, 1865-11-15
THE GEORGIA CONVENTION.
iAx.H3 An


The cons,,tnt,onol convention In The st.te
of Georr,a. has adjourned, .tsub,ect to the
rail- os rs rrcsfdnr nf,,ccr,,,
In nm address to The President. adopted
,,r;or 10 tbc ai]iou,nmcnt- the Convention sets
f,r.h that n 1,os rc,co1ed 4l,c sscess;,n oodi-
nance and NIL the secession laws and bas
odonted a Constitution strictly republican ~
wherein s,avcrvfs forever nro1,ih;ted. This il
ot, th,. .hc cnnrcntic, cio3rns In haze f1opc
ana this Ia rn,hcr ,no,c finn II has done.
The Constitution adopted by the ConTcI1-
lion Il now before us. The twentieth section
: Of 1hc Bill Of Rit+hts declares as fo1loys.
20, The Government o. the United ststes hayins,
rs var measure, proclaimed Al Slaves held or
s,3nc r.r9s ~ 1tsf fs, nroe,aon into al .a
cec e. M.an me sats OF
sn,c at puuIthmeut for csina, .fter asFsi cansie
tim t,.saad' =
fasslng over the mental reservation con-
tained In the preamble, II Is clear that this, as
1t stands, l. an Inhibition Of slavery. But the
Grorgians did not choose 10 let It stand alone,
Not being able, under the pressure of PrcsI-
dental instruction, 10 stop short Of the point
where slavery was inhibited, they elected to
70 beyond that point md to qualify the pro-
hlbition with proyiso. viz.
*Itofsdad. This aequie-oeune in the action of the
Government q ofdhs United s.stcs. f. not intended
Of elct clajlu Tor compenssuon of ies. snstansd
hs reason q the emancipation Of his slaves any
,ns,cr md ,,',ssni,i{r I of ,h.t nA2S nPon soe
The nc1t lest thine In ownfnc ncrros4 was
4bc ucon;t,l,, !, ,-1,o1, +1,.t ,,-,e-e,f,, -
soutbern nol,,,ciona a;dea Nv Nerthe,n
doprhfaccs' in rrttjnr otEce. Thu nressnre
was not sufficient IN induc,. tnc cx.slnvr avn.
crs Of Ceo,ria tn riye I'M both. The sinple
inhibition Of slayery Of course would be n
deail blow not ONLY to the institution itself,
but 10 all the political advantages which
Southern, and Northern denacoeues have de.
rived from It, All the turmoil and excite
ncnt which have Distracted the country upon
the subject would be at an end; there would
be no common ground upon which Southern
traitors and Northern Copperheads could
unite to get possession OF thc spo{)s. and rive
to the Southern olfrarchists once morc thc
balance ofpowcr, These future chances. there
fore. the convention In Geor,ia was carafnl
to guard by rcseryinc the rtsht to demand
from the General Government nav for the
shves which {the Convention Is careful to
ssy,) "the Government Of the United States''
mot the government Of Georgia, has eman-
cipated. Here is the ground upon which these
lately pardoned rebels expect Northern SYM
pathizcrs to meet them, rather more than
half way, and upon which they can keep the
country IN q continual broil for some genera
t1ous to come
But il is doubtful, in fact, if the CONVENTION
really intended to prohibit slavery. The next
clause In their new Bill of Rights reads as fol.
lows:
~a1 The enumeration or rights herein contained
!. ps Of tnts Constitution, bni eh,l no. be CON
Mb,cs ther hayr hitheIta enoye !s tnns'so' 1'sn's
It is impossible TO discover what nfnherent
r;o.ts,, orc 1ere meant r. ~ ;s ,,ot +ha s,,a-
n6sed inherent ricl,t of a l;eorc;,n n o,,,
slarcs. A earctnl read7op ri III the drbte
hid down in The hin fa5ls to d5.corer how .nr
p.r1 or r1n,r-e xaa. u, nm, 1,,,.z,p,,,Iv 10 con-.
strued to denv to the peoplc of Georgia any
right. inherent OF adyeut;tious. which they
have hitherto enjoyed, save this, In this one
partlculur, The ownership of slaves certainly
las bccu aAitheyto'' right ssinhcrcnt', ss in
the form and constitution Of Southern society.
II WIS mi less Inherent ,,ni,cr nj, the decis.
Ions of soutber7, ,urisfs. than tbe r;oht of
ovnersl,lp-in anv other ehatte,. II then. The
clanse which declares TINT slavery shall m
more exist IN Georrfa is not to be construed
to denv othc people any inhsrent r1cht which
thcy have hitherto en,oyed. how shall II be
construed 70 deprive them Q! Inc saSnt 10 own
s.asee: H1 1ea1s 1aleooeo 10 oepF1'e 1ne'n
VI aha. lAs"l
Anc con'tsel'on o'o aootIe1 tnins WHICH IS
~ " eons'uetso ID ans connect'on' ~
paSseu n'ef 'ons anu aespe1ate sl1uee':
aSa1ns' II, ano on'S unoeF Inc annuence o.
rfee,aent.al pressa'e' m ore1nanee 1epuolas-
ing tne feoe' oeht-of pafportlog 70 90 So
bnt II reused, " eotc Of ieo 10 lo'' TO
make this Ordinance part Of tne new con-
sltut'on. IN otner WORDS II fe1nsea 70 give