The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1865-11-02
TO the People Of Berkeley County.
rosDectfully invite vo,,r attention, IN

TO the People Of Berkeley County.
respectfully invite your attention to
subject to which recent events have
but given increased significance.
Many Of you are aware that the Con.
stitution Of West Virginia contains
clause, which provides for its amend
ment-thus: when the proposed amend
ment has been agreed to by the IIegis-
Iature, it is required to be submitted to
the succeeding Legislature at the first
session to be held after the next general
election, having been published three
months before the election. If agreed
| to during such session it is then required
Ito be submitted to the voters for rati
Idcation or rejection.
On the LIST of March last the Legis-
lature resolved, as follows:
Resolved by the Legislature of West
Virginia. The following is proposed as
an amendment to the Constitution of
this State, to be added at the end of the
fist section of the third article thereof,
to become part of the said Constitution
when ratified according to the provis-
Lions thereof, namely:
"No person who, since the first day of
Hume, 1851, has given or shall give vol
untary aid or assistance to the rebellion
3against the United States, shall be q
4citizen of this State or be allowed to
8vote at any election held therein, unless
he has volunteered into the military or
naval service of the United States and
bias been or shall be honorably dis
charged therefrom."
i The Section of the Constitution, refer
red to, is as follows:
1.-THE white male citizens of this State
shall be entitled to vote at all elections
held within the Election Districts in
which they respectively reside but no
IperSOn who is q minor or of unsOund
mind, or pauper, or who is under con-
kiction of treason, felony, or bribery at
kny election, or who has not been resi-
lent of the State for one year, and of
The county in which he offers to vote for
thirty days, next preceding such offer,
bhall be allowed to vote while such disa-
bility continues"
There being, under the Constitution,
no power in the Legislative body to
Utter the citizens right of suffrage, ex-
$ept that contained in the 9Th Section of
Article 3, authorizing the Legislature
in time of war, insurrectiou, or public
Hanger" to require every person voting
pr elected, or appointed to any Office or
rust, civil or military, to take an oath
10 support the Constitution of the United
States and the Constitution of the State,
he amendment, referred to, was pro-
posed tOb thus inserted i'll the Consti-
BUTTON.
j The principle of this proposition is
bital. 1t would disfranchise and deprive
II all rights Of citizenship very large
proportion of the people of this county.
adopted, the system of popular gov
Eminent is, here, at an end. In addition
b those Laws upon the Statute Book of
Nest Virginia, which disqualify all
ersons, who have given aid, counsel,
puntenance or encouragement to the
ebellion, from acting as Jurors in any
hse-which enable the defendant in
ny case to defeat any suit, at law or
equity, upon the same ground of objec-
ION to the plaintiff--which, as construed
" some of the Courts, prohibit those
vho will not swear that they have never
iven voluntary aid and comfort to the
ebellion, by so countenancing and en-
ouraging the same, from exercising the
authority or discharging the duties of
wen the Offices of executors, admins
rators, guardians, attorneys, or the like
there is, now, proposed to be added,
by constitutional inhibition, a depri-
Eation of all rights Of citizenship, while,
It the same time, no exemption from
aration is to be granted.
In my view, apart from any other con-
alterations connected with those laws
Ind thiscontemplateda amendment, wide
Epread mischief must ensue if they shall
be sanctioned in greater or less degree
affecting the interests of all classes of
persons, of whatever opinions, in the
Values of real and personal estates, in
|he buying, selling, and improving prop