The weekly loyal Georgian., 1867-08-24
From the Augusta National Republican J
A Stringent Law.

i great deal has been said and
printed about the tyranny and opprcs-
siof of the military government. 4
Law. of the last Legislature of this State,
passed, it should be borne in mind
nearly year after the Constitutional
Amendment, abolishing slavery, had
been ratified and adopted by the
people of Georgia, and therefore not
applicable to the colored population
alone, as were most of the previous
la9s against insurrection, appears to
US Is stringent as any laws passed by
Congress, or any orders issued by any
commanding General. The following
isl the Act, which we find in the
pamphlet copy of the Laws for 1866:
An Act to amend the PcnaI Code.
SECTIoN l. The General assembly of the
Ststc of Georgia do enact, That insurreetion
shill consist in any combined resistance to
theslawful authority of the State, with intent
td7the denial thereof, when the same is
manifested or intended to be manifested by
acts of violence.
SECTION 2. Any attempt, by persuasion or
Otherwise, to induce others to join. in any
combined resistance to the lawful authority
of the State, shall constitute an attempt to
incitc insurrection.
SECTION 3. Any person convicted of the
o.ense of insurrection, or an attempt at
imurrection, shall be punished with death,
"a if the jury recommend to mercy, con-
ement in the Penitentiary for term not
s than five, nor more than twenty, years.
&SECTIoN 4. If any person shall bring,
Aroduce, permit, or circulate, or cause to
bt introduced, circulated, or permitted, or
aid or assist, or be in any manner instru-
mental in bringing, introducing, circula-
ting, or printing, within this State, any
paper, pamphlet, circular, or other writing,
for the purpose of melting insurrection,
riot, conspiracy, or resistance, against the
lawful authority of the State, or against
the lives of the inhabitants thereof, or any
part of them, such person or persons so
offending shall be guilty of a high misde-
meanor, and, upon conviction, shall be
punished by confinement in the Peniten-
.;ary for term not less than five, nor
longer than twenty years.
SECTION repeals conflicting laws.
Approved 18th December, 1866.
Such is the law of the State Of
Georgia, in force at this day, and
bearing upon all classes of citizens.
1t appears to lis there would be some
ground for the often reiterated charge
of oppression against the United States
and the military commandants, had
Congress passed Il similar law. Sup
pose, for the sake of illustration, Con
gress had adopted this law without
Che change of Il word, except substi-
tuting the words "United States" for
the word "Statc7 y wherever it occurs; /;
let us suppose that, in accordance
with the law, the military authorities
should arrest all such as counselled
combined resistance to the laws of the
United States, or attempted to per-
suadc Others, peaceably or otherwise,
to resist for the second section makes
the man punishable by death, or the
penitcntiary, who persuadcs resistance
by any mcans), or should arrest any
man, without or within the State, who
printed OF circulated pamphlets, news
Rapcrs, or documents, counscllinGfre-
slstancc, or any man who printed,
introduced, or circulated in this State
my such newspaper, or other printed
MATTER, having a tendency to excite
resistance to the laws of Congress :;
and the military authorities, after con
Fiction by military commission,
should condemn such an offender to
death, or the penitentiary, could it
not be said that freedom Of speech and
of the press existed no longer, and that
nothing remained but II despotism that
would not allow its acts to be ques-
toned or scrutinized
But the military authorities suffer
every thing to be done against the
authority of the United States, which
this law forbids shall be done against
the authority of the State, and quietly
ignore these trnSgressions. Not one
of those who are so. ready to counsel
resistance to the authority of the
United States, the only lawful author
ity here, could complain if they were
subjected to the penalties Of this law
out of their own mouths would they
bc condemned We do not counsel
IFS cntorccmcnt-it is the extreme of
tyranny those who have not
word to say against the lcspotism of
this law, should say nothing against
the more reasonable and lcnient au-
thority of the Federal Government.