Ordinance of Secession of Tennessee

Ordinance Of Secession Of Tennessee
(Adopted by the State Legislature (subject to voter ratification) in the State Capitol at Nashville, on 06 May 1861.
The referendum held 08 June 1861 confirmed it by a vote of 104,913-47,238.)

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND ORDINANCE
dissolving the federal relations between the State of Tennessee and the United States of America.

First. We, the people of the State of Tennessee, waiving any expression of opinion as to the abstract doctrine of secession, but asserting the right, as a free and independent people, to alter, reform, or abolish our form of government in such manner as we think proper, do ordain and declare that all the laws and ordinances by which the State of Tennessee became a member of the Federal Union of the United States of America are hereby abrogated and annulled, and that all the rights, functions, and powers which by any of said laws and ordinances were conveyed to the Government of the United States, and to absolve ourselves from all the obligations, restraints, and duties incurred thereto; and do hereby henceforth become a free, sovereign, and independent State.

Second. We furthermore declare and ordain that article 10, sections 1 and 2, of the constitution of the State of Tennessee, which requires members of the General Assembly and all officers, civil and military, to take an oath to support the Constitution of the United States be, and the same are hereby, abrogated and annulled, and all parts of the constitution of the State of Tennessee making citizenship of the United States a qualification for office and recognizing the Constitution of the United States as the supreme law of this State are in like manner abrogated and annulled.

Third. We furthermore ordain and declare that all rights acquired and vested under the Constitution of the United States, or under any act of Congress passed in pursuance thereof, or under any laws of this State, and not incompatible with this ordinance, shall remain in force and have the same effect as if this ordinance had not been passed.

Sent to referendum 06 May 1861 by the State legislature, and approved by a vote of 104,913 to 47,238 on 08 June 1861.

Tennessee General Assembly
(Only members of the Senate are listed. This list is in development.
Should you wish to assist, please e-mail the Historian.)

Officers of the Senate
(County of representation is in parentheses.)

SPEAKER OF THE SENATE

Tazewell W. Newman (LINCOLN & FRANKLIN)
(Resigned as Speaker, but retained Senate seat, 01 May 1861.)
Burton Lewis Stovall (HENRY, WEAKLEY & OBION)
(Elected: 01 May 1861.)

CLERK

John McClarin (SMITH)

ENGROSSING CLERK

Franc M. Paul (SHELBY)

DOORKEEPER

J.D. Swan (DAVIDSON)

Tennessee State Senators (To assist in completing full names contact the Historian.)
BEDFORD & MARSHALL	KNOX & ROANE
James M. Johnson	James S. Boyd
BENTON, HUMPHREYS, PERRY, DECATUR & HENDERSON	LINCOLN & FRANKLIN
James E. Mickley	Tazewell W. Newman
CLAIBORNE, GRAINGER, ANDERSON & CAMPBELL	MADISON, HAYWOOD, LAUDERDALE & TIPTON
Melchijah V. Nash	R.W. Bumpass
DAVIDSON	MAURY, LEWIS, HICKMAN & DICKSON
John Trimble	Thomas McNeilly
FAYETTE & SHELBY	MEIGS, McMINN, POLK & MONROE
Robert G. Payne	James Tidence Lane
GIBSON, CARROLL & DYER	OVERTON, FENTRESS, MORGAN & SCOTT
V.S. Allen	Reese Thomas Hildreth
GILES, LAWRENCE & WAYNE	RHEA, BLEDSOE, BRADLEY, HAMILTON & MARION
H.W. Hunter	John A. Minnis
GREENE, COCKE, SEVIER & BLOUNT	ROBERTSON, MONTGOMERY & STEWART
David Vandyke Stokely	Judson Horn
HARDIN, McNAIRY & HARDEMAN	RUTHERFORD & WILLIAMSON
George Boddie Peters	John Watkins Richardson
HAWKINS, HANCOCK & JEFFERSON	SMITH & SUMNER
William McDermott Bradford	James L. Thompson
HENRY, WEAKLEY & OBION	WARREN, CANNON, COFFEE, GRUNDY & VAN BUREN
Burton Lewis Stovall	Edward J. Wood
JOHNSON, CARTER, WASHINGTON & SULLIVAN	WHITE, JACKSON & MACON
George Rutledge McClellan	Sidney Smith Stanton, Sr.
WILSON & DeKALB
Jordan Stokes