Monday, April 26, is Confederate Memorial Day in Georgia and much of the Old South. There will be numerous events in the area sponsored by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Sons of Confederate Veterans and numerous other pro south organizations. The day is recognized by the State of Georgia as an official holiday with state offices closed.

Confederate Memorial day is the only day of the year that the original Confederate Constitution can be seen. It is owned by the Hargarett Rare Books library at the University of Georgia and spends the rest of the year rolled in a lead tube and stored away in a heavy vault. Exposure to light and cosmic radiation would gradually continue to fade the ink.

Therefore, it is put on display only the one day each year along with a selection of other period artifacts and documents from the University’s collection. It is open to the public and I encourage any of you who have an opportunity to go see this rare historic document.

General Howell Cobb of Athens was one of the principal authors of the Confederate Constitution. Because the Confederate States considered themselves to be the true descendents of the United States Revolution, they claimed for themselves the Declaration of Independence and the basic principles in the U.S. Constitution. Starting with the original, document, they made several key changes that enhanced the personal freedoms and states rights that they believed were the goals of the founding fathers.

Some examples of these changes are: One six year term for President. Their idea was that once elected, the president would be free of political pressures sense he would not be seeking re-election. It is the opinion of many historians that General Robert E. Lee would have been the second president had the Confederacy survived.

The President was granted a line item veto, meaning that he could veto parts of a bill while allowing other parts to become law. This is a power the current Presidents do not have.

Because excise taxes were a major factor in the revolt of the Southern states, the Confederate Constitution only allowed such taxes for harbor improvements. Any spending on internal improvements had to have a two-thirds vote of both houses of congress.

Many other changes put limits on government power in favor of the rights of the individual. I find it fascinating that so many of the demands being made by the current Tea Party movement were written into the Confederate constitution 150 years ago.

Then, after you view the constitution, you are invited to attend the April meeting of the Madison County camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans where we plan to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the document, and compare it to the current U.S. Constitution. The meeting will be Monday, April 26 at 7:30 in the community room of First Madison Bank in Colbert. Every one is welcome.

Copyright © 2010 by Frank Gillispie
frank@frankgillispie.com, Hull, GA