Year: 1866


be repudiated finally and forever The great
mass of the people should not be taxed to
pay debt to aid in carrying on rebellion
which they in fact, if left to themselves, We're
opposed to. Let those who have given their
means for the obligations of the State look
to that power they tried to establish in yio-
lation of law, constitution, and will of the
people. They must meet their fate 1t is
their misfortune, and cannot be recognized
by the people of any State protesting Them
selves Ioyaj to the government of the United
States and in the Union I repeat that the
loyal people of North Carolina should be ex
onerated from the payment of every dollar of
Indebtedness created to aid IN carrying on
the rebellion II trust antf.hope that the peo-
pie of North Carolina will wash their hands
of everything that partakes in the slightest
degree of the rebellion, which has been so re-
Gently crushed by the strong arm of the gov
ernment in carrying out the obligations i'm
posed by the Constitution of the Union.


ANDREW JOHNSON,


President of the United States.


On the 2Sth September, nearly a month
before the above correspondence took place,
the Convention of Alabama, by vote Of go
to 10, passed an Ordinance similar to the
above; and Gov. Parsons informed the Pres
ident of the fact by telegraph. And on the
9th of October, the following correspon-
dence took place between the President and
the Provisional Governor of Georgia:
[Telegram.-Received 9 a. m, 2Sth.


MILLEDGEvILLE, Ca, Oct. 81, 1865.
HIS Eacelteacy Andreao johnson,


President Of the United States:


We need some aid to repeal the war debt.
Send me word on the subject. What should
the Convention do? J. JOHNSON,


Provisional GocernOr Of Georgia.
Telegram


EXECUTIVE OFFICE,


WASHINGTON, d. c., Oct %, 1865.
James johnson, Provisional Gocernor,


MiUedgeriile, Ga:


Your dispatch has been received. The
people of Georgia should not hesitate one
single moment in repudiating every single
dollar of debt created for the purpose of aid
ing the rebellion against the Government of
the United States. 1t will not do to levy
and collect taxes from State and people
that are loyal and in the Union, to pay a
debt that was created to aid in an effort to
take them out, and thereby subvert the Con-
stitution of the United States / do not be-
lieve the great mass of the people of the
State of Georgia, when left uninfuenced,
will ever submit to the payment of debt
which was the main cause of bringing on
their past and present suffering, the result of
the rebellion. Those who vested their capi
tai in the creation of this debt must meet
their fate, and take it as one of the inevitable
results of the rebellion, though it may seem
hard to them. 1t should at once be made
known, at home and abroad. that no debt
contracted for the purpose of dissolving the
Union of the States can or ever will he paid
by taxes levied on the people for such pur-
pose. ANDREW JOHNSON.
President Of the United States


On the 7th November the Georgia Con-
vention repudiated the rebel debt by vote
of 1873 to III.


The determination of the President from
the outset was that not one cent of the rebel
debt should be paid. The last instructions
he gave to the writer of this, as he was about
leaving Washington in May last, were in
these words: $50 home and see to it that
slavery is abolished, and that not one cent of
the rebel debt is paid" The policy of the
President in this respect was uniform. Every
State was required to ignore this debt, and
there is no shadow of hope that any State
that refuses to ignore it can be restored to
the Union. Much censure was visited on
the Provisional Governor of North Carolina
on account of the repudiation of the rebel
debt; but calm and just review of the facts
as they exist, will show that this censure was
not deserved. That officer, like the other
Provisional Governors, simply performed his
duty under the orders of the President.
1t is bad sign that any County, thus
early, while the Convention that passed the
above Ordinance is still in being, should at
tempt to tax the people to pay this debt
We warn politicians who want to pay this
debt, and holders of bonds who are looking
to their own particular benefit in this matter,
that the people ''iU resist any attempt to collect
taees to pay this debt.