THE CONFEDERATE GOVERNMENT AT MONTGOMERY.

IOI

ripe experience and statesmanlike grasp of the situation — men of largeknowledge, with calm, strong, clear views of the policies to be pursued.Alexander H. Stephens characterized this convention as “the ablest bodywith which he ever served, and singularly free from revolutionary spirit.” JIn the organization of the convention, Howell Cobb was chosen to preside,and J. J. Hooper, of Montgomery , to act as secretary. It was decided toorganize a provisional government under a provisional constitution, whichwas adopted on the 8th of February. On the 9th a provisional Presidentand Vice-President were elected, who were installed in office on the 18thto carry the government into effect. In regard to this election, it was agreedthat when four delegations out of the six should settle upon men, the elec-tion should take place. Jef-ferson Davis was put forwardby the Mississippi delega-tion and Howell Cobb bythat of Georgia. The Florida delegation proposed to vote forwhomsoever South Carolina should support. The SouthCarolina delegation offered nocandidate and held no meet-ing to confer upon the matter.The chairman, Mr. R. Barn-well Rhett , did not call themtogether. Mr. Barnwell , how-ever, was an active supporter of Mr. Davis , and it was af-terward said that while inWashington in December, asa commissioner to treat forthe evacuation of Fort Sum-ter, he had committed himselfto Mr. Davis . At any rate, hewas zealous. Colonel Keitt afterward stated to the writerand others in Charleston that

WILLIAM L. YANCEY, MEMBER OF THE CONFEDERATE SENATE,CONFEDERATE COMMISSIONER TO EUROPE IN 1861.

FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.

J The deputies elected to meet at the Mont-gomery convention were: South Carolina , R.Barnwell Bhett, Lawrence M. Keitt , C. G. Mem-minger, Thomas J. Withers, Robert W. Barnwell,James Chesnut, Jr., W. Poreher Miles, and Will-iam W. Boyce ; Florida , Jackson Morton, JamesB. Owens, and J. Patton Anderson; Mississippi ,Wiley P. Harris, W. S. Wilson, Walker Brooke,Alexander M. Clayton, James T. Harrison, WilliamS. Barry, and J. A. P. Campbell; Alabama ,Richard W. Walker, Colin J. McRae, William P.Chilton, David P. Lewis, Robert H. Smith, JohnGill Shorter , Stephen F. Hale, Thomas Fearn, and

& Father of the v

Jabez L. M. Curry; Georgia, Robert Toombs ,Martin J. Crawford, Benjamin H. Hill, AugustusR. Wright, Augustus H. Kenan, Francis S. Bar-tow, Eugenius A. Nisbet, Howell Cobb , Thomas R.R. Cobb, and Alexander H. Stephens ; Louisiana ,John Perkins, Jr., Charles M. Conrad , EdwardSparrow, Alexander De Clouet, Duncan F. Ken-ner, and Henry Marshall. The Texas delegateswere not appointed until February 14th.'

These delegates had been appointed by the con-ventions of their respective States on the groundthat the people had intrusted the State conven-tions with unlimited powers. They constitutedriter.— Editors.