advised Georgians to accept the situation. He,
with other wise men, thought it was a waste of time and opportunity to
discuss constitutional questions at a moment when the people were living
under bayonet rule. Joe Brown's plan was to accept the situation, and
then get rid of it as quickly as possible. Ben Hill's plan was to
fight it to the last. There was a fierce controversy between these
two leaders; and such strong expressions were used on both sides, that
General Pope made them the subject of a curious letter to his commander
in chief, General Grant.

General Pope seemed to be afraid that war was about to break out again,
and he assumed charge of everything. He removed and appointed mayors of
cities, solicitors, and sheriffs. He closed the State University because
a student made a speech which was in effect a defense of civil law.
After a while the general said he would reopen the institution if the
press of the State would say nothing about the affair. In 1867, General
Pope ordered an election to be held for delegates to a State convention.
The polls were kept open five days, and voters were allowed to vote
in any precinct in any county upon their making oath that they were
entitled to vote. The convention met, but, in the nature of things,
could not be a representative body. Thousands of the best and most
representative men of the State were not allowed to vote, and thousands
of other good men refused to take part in an election held under the
order of a military commander: consequently, when the convention met,
its membership was made up of the political rag-tag-and-bobtail of
that day. There were a few good men in the body, but they had little
influence over the ignorant negroes and vicious whites who had taken
advantage of their first and last opportunity to hold office.

The authority of this convention was not recognized by the State
government, and this contest gave rise to a fresh conflict between the
State officials and the military dictators who had been placed over
them. The convention needed money to pay its expenses, and passed an
ordinance directing the treasurer of the State to pay forty thousand
dollars for this purpose to the disbursing officer of the convention.
General Pope issued an order to the treasurer to pay this amount. The
treasurer declined to pay out the money, for the simple reason that
he was forbidden by law to pay out money except on an order or warrant
drawn by the governor, and