The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1866-10-10

DIsfRANCHIsING CLAUSE OF THE HOW.
t,.a ARD AMENDMENT. II
Extract from tho late addrsss Of tho Soldier. and
Sailors Csnvention At cleveland.
No person shall be Senator or Rep
resentative in Congress. or elector Of Pre-
sldent and Vice President, or hold any Of
nee. civil or military, uuder the United
States. or under any State. who, having
previously taking an oath, as member Of
Congress. or an officer of the United States.
or as member Of any State Legislature,
or as an executive or judicial officer of any
State, 10 support the Constitution OF the
United States. shall have engaged in insur-
rection Or rebellion against the same. or
given aid or comfort to the enemies there
OF. But Congress may. by a vote Of two
thirds OF each House, remove such disa6il-
ity." I"
The elect Of each of these utterly dis
connected propositions of the amendment
IS made 70 depend upon the acceptance or
rejection of the whole. Il seems incredi.
BILE that those who insisted upon thus CON.
meeting them could have expected that they
wosld be ratified. The Southern people,
after following their political leaders into
the late struggle and sharing the risk Of
their late through four years Of terrible war,
are called upon 10 aid the prescription.
Whatever punishment their bodies NAV
deserve at the hands Of the government, IL
Is unintelligible that statesmen should have
dreamed OF asking their associates and fol-
lowers TO intict that punishment upon them,
especially a punishment of lasting dis
grace more terrible than any which the
Government itself is authorized TO impose.
Ii in the midst Of their errors the people Of
the South retain the ordinary fidelity of
comrades in arms to each other-the com.
mon sentiment Of honor which rules oil
companionshiP--ihey will NOT soinnfar;i,-
ly and ste sdily followed amid 50 many pc
tlls. They will not accept this third sec
iIon oil the amendment, and they are Tor
bldden to accep: the others without il. We
6eileve that the only effect Of such . pro-
position will be prolonged exclusion OF
the South from the practice OF self-gosern.
men; aud the training Of patriotism but II
they could be persuaded or constrained TO
accept il, we are at loss 70 perceive the
benefit 10 be derived from IL, because no
act of Congress, nor anything contained in
the proposed amendment, gives any pledge
or assurance that the adoption Of those a.
mendments will secure lae admission oi
loyal representatives from the Southern
States now excluded, or the recognition OF
theit constitutional relations To the govern
ment ot the United States. The preamble
aud resolution adopted IN the case Of Ten
nessee do not commit Congress to the res.
toraliun Of the Union, should their example
be followed at once by every Southern
State. Ii is evident from the course pur-
sued by ihe extreme men who urge these
amendments, and from The sentiments e.
nunciated by them, that il is their fixed
purpose, even il the amendments be adopt
cd, 10 slill insist upon the political equali
~ OF the cOlored race ss a condition pre-
cedent to admitting loyal representatives
irom The Southern states lately 10 rebel
lion. The partisans OF these conditions at
tempted to excite the indignation aud alarm
ui the country, by declaring the re.admls-
siun Ul the South without them, as an aban-
dunment ol all the dear bought fruits oi the
war. 4, is not Tor the soldiers and sailors
u that war 10 shrink from being wise. lest
they sIlunld be suspected ol Insulting the
sta,es % their comrades, and forgetting
Tue objects for which they suffered 80 much.
They know that there is a progress IN the
life uf this nation, and that there Is God
who snimates that life, and they hold that
tear to be as in6jel ss II Is coaardly. Ma.
tlons never die IN their adolescence. The
manhood which this people has siudIcated
10 war will not sIcken aud perish 10 peace.
The South cannot, if il would. cast od tue
obligations Of events aud under the good
that has been done il has shared already
and Tor law as irresistible as time must
continue TO share the common development
ul this season Of quick growth. The North