Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-08-16
Registration.

We published day or two since an AID
dress from Governor WORTH, urging upon
the people of the State the necessity and
Importance of registration. 1t is equally
important for those who are in favor of, Oh
adverse to, the reconstruction measures OF
Congress, who are in favor Of or opposed
to- Convention, or who may like or dis
like the Constitution which that Conven-
ton will adopt, to register. In either event,
their approval OF, or opposition to, the
course of reconstruction, in its various
stages, will be of no avail, unless they have
their names properly entered upon the re-
gistration list.
1t therefore becomes ail-important to
know who can and who cannot register
This has now become very plain under the
instructions given by General SICKIEs in
his recent order upon the subject. With
the omission of not naming the officers en-
braced by the expression, 'created by law
for the administration Of the general law
of the State, or for the administration of
justice" there is nothing left to surmise.
Unexplained by the only person now au-
thorized to construe the act of Congress
for us, and as anxious as we are that as few
of the citiz ems of the state as possible
should be disfranchised, we feel compelled
to advise all persons who, previous to the
war, held any State OF Federal office and
who " AFTERwARD engaged in instruction
and rebellion against the United States, or
gave aid and comfort TO the enemies there
Of" not to register.
All males, twenty-one years of age, who
have resided in North Carolina for twelve
months, are entitled to register, unless they
have been conoicted Of felony, been members
of any State Legislature, E.cecaice or Judi
ciaZ officers Of any State, members Of Congress.
or o6icers Of the United States, AND AFTER
WARD engaged in the war, or gave aid and
comfort to those who did. Many persons,
and we fear some of those appointed regis
trars are included in this number, have
grossly misconceived this part of the oath
required of those who offer to register, and
some even confound the oath required of
Registrars (the test oath) with that of the
person offering to register.
No person is DISTINGUISHED for simply
having held Office previous to the war, nor
for merely having engaged in the war Or
given aid and comfort to those who did.
To work Acknowledgement, person must
have done BOTH He must have precious
to the war held Office and then engaged in
it or given aid and comfort. By reference
to the oath, published elsewhere (see Form
q, it will be seen that the applicant has to
swear that he is twenty -one years old that
he has not been DISTINGUISHED for partici-
patton in any rebellion or civil war against
the United States land no citizen of North
Carolina has been thus disfranchised), nor
for felony; that he has never been mem
Der of any State Legislature, nor held any
executive or judicial Office in any State AND
AFTERwAID engaged in instruction and re-
bellion against the United States. or given
aid and comfort 10 the enemies thereof i
that he has never taken an oath, as a mem
Der of Congress or as an officer of the
United States, or as member of any State
Legislature, or as an executive or judicial |
officer of any State, to support the Consti.. |
tuition of the United States, AND AFTERwARD
engaged in insurrection or rebellion against |
the United States, or given aid and COM
fort to the enemies thereof It is therefore |
as plain as the English language can ex-
press any fact, that it requires the concur
renee Of taC0 elements to work disfranchise-
fhn &C. Il