The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1865-10-11
Admission to Congress.


Our Northern contemporaries are discus
sing the question of the power of Con
gress as to The admission of applicants
Tor seats IN that hody..s The st. Louis
Republican holds that the Constitution
is to besthe guide of Congress- in this mat
ter; and that whenit gave Congress the
right to judge of ''the qualifications,
elections and returns" of its members,
the exercise of that right was limited by
other provisions OF the Constitution.
which defined the terms used above. In
strictness, it may be contended that Con-
gress has no right to refuse admission to
ayspersOn to whom admission IL not-Se-
fused by the Constitutions. of the pro-
visions which confer this right on Con-
gress, Chancellor Kent says they are in
tended ITO preserve pure and genuine
representation, and to control the evils
OF irregular, corrupt and tumultuous
elections" and this decision, he says,
should be regulated by known plinci
Piles OF law" require that Congress should
be governed by the provisions which set
forth what are the things which qualify
for seat person applying for admission
to Congress. 90 III lA-F
Stress is laid by the radicals upon the
fact that there exists an act of Congress
requiring test oath of every such per-
son. The Republican then asks has Coa-
gresssa right to- exact such an oathi Ger
tainly not, if the foregoing propositions
arc correct. Besides, the National In
telligencer pertinently asks:
"Can Cong gress rightfully 60 SO far as to
embrace-under our Constitution-in an
interdict, persons whose errors in the past
have been legally effaced by the seal of
citizenship stamped on them by the par
doning power of the President of the
United States W
If the exercise of this power complete
ly "res torres the civil status of the of
fender" he cannot be indirectly deprived
of that status by an act of Congress. The
New York Commercial also alludes to
the same subject and takes issue with the
radicals. The Commercial regards the
test oath as military necessity" in time
of war, when it was necessary and even
vital to know who were sound and loyal,
and to keep out of Office all who would
use their position to thwart the legitimate
purposes Cs the Government, embarrass
its action, or give encouragement to it's
enemies. he'oath belongs to war fegis-
Iation, and the Commercial thinks lis
day has passed. The laws rendered ne
cessary by the great struggle ended last
spring, and are among the curiosities OF
the past. They have ser 'ed their purpose,
and they find no place in the era OF peace.
The duty of this day is to repair what has
been wasted, to recognize the end of hos
tilities by breaking down the barriers that
were erected between the North and
South. There is no more place or reason
for the test oath, and for the suspension
Of ha6eas corpus, than for trade restric-
tons already brushed away, or passports
across the border. North and South. All
alike belong to different order of things,
to an effete legitlation. Will Congress be
wise enough to recognize the new situa
ton, and show by its acts that hormony
is restored and that the Union exists
with all its privileges accorded to all its
citizens, who are acknowledge to be
loval and not criminal. whether by their
own acts or by that of the President ?
We think it will.