that it was not made either to compel the State to do her just part, which she has always done, or to put more of her sons into active service for her defense, for every man called for by the requisition was in service before it was made. The President must, then, have had some other motive in making the requisition, and I think it not uncharitable, under all the circumstances, to conclude that the object was to grasp into his own hands the entire control of the whole reserved militia of the State, which would enable him to disband its present organization andplace in power over it his own partisans and favorites as major-general, brigadier-generals, &c., in placeof the distinguished officers who were appointed tocommand, in conformity to the Constitution of the country and the laws of the State, and who have commanded the organization with somuch honor to themselves, satisfaction to the troops, and advantage to the public service. Again, it is worthy of remark that the requistion is made upon me for the whole militia of the State - all I have organized and all I can organize-without limitation of time or place of service. If I comply with it the militia of Georgia, after the President has obtained absolute control over them, may be taken for the war from their State, as tents of thousands of their brave fellow citizens now are, while Georgia and their homes are being overrun. If I am asked to trust the sound judgment and good faith of the President for their discharge and return to their homes at such times as their services are not indispensable in the military field, I cannot forget the faith that was violated last fall to thousands of Georgians who were organized under a requisition from the President to be "employed in the local defense of important cities and in repelling in emergencies the sudden or transient incursions of the enemy; " to be employed "only when and so long as they might be needed," "with the privilege of remaining at home in the pursuit of their ordinary avocations, unless when called for a temporary exigency to active duty."

Thousands of these men, organized for six months' service, with the guarantees above mentioned, were called out early in September last, and were kept constantly in service till the expiration of their term in March. During most of the time they were guarding no important city. There was no sudden emergency or transient incursion of the enemy, no exigency for the last four months of the time, and still they were kept in service in violation of the faith that had been pledged to them and were denied the privilege of going homeor attending to the "pursuit of any of their ordinary avocations," and this, too, after the contract under which they had entered the service had been pressed upon the consideration of the President. It is impossible for the agricultural and other industrial pursuits of the people to be saved from ruin if the whole reserve militia of the State from sixteen to fifty-five are put permanently into the service as regular troops. Judging from the past, I cannot place themat the commandof the President for the war without great apprehensionthat such would be their fate. Indeed, not even the President's promise to the contrary is found in the requisition you now make. I amnot, therefore, willing to expose the whole reserve militia of Georgia to this injustice, and our agricultural and other interests to ruin, when no other State I required to make any such sacrifice or to fill any such requisition. The Constitution of the Confederate States authorizes the States, as well as the Confederacy to keep troops in time of war when actually invaded, as Georgia now is. Her militia have been organized and called into active service under her own laws for her own defense, andI do not feel that I am authorized to destroy her military organization at the behest of the President or to surrender to him the command of the troops organized and retained by her, by virtue