The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-08-23

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Letter from Hon. John N. Botts.
WHO NEED NOT APPLY FOR PARDoNs.
To The Editors Of the Richmond Rspub-
lie:
Enclosed you viii find for publica-
ton a letter from the Hon. John NJ.
Bolts, giving his construction of some
of the most important features of
President Johnsoy ; Amnesty Procla-
nation Of May 29. I had prepared a
communication for the press, but con-
curing with Mr.. Bolts in opinion, I
addressed him, knowing one from him
would carry with it FIR more weight
and 1nduence-being mutually deai-
rous of not only saving to our needy
people everywhere money which they
could poorly afford to expend, But to
relieve their minds and give them as
much peace and qt6etude as possible
in repairing their wrecked and shat
tered fortunes. Hoping the press
everywhere will aid in, diffusin9 the
welcome intelligence contained in Mr..
Bolts letter, am, most respectfully
yours, JOHN r. WOODS.
AUBURN, NEAR BRANDY STATION,
August 4, 1885.
MY DEAR SR: Your letter of the
30th July, asking for my interpreta-
ton of the Proclamation Of President
Johnson of the 29th of May, 1865,
has been received, and I avail myself
Of the first leisure moment to answer
it.
T think it clear that the oath of am
nesty and pardon is, by that procla-
nation, offered to ali, with fhe excep-
ton of the fourteeo different classes
Of persons enumerated, and from them
the benefits Of the amnesty oath are
withheld until special pardon is OBJ
tanned, and this pardon, as I.under-
STAND it, when obtained, only RENTS
be penalties that have been incurred
wv those who have endeavored to
Sverthrow the Government, without
comforting any political privileges
whateve:, which are controlled in
some Instances by the cnactments of
the United States Congress-, and in
others by the provisions of State Con-
stitutions and State laws las in this
State neither Of which are or can be
disturbed by the pardon of the Presi-
dent.
In reference to the thirteenth sec
ton which reads:
'All persons who have voluntarily
participated in said rebcllion, and the
estimated value of whose property is
over twenty thousand dollars y
This clause seems to be less under
stood than any of the exceptions con-
tanned in the proclamation; and there
are very many making application for
pardon who are not Mt I'll embraced in
the exception.
Union and loyal men throughout
the war, persons of advanced age, and
others who have had no participation
in the rebellion, either voluntarily or
involuntarily, all seem to think that
because their taxable property exceeds
twenty thousand dollars that it is ne
cessarily liable to confiscation unless
pardon Is obtained from the Fresi-
dent, and by their numerous appica-
tions are not only unnecessarily in
creasing the labors of the President,
Attorney General and other officials
in Washington, but are throwing
away their own means and time, and
making harvest for the lawyers who
are engaged in that branch of bust
ness
It is manifest that the thirteenth
clause is susceptible Of no such con-
struction. To those who have not
voluntarily participated in the rebel
lion, this clause has no apprehension.
no matter what amount of taxable,
property they may own; and whether
they have voluntarily participated or
not, is a matter that must be best
known to themselves, but there may
be other modes Of voluntary partici-
patton than that of actually bearing
arms against the United States: in