Jefferson Davis, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government

The so-called election on the Constitution, and for state officers, legislature, and members of Congress, was held on April 20th and following days. The state constitution was declared to be ratified; Rufus W. Bullock, the so-called Republican candidate, was declared to be elected governor by a majority of seven thousand votes. The legislature assembled on July 4, 1868, with three Senators and twenty-five Representatives who were negroes. The fourteenth amendment to the federal Constitution was adopted, and all the conditions of Congress were fulfilled; on July 28, 1868, she was declared to be restored to the Union. Subsequently it appeared that the state convention had made no provision which could be construed as expressly giving the black man a right to hold office, and all these members were expelled from the legislature. The matter was taken up by Congress, and the state was not fully recognized as in the Union until 1870.

The proceedings in Florida commenced with the usual proclamation of President Johnson. It was issued on July 13, 1865, and appointed William Marvin provisional governor of the state. On August 3d he issued a proclamation prescribing such rules and regulations as were deemed necessary for the choice of members of a so-called state constitutional convention, and appointed October 10th for the day of election, October 25th as the day on which the delegates should meet. They ‘annulled’ the secession ordinance, passed an ordinance, prohibiting slavery, with a preamble in these words: ‘Whereas, slavery has been destroyed in this State by the Government of the United States; therefore. . . .’ Another ordinance declared void the liabilities contracted for the war. Freedmen were made competent witnesses in any matter wherein a colored person was concerned. An election of state officers, of the members of the legislature, and of Representatives in Congress, was ordered to be held on November 29th, and the legislature was required to meet on December 18th. Governor David S. Walker was inaugurated on December 21st, and on January 18, 1866, the provisional governor surrendered the conduct of the state to the so-called constitutional authorities. At this session of the legislature the lower house unanimously refused to ratify the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The military rule which had prevailed in local affairs was relaxed on April 27, 1866, and all civilians under military arrest were turned over to the civil authorities for trial.