www.filibustercartoons.com/CSA.htm
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA In 1861 six states of the USA seceded from the American union and declared themselves independent, forming a new, rival country known as the Confederate States of America. In the months that followed, an additional seven other states copied suit, dividing the former US into two clearly-divded rival factions. The Civil War that followed has become a major event of American historical lore. Countless books, reenactments, and commemorative plates have all been churned out in the decades since. But why was the Civil War even fought in the first place? Modern-day Confederate apologists insist the South only separated for legitimate political reasons- they were being pushed around and oppressed by a tyrannical federal government dominated by northern politicians who had no respect for the sovereignty of the states. Everyone else insists the Confederacy was founded for a much less noble reason, namely to ensure slavery could remain legal. We can get a good glimpse into the founding principles of the Confederacy by taking an in-depth look at the Confederate constitution, which was approved, and came into use by the rebel states on March 11, 1861. The document is largely a word-for-word copy of the United States constitution, but with several key changes. The changes offer the clearest window of insight into how precisely the CSA intended to be different from the USA, and why. THE CHANGES Before we get into a line-by-line comparison, I should point out the general, minor changes that occurred during the revision process: * All references to the "United States" were changed to the "Confederate States;" references to the "Union" were changed to "Confederacy." In most cases, each paragraph from the US constitution is numbered as a single clause, but in some cases the CSA merges multiple clauses into one big one, or breaks up long paragraphs into several smaller ones. Note that in the CSA column red text indicates new additions to original US clauses.
NOTES We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. We, the people of the Confederate States, each State acting in its sovereign and independent character, in order to form a permanent federal government, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity -- invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God -- do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy's preamble generally deleted any reference to collective interests, presumably because it obstinately intended to be a country focused more on the independence of the states. It not promise to form a "perfect union" nor does it aspire to provide for the "common defense" or promote the "general welfare." So there would be no court challenges about the Pledge of Allegiance in alternate CSA-won-the-Civl-War-world.
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. All legislative powers herein delegated shall be vested in a Congress of the Confederate States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. Changed the world "granted" to "delegated," which I suppose makes the federal government seem less authoritarian and more egalitarian, in a mild way.
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several States; and the electors in each State shall be citizens of the Confederate States, and have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State Legislature; but no person of foreign birth, not a citizen of the Confederate States, shall be allowed to vote for any officer, civil or political, State or Federal. The Confederacy explicitly declares that only citizens of the CSA can vote in elections. In the USA, the individual states have the power to decide voter eligibility, so already here's one power that the supposedly more pro-"states' rights" Confederacy is actually taking away. No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained the age of twenty-five years, and be a citizen of the Confederate States, and who shall not when elected, be an inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. Since the CSA was just being created, the Confederacy could not demand that their Representatives be citizens for seven years. The USA could, because at the time their constitution was adopted the US had already existed for almost ten years under the Articles of Confederation. Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three. Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several States, which may be included within this Confederacy, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all slaves. The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the Confederate States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every fifty thousand, but each State shall have at least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of South Carolina shall be entitled to choose six; This is a complicated clause detailing how to measure the population of the states. At the time, the US formally regarded slaves as only counting as "three fifths" of a person, which allowed the non-slave states to be over-represented in the Congress. The CSA kept this rule for some reason, probably to even out representatives among their slave-heavy and slave-light states. The US constitution also bent over backwards to avoid using the term "slave" or "slavery" in the document, but the pro-slavery CSA apparently didn't have a problem calling a spade a spade. Lastly, the the CSA appeared to aspire to have a smaller Congress, as Representatives could represent up to 50,000 people, while in the US the max is 30,000 per Congressman. When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies. When vacancies happen in the representation from any State the ex...
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