The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-09-27
The Objections to the Constitutional
...'.t. .... Amendment. ... ..H ..r.


From the Times. n..pH l
One strong argument urged for factious pur
poses by the Democrats, is that the Southern
States will never accept the third section of the
Constitutional amendment. ..
This section, it will be remembered, excludes
from the Senate or the House, or from any
United States or State office, civil or military
any person who had previously taken an oath
to support the Constitution as member of
Congress- OF an officer OF the United States, or
member of any State Legislature, or as judi.
clal or executive State officer, and has engaged
in or given aid to the Rebellion. 1t is urged by
Democratic journals that this exclusion will
embrace all the prominent leaders of the South,
ard that we cannot expect of the Rebel States
indeed, that it would he the height of baseness
that they should gam all the benefits of
amnesty and leave their leaders to punishment;
They claim that in the view of the South all
their statesmen and generals and officers were
engaged in a righteous cause which has been
unsuccessful, and that now to deliberately
abandon these trusted servants after defeat to
political exile, is what could not be expected
or demanded OF the insurgent States, II TINS
| exclusion were law forced upon them by their
| conqueroTs, 1t would be different and might De
| borne; but to enact 1t themselves, and TO make
| it a part OF the organic law of the nation
| when without their adoption the amendment
| might never De passed., IL Is 700 tuluCu dsh
| from any population. The Rebel States, 1t Is
| said, win stay out for years rather than accept
] it, and therefore ii becomes an lmpracncaDle
/ proposition OF settlement. ,s,- ,s. ote.p1,.,t.,
! We admit that there is some force IN tne op-
lection; but there are also very strong coanler-
vailing considerations 1t must be borne IN
mind that this disability can be removed py q
two.thirds vote of each House in any individual
case so that persons presenting themselves from
| the insurgent States who had not been pa1t'cu-
larly obnoxious in the Rebellion mghtDe lmme,
| dlately received, even though they were reacheu
by the provisions OF this section. IsdslaE az
Then again, in all probability, large pnnDe y
of 81 ew mem will now come to the SURFACE a.
: the South, who have never been IN any teoera
!. or state office, who are ambitious, and who Wi
seelx office under the State or National Govern
ments' These men will naturally seek to VIII
| over their communities to accept the amend
ment and If adopted, they will pc the hrst Y
present themselves to Congress or to their OWL
RennbIics, too, are uagratelul; the Southern
z States will be no exception; they will gradual
NEGLECT or forget their leaders, IL may b
that they will see that it was especially th
j unhridIed ambition of few desperate and a6l
| men which preclpitated war, and then op
: struoted peace, and finally overthrew all IN
~ common ruin. "hi c.n. tr9e 10 ,.Il.u Al,
TheyCwIll hardly be willing TO sacrifice all IN
l. great advantages Of sharing In the Oosernmel
e ofthe country for the sake OF these few leader
"a ! They viii prefer to give them ,up,h OF. 10 ie
3 4 them take their chance of admission 70 cor
y Rress, rather than for themselves 20 renal
10 tout OF abe Unonp or under the d1rect SoPeri
10 ment OF Washington moi io' Qua a''7h ~'' TO