The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-07-29

4 SOutn''-The True Spirit In which Ia
Enter ON the Work OrRecOnstructiou of
IA Provisional (s6Ternor thnt Will
DO---AIOw Good may Come out Oi
] EEvil-:.Addlress of Governor James
johnson, Delivered at Macon, Ga,
July 10, 1865.
-a A' tf' - y -
tF'on' the Macon, Ca, Telegraph, July III
AT the hour of half-past five O'Clock,
according to previous announcement,
the citizens. of Macon assembled in tho
CITY Hall for the purpose Christening to
the address of Hon. james Johnson,
Provisional Governor of Georgia. Mai.
4 Gen. Wilson, Hon. Thos. HarCleYnttn
and others were present on the stage.
In an appropriate address Gov. JOHN
son was introduced to the meeting as
SembIed by Mr.. Hardeman, and Hd-
dressed the audience as follows:
/ EeLi9lC, Citise1.S According to the pro-
clamation of the President of the
United States, we, as Georgians, stand
to-day without any civil government.
We have no governor, no Legislature,
no Judges, noinferior magistrates. This
has been the result of the rebellion. IT
has deprived us of ali the machinery
necessary to carry on civil govern
ment. Under this state of facts L have
been appointed by the President Provi-
slonal Governor OF Georgia., All the
ipower which can exercise over YOU in
this office is derived, by virtue Of nv
appointment, from him. have not
been elected governor under the laws
OF Georgin, nor by the sovereign people
OF Georgia. 1 have not been appointed
Tor the purpose of establishing govern
ment, carrying on government, admin
lSterlng government, but appointed, as
the proclamation declares, for one
single purpose, and that is to enableth
nPnnin nf (ranrUfu n
ment. am invested with no such aIl-
thority. 1t Is not the theory of our 90
Nernment that l should. be so invest
l, ca, II has been the theory of this re-
public, from its earliest infancy to the
present time, that the peOpleLthe peo-
ple-are the source of all power, and
to them it rightfully belongs to organ
ize, establish and model the govern
ment. Tint i may not be lnisunder-
stood, and that the idea may hIstcn it,
self upon your minds, L will state that
am clothed with'tlle simple authority
to,enable You to emerge from this cha
otic stOte-this state of disorder and
lawlessneSs-and to place yourselves
under the operation of an established
| government. / have been requested
time and again, and il has been urged
upon me, that should exercise the pre-
rogatfve eOfnppOintingj Judges of the SUI
premc and inferior courts and magis-
SAuASSs AlitNe Iul1OTIllly uGEllneu. III
mas Deen urged upon me that should
Iappoint State House Notwithstanding
of State, Treasurer, Comptroller Gcner-
al, DC. have uniformly declined to
appoint them, simply for the reason
that i have not been clothed by the
President with authority for any such
purpose. 1t has been urged that tho
provisional Governors of North Caroli-
na and Mississippi hdve appointed civ
IL magistrates. 1t is so reported, fellow
citizens, in the journals. 1 have been
further urged to make choice of some,
one i'll each county to administer the
amnesty onth. have declined it 9TH
ers have done it. Now as tony reasons.
In the first place the President, in his
proclamation, has clearly defined my
powers; and, in the next place, in that
proclamation it is stated, in distinct
terms, that it Is iSreferred!tO tho Secreta-
| ry of State to'prescribe the rules and
regulations under which this oath shall
be administered by any civil, military
or ndyal officer, or any magistrate in
the loyal States. He at the same time
declares that no judge andHnOg lnRgis-
| trnte of the diSlOyal States shall admin
lister 1t. And yet I AMI requested to
make appointments for that purpose. l
cannot do II. remember that the Ques-
ton was presented to me while in WASH
fingtbn, andias others differed with me
! in opinion, for the purpose of having
the-qucStiQn officially explained, CALI
ed upon the Attorney General to know
whether, under the terms of the prOcla-
mntiOn, had the authority. He repli-
ed with PrOmptness I had not; and that
| If Ishohld appoint n judge their judg-
ments would be, in the language of
| lawyers, cOTdm non judice. Then /
have no such authority expressly given
in the terms of my commission, but, on
the contrary, it Is expressly forbidden; ;
/ a md mi 7tNat I,u
sity for the appointments, or however
beneticially they might be used,j as the
authority does not exist, the appoint
ments cannot be made. But there are
officers appointed who will administer
this onth- They are the military officers
in the country. And If they are not snf-
\ ticient, others, / have no doubt, will be
given us. THERE'S every disposition on
the part of the goyernment to adminis-
! ter this oath, and with as littls incon-
IVenience to us as posSfble. 1t is left for
us to come forward and take it. No OBJ
stacle will be thrown in the way of our
/ doing so. FThese military gentlemen,
have no doubt, will gladly avail them
selves of this power to serve you under
/ the rules prescri ibed by the Secretary OF
State. There has been some misunder-
standing on this subject, which; if rec
titled, there will be u better disposition
on the part Of the people to confornfto
| you to establish d republican form q
4 government. Now, I call on YOU, hay
1 Ing discharged my duty in this particu-
lar, to discharge yours, and remove the
obstacles which may be in the way OF
4 receiving the amnesty oath, and to pre-
pare yourselves to become voters for
\ delegates to n convention of the people
i Of Georgia, and then to vote forthese
\ delegates. This convention, when thus
assembled will represent the masses OF
4 prescribe the Jurisdiction of the Judges,
and limit theIrpowers. It is called fof