases of outiawry, as herein defined, the
habeas corpus and the right Of trial by
jury shall be suspended.
s. BE il further enacied, That il any
judicial officer shall grant writ Of habea'
corpus, in the cases heretofore recitet
and set forth, he shall be deemed guilty
OF oullawry. and shall snffer the penalty
OF death and conhagration, as hereinafter
provided.