The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-07-13
Lstter 1rom Con. sfclxles,.

-
lowing letter to the Hon. Lyman
Tru mbull, Chairman Judiciary Com
mittee, United States Senate:
CHARLESTON, S. O., July 5, 1857,
MY DEAR SIR: have decided not
to begin registration in this district
until Congress determines who shall
be registered. I trust, therefore, that
it will be the pleasure of Congress to
extend the time for the completion
of my registration, until-say, Octo-
ber or November. If I proceed now,
and disregard the wishes of the Pre-
sident, my action would be regarded
as insubordination; if 1 follow his
intimations, many would probably be
registered not eligible according to
the true Interpretation of the Acts of
Congress.
If it is meant that all who have
held any office-Federal, State or
municipal-having taken an oath of
office to support the Constitution of
the United States, and afterwards
engaged in rebellion, or given aid,
comfort, etc., are disfranchised, this
should be expressly declared; other
wise, if left to construction, it may
be held that no other officers are in
cluded than those classes enumerated
in Article vi of the Constitution,
and that even as to these n full par
don removes the disqualification.
Ii 1t Is meant to exclude lawyers,
they should be expressly mentioned,
or else described by some classi6ca-
ton; as, for example, after the word
coffee, add "any licensed calling or
employment or profession" Other
wise, if the eligibility of lawyers be
left to construction, it may be held
that lawyer is not public officer,
although functionary of q court or
other judicial body.
The truth Is, we have now in ope-
ration two distinct systems of recon
struction, originated by Congress,
and engrafted upon the Presidents
plan of reconstruction. The first
Congressional plani is expressed in the
Howard constitutional amendment,
leaving suffrage to be regulated by the
several States, and imposing upon GER
tain classes of persons disqualification
for Office, as sapunishmentfo orrebellion
and as a safeguard for the future.
That plan having been refused bv
the rebel States, Congress passed the
reconstruction Acts, which form q
second scheme of reconstruction,
entirely distinct in principle and plan
from the former. In the second plan,
Congress assumes control of the
question of suffrage, which is ex-
tended to all who can take q pre-
scribed oath, and also cnforces the
disqualification for Office, which
would have been the penal and con-
servative feature of the first plan.
Now, it seems to me that the true
conservative guarantee against re-
action is i'll the addition made to the
loyal vote by the acknowledgements of
the colored people. That being done,
the occasion for the disqualification
clause ceases. Hence, the true solu-
tlon, L believe, is to declare, with
universal suffrage, general amnesty
manning the exceptions. A more
liberal amnesty is, in my judgma mant,
essential to the success of the Con-
gressional plan Of reconstruction. 1t
will enlarge the range of popular
choice for the important judicial,
executive and legislative departments
OF the State Governments, otherwise
lnconveniently confined to classes
very few of whom are fit to hold Office.
The people can surely be entrusted
to Judge and select from those who
took part in the rebellion, the men at
once qualified and sincere in their
adhesion to the new order of things.
Such men. being eligible to office,
VIII have motives to identify them
selves with reconstruction, and to
support the views of the majority.
Now, more than ever, men of ability
and experience in public business are
needed for the State governments in
the South; and it is truly unfortunate
that at such n moment nearly all who
know anything of public affairs, and
especially those who could fill Judi
cial stations, are disfranchised. This
exposes the experiment of general
suffrage to needless hazards. If the
experiment fail, it is most likely to
fail from the inability of the people
to put in Office those who could and
would assure success. It would have
been advantageous, perhaps, to have
removed many disaffected persons,
especially judges, sheriiis and magis-
trates, III the execution of the sixth
section of the Act Of ID March, if
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