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| Monday February 4, 1861 |
Originating in a recommendation by South Carolina, a convention
of delegates from six seceding states gathered on this warm and
sunny day in the state capitol building in Montgomery, Alabama.
Texas, which awaited its referendum, was not involved in the early
deliberations. The delegates rapidly put together a provisional
constitution, which was adopted just four days later, on February
8. Shortly after, the delegates drafted a permanent constitution,
which was adopted on March 11. However, the slow process of
ratifying the permanent constitution meant that the provisional
version remained in effect until February 1862.
The delegates to the Montgomery convention were largely chosen
by the state conventions. They were a distinguished group of
southern leaders, and a surprising number were moderates.
Prominent fire-eaters, as ardent secessionists were called, were
often passed over in favor of more moderate men. Not
surprisingly, therefore, they chose the United States Constitution
as their model, and retained its basic features. There were
significant changes, however, such as references to state
sovereignty, slavery, and God. The Confederate constitution also
provided for an item veto of appropriations, a single six-year term
for the President, and for the seating of cabinet members in
Congress for discussions of department matters. It expressly
protected slavery in the Confederacy and its territories, but much
to the dissatisfaction of radicals, it prohibited the international
slave trade. Ironically, the Confederate constitution implied, but
did not assert, the principle of peaceable secession. It spoke
about sovereign and independent states, but also referred to a
permanent federal government.