Maryland free press., 1866-08-09
sal For the Maryland rfssrssni
The Duty or Registe r, Gliil s1sa

oa"m The DUTY or Register :Gliilelso
Il is Hoped that the registers recently apno,.,d
ed sby IGov. Swami viii, unlike:their pr-a,..s
sors, proceed toezecate the dntiessof t6-ir o.
with ilnpartiality, and free from ptviadies "a
passion. Assuming that they win De 80. llot5s.
calmly and familiarity consider the natuss aas,s.
duty imposed Upon the registers by the eou,ti,s.
tion'nnd' the act of assembly. lafa 70 9oHafbsdo
g The lst article and 4th section Of the fsa,s,,s
ton prescribe the qualifications and lsiisabN,e..
OF the voter, and further provides that they sbsIt
be passed upon and determined BY the rSeSSfs,.sY
The language Of Inc section il, in an :. sbsss.
plain and explicit, SO far as II excludes fror, M
right Of suffrage all those who we're aot;nss =.
gagged In the rebellion, or who icontributed "a
and comfort to them. THERE'S but one chss
in the section which IL capable Of pervrr,;s.
and it will no doubt be invoked for the ps,,a-,
Of excluding many an honest voter from tbeSons
khe hug aage referred to Is as fellows: M ~
ons'who has by any open deed or word dest...
cd MS adhesion to the cause Of The enemies Il.
United States, or hisidesire for the gtriumJh y,
said enemies, &c, :" shalllbe entitled 10 yo,. 81
The proper Interpretation of this languages e,s...
fy, Is intended to exclude those onlv who Bsx.hv
some act or ''ord openly identified themselves viii
the rebellion, and opposed the government Of a.
United States, and did net design to,iemt,.s.
those who In the exercise Of the right or pfiy..e
Judgment and familiar conversation, which Ia,
free government, whether In peace or war dts..
not be taken away, may have condemned Tie r..
ton Of this government, or sympathised Win
the Southern Confedcracy. nc this were not Tie
true construction, why use the word 'topenofst
all?. By the generalrule ofinterpretation oflap..
language, the adjective .'open,h ss we'll a. m,
words, 'who has declared" is carried, By impli.
cation, to the next clsnse, which would thea
read, 'or (who hts declared his iopen( odesr.
for the triumph ofsaid enemies y, YThis i mani.
testify the proper construction, for the reason ,b.,
without the words .'who have declared i, being
transposed, there would be no sense whateser IA
the clause, and necessarily in adding these words
you add also the word ''opcn." That the ,ro,a
"epsn' qualities 'desire, /" is also manifest from
the fact that it conld never have been the iuseu.
ton OF the conseAtion to deny the right of sui.
fragc 10 party for having merely entertained m
unexpressed or inward "desire for the triumph Of
said enemies" when they did not exclude one
who had even by deed and word declared his sd-
hesion to the cause Of the enemies Of the United
States, ''proyidedihe had not done 20 by sny ep..
deed or word" s. ...,,, o,,,,,
1t must therefore be clear to every candid mind.
that the constitution by its express ..erms, -
well as BY its spirit, never designed 10 exclude
from voting those who merely sympsthizsd with
the South in the late war, even by deed, rord or
des're, provided they did not do so in such an
opsea manner, as publicly TO identity then with
the cause of rebellion. ,.1.J,
: 10 all that has been said, tie answer MAY. b.
pressed, that whatever may be the true import Of
the terms Of the constitution already referred te,
the language Of the oath which the jsdges NJ d.
ti0ns moy administer to each voter at the pos .
prescribed BY the same section Of the coasiits-
tion, is surely broad and clear enough to exclude
from voting all Southern sympathirsrs. The oath
which the judges ''mayn administer Is simply tie
oath Of allegiance with the following clause SUPER
added, viz az do swear thati have never given
any aid countenance or support to those In armed
hostility to the United States, that I have never
expressed d desire for the triumph ofssid enemies
:. VIII PC observed mat tns language nin
The present TENSE, as the oath or Is In The
a.'e ""se pds' NAG already oeen PROVIDES
lot m .ne previous part OF the section. Ias
uses q In0se VINO mao oeen sonnecsed win ss
ogp.nern ,eoelnon now passed, nad oeer dispo
ssa y, anu 'ne convention 'nenproceeoed 20 pro-
s,us .or p,ssen ana ,mars cases A. tnsre nov
az oAs /. a nc nos','y 70 'ns un np SsAt
't,. oouu DC no a'd gwen OF oeslre e1pfs''seas
-, u. ,,, l'u'nph and 'h's Is NOT mere .eenni-
:. qu'os,, upon 'A"suas was sne nanits'
- -. soa'sa''on 70 .e.ef oniy % 'a ~.
all tue work OF the registers would
y su',se'ca % the review OF the judges, ana
'a'su. :, SCI AZ hoasn' oy mem, whereas N VS.
- ..e Pslpose Q. sne coasension 20 make me
49, saA..e 20 ne !es's.sfs sna wnien
.a, nm ~. s..es:y aec'ceu " me Court 9. APP
800. 10 su'aaon Unsigned on!y 70 snases
p,e'e~ 'soe''''s-.rsoeli'on EXISTING 81 sns anA
49, ."e so'se sppeea 70 nave nasoAa'ot asPoae
~ 'sa y .as 0oa'oi aow passso " ne
~ W.. " ,.'e ooula "na o. .he 'Norsa, ase -
$3.50. mss'' Wnehese. y saoula occur ana oseo"e