ARTICLE II
Section 1.
The executive power shall be vested in a President of the Confederate
States of America. He and the Vice President shall hold their offices for the
term of six years; but the President shall not be re-eligible. The President and
the Vice President shall be elected as follows:
Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may
direct, a number of electors equal to the whole number of Senators and
Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress; but no
Senator or Representative or person holding an office of trust or profit under
the Confederate States shall be appointed an elector.
The electors shall meet in their respective States and vote by ballot for
President and Vice President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant
of the same State with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person
voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice
President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as
President, and of all persons voted for as Vice President, and of the number of
votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit, sealed, to
the seat of the government of the Confederate States, directed to the President
of the Senate; the President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate
and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall
then be counted; the person having the greatest number of votes for President
shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of
electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons
having the highest numbers, not exceeding three, on the list of those voted for
as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by
ballot, the President. But in choosing the President the votes shall be taken by
States-- the representation from each State having one vote; a quorum for this
purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the States,
and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House
of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice
shall devolve upon them, before the 4th day of March next following, then the
Vice President shall act as President, as in the case of the death, or other
constitutional disability of the President.
The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice President shall be
the Vice President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of
electors appointed; and if no person have a majority, then, from the two highest
numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice President; a quorum for
the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a
majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice.
But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be
eligible to that of Vice President of the Confederate States.
The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the
day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the same
throughout the Confederate States.No person except a natural-born citizen of the Confederate States, or a
citizen thereof at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, or a citizen
thereof born in the United States prior to the 20th day of December, 1860, shall
be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that
office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty five years, and been
fourteen years a resident within the limits of the Confederate States, as they
may exist at the time of this election.
In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death,
resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office,
the same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may, by law,
provide for the case of removal, death, resignation or inability, both of the
President and Vice President, declaring what officer shall then act as President,
and such officer shall act accordingly until the disability be removed or a
President shall be elected.
The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services a
compensation, which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period
for which he shall have been elected; and he shall not receive within that period
any other emolument from the Confederate States, or any of them.
Before he enter on the execution of his office he shall take the following
oath or affirmation:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of
President of the Confederate States of America, and will, to the best of my
ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution thereof."
Section 2.
The President shall be Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the
Confederate States, and of the militia of the several States, when called into
the actual service of the Confederate States; he may require the opinion, in
writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any
subject relating to the duties of their respective offices; and he shall have
power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the Confederacy,
except in cases of impeachment.
He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to
make treaties; provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall
nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate shall appoint
ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court,
and all other officers of the Confederate States whose appointments are not
herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law; but the
Congress may, by law, vest the appointment of such inferior officers, as they
think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of
departments. The principal officer in each of the Executive Departments, and all persons
connected with the diplomatic service, may be removed from office at the
pleasure of the President. All other civil officers of the Executive Departments
may be removed at any time by the President, or other appointing power, when
their services are unnecessary, or for dishonesty, incapacity, inefficiency,
misconduct, or neglect of duty; and when so removed, the removal shall be
reported to the Senate, together with the reasons therefor.
The President shall have power to fill all vacancies that may happen during
the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end
of their next session; but no person rejected by the Senate shall be
re-appointed to the same office during their ensuing recess.
Section 3.
The President shall from time to time give to the Congress information of
the state of the Confederacy, and recommend to their consideration such
measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary
occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them; and in case of
disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may
adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive
ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be
faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the Confederate
States.
Section 4.
The President, Vice President, and all civil officers of the Confederate
States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of
treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
Article III
Section 1.
The judicial power of the Confederate States shall be vested in one
Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may, from time to
time, ordain and establish. The judges, both of the Supreme and inferior courts,
shall hold their offices during good behavior, and shall, at stated times, receive
for their services, a compensation, which shall not be diminished during their
continuance in office.
Section 2.
The judicial power shall extend to all cases arising under this Constitution,
the laws of the Confederate States, and treaties made, or which shall be made,
under their authority; to all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers
and consuls; to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction; to controversies
to which the Confederate States shall be a party; to controversies between two
or more States; between a State and citizens of another State, where the State
is the plaintiff; between citizens claiming lands under grants of different States;
and between a State or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens or
subjects; but no State shall be sued by a citizen or subject of any foreign state.