The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-19
o.ta,oc.o.o. &C,
Confederate Constitution
.c.csc~c.C.c.oc.c.c.o.c.0.c.t.c. 900.
BY JOHN WlTHERsPooN oU5osE.

Your proofreader in this place Sunday
March 1. evidently suspected my facts
The pencil said that President Davis
having carried with him to Charlotte in
his flight from Richmond, many Of the
records of the government. ordered that
they be permitted Ito fall into the hands
of the enemy" under certain contingent
eies. That type reversed this allegation.
to declare that the records should be pre-
vented rather than permitted, etc. I give
the order verbatim. 1t Is valuable data
Perhaps there never was rebel leader.
as this one, anxious TO leave his tracks
behind him. after the suppression of his
rebellion" The conqueror of his cause
was approaching. He defed him to pre-
serve the contents OF those great pine
boxes and transmit the eternal proof to the
ages, that the government at Richmond
was the fulhllment of the principles Of
American liberty. This is the historic or
der:
charlotte, n c.. April p, 1S65.
General Joseph Z. Johnston. Green's
borough, N. c.:
NiNHAffAN
the records of the War Department fur
Their than this place and they remain here
under my charge. The President and Sec
rotary of War impressed me with the
necessity of their preservation I'm our own
hands, if possible; if not, then by the
enemy, as essential to the history of the
struggle On account of your superior
knowledge of the condition of affairs.
desire to have your advice as to the dis
position to be made of them.
IS. COOPER,
"Ad1utant and Inspector General.
Alexander II. stephens and Robert
Toombs were ardent personal friends
stephens almost lived in Toombs house.
In the convention of Georgia, January,
1861, Toombs defeated Stephens. carrying
the secession ordinance by a large ma
jorty over the fierce resistance Of the
latter. As soon as the vote was taken.
Stephens put on his hat and walked out
of the hall He openly proclaimed his
purpose to retire from public life. The
convention continued its.work and among
other things, selected deputies to the
proposed Congress, which the South Caro-
lima convention of the previous month had
proposed. to be assembled at Montgomery.
At his modest home, Stephens received
the news of his appointment by the con-
vention as one of the deputies. He ac-
cepted, conditonally: II the Congress
would organize a republic upon the basis
of the Constitution of the United States,
he would attend its session. but not other
wise. We have here only one example
of the phenomenon, that the men who
had most perslstently to the last resisted
the southern movement come into the
highest places in the Confederate gov
eminent.
A general opinion among students of
civics now prevails that the Constitution
| of the United States needs radical amend
| ment. The same opinion prevailed fifty
years ago and the opportunity offered
by the southern movement of 1S60-6l was
embraced by Stephens and other anti
| secessionists. 1t will appear here to what
extent in various essentials the constitu-
ton of the Confederate States amended
the Constitution of the United States
We will bear in mind that the declara-
ton of independence involved only those
colonies that signed it by their representa-
tives in the continental Congress and that
the declaration SET up no form of govern
ment. The continental Congress neverthe-
less proposed articles OF confederation and