Year: 1866

The message of Governor Jenkins, of Georgia,


has been sent in to the Legislature of that State


The Governor analyses the Constitutional Amend


ment, which he declares equally novel and unjust,
unconstitutional, null and void, and adds:


1t Is said, however. that unless this concession


De mace, the now excluded States will be kept out


OF the nails OF Congress indefinitely Were the
amendment presented with such a menace dis


tinctly expressed, higher motive if possible


than any hitherto suggested would prompt it's re-


lection.


At the termination of hostilities, it was right


and proper that the previously resisting States
should, in the most unequivocal and formal man


Eer, abandon such resistance-should rescind all
| they had done in antagonism to, and do whatever
was necessary and proper to place themselves in
constltuConal relation with that Government. All
! this, we believe Georgia has done. Beyond this,


IL acting upon any proposed change in the funda-
mental law, even In this critical iuncture my adj


vice is that her legislators act with the same in
telligent Judgment and the same unfnching firm
ness that they would exercise in the past or would


exercise in the future when in full connection and
unamblguOus position. Any other rule of action
may involve sacrifices of interest and of principle
which magnanimity would not exact and self-re-
spcct could not make"


He speaks OF the quiet and order of the State
ami says:


The administration, think, have become thor
oughly convinced that the sword and the bayonet
are not necessary to the enforcement of law and
order. We probably have not now larger militia
ry force within our borders than have often been
stationed here in times of perfect peace. Our peo-
pie, with rare exceptions, such as occur every
where have been quiet, orderly, and devoted to


industrial pursuits. The officers of the army and
agents Of the Freedmen's Bureau, stationed among
us, have with few exceptions, manifested grow
ing confidence and disposition to relax their an
thority and leave the administration of the law to
the civil courts.


In regard to education the Governor advocates
increased endowment of the University of Geor-
gia, and connecting with it the agricultural
schools, sustained by the public lands appropriate
ed for that purpose by the United States. A COM
mon school system is strongly urged, though no
provision for 1t is suggested.


The failure of agricultural pursuits the Gov
ernor attributes in part to the unsteady labor of
the freedmen, but directly to bad weather. Of the
freedmen he says:


Nor should the peopleofthe South yield readily
to encouragement III regard to the labor of the
negro in his new status. All rejecting minds can
not fail to perceive that the first effect of sudden
manumission must be untavorable to his well-do-
ing and to his well-being. Unaccustomed to car
ing for himself, he is prone 10 believe that the
freedom with which he has been invested involves
freedom from labor, which was in his eyes the
distinctive trait IN the condition of slavery It is
not to be expected that he would at once reason
correctly as to his surroundings and prospects, or
adopt promptly the reasoning Of the late proprie-
tary race. Experience alone can teach him wis
dom, and what her teaching will be is not a SUBJ
ject of speculation; all know what that will
be- In addition to all this, there is abundant evil
dence that he has indulged most extravagant and
untounded expectations of benefits to be confer
red upon him by the Federal Governments,


He has expected from that source free grant
Of land i'll his own right, and has been indisposed
to cultivate the land of others. If driven to it by
present necessity, he has regarded it as tempor-
airy expedent, and went to work predisposed to
shirk it. Time will dissipate these delusions. 1t
would be both just and kind to wait for and to as
sist his awakening from them. Many who have
hurried into courses of vice and crime, will prove
irreclaimabe. These must be committed to q Just
and impartial administration OF the law, as is
practiced with the vicious of our own race. But
the great mass OF these people, under good infu-
ences, may be made useful to themselves and to
the country.


Gov. Jenkins believes &c the planting interest in
Georgia can never again be whatit has been. Few
If any will be able to prosecute on large scale
as some have done in the past. But agriculture
must continue to be the chief industrial pursuit of
the State" He recommends, however, that the
other abundant and neglected resources of the
State should be developed


The message closes with suggestion that the
chain gangs should be employed in the counties
where they are convicted statements that artif-
cal limbs will be supplied to Confederate soldiers,
and that corn was distributed to the extent Of
185,0OO bushels and with the advice that the peo-
pie Of Georgia eschew political excitement and
employ their energies in rebuilding the prosperi-
ty of the State.