Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-03-06
From the Richmond Examiner.
Who is DISTINGUISHED.

The 3cd section of the Constitutional
Amendment reads thus:
SECTION 8. No person shall be q Senator
or Representative in Congress, or Elector of
President or Vice President or hold any office,
civil or military, under the United States or
under any State, who, having previously ia
ken an oath as member of Congress, or as
an officer of the United States, or as mem
ber of any State Legislature, or as an execu-
tive or judicial officer Of any State. to sup
port the Constitution of the United States,
Shall have engaged in insurrection or rebell-
ion against the same, or given aid AMI CON-
fort to the enemies thereof. But Congress
NAV, by a vote Of two-thirds of each Aouse,
remove such disability.
By the Wilson amendment, the persons DIS
qualified in the foregoing section from hold
ing office, are likewise prevented from voting.
The Richmond Examiner of Friday gives its
version as follows:
AS we read the third section, any man may
be elected to the Legislature. But there is
no other position of honor to which the pro-
scribed classes are eligible. The prescribed
classes of Richmond (and every where else:
we use Richmond for illustration are all
men who at any time previous to the war.
no matter how long before, did as officers Of
any sort, or members of any legislative body,
take an oath to support the Constitution OF
the United States, and who afterwards en-.
gagged in rebellion, or gave aid and comfort
to the enemies" of the United States. The
taking of the oath to support the Constitu-
ton of the Confederate States and the hold
inc of Office under the Confederate States no
matter how high the Office, create no dsabili-
ty to vote or hold Office under this section.
Neither is any man disqualified for Office by
reason of having taken On cath to support
the Constitution of the United States and af,
forwards engaging in rebellion, &c., provided
he did not take said oath as an officer, &c.
LAWYERS are not disqualified as such, although
before the war every one had to take that
oath, but only such hof them are disqualified
as had held Office. These explanations are
made in answer to questions propounded to
US. 1t is supposed there arc about one hun,
drcd and fifty men in Richmond disqualified
by the third section for holding office, and
by the reconstruction bill for voting for mem
bers of a convention to form q new Constitu
ton for the State They can only be rem
dered eligible 10 Office by vote oftwo.thirds
Of each House of Congress. All persons who
were formerly justices of the peace, judges,
assemblymen. &C., are disqualified.
The enfranchised class consists of negroes.
The bill provides that, whether we ratify the
Constitutional Amendment or not, negroes
shall hereafter vote for oil officers Of the
provisional government" as our masters
are pleased to term our State government
Negroes, however, arc not eligible to office.
1t is supposed there will be about double as
many white as black voters in Virginia.
Tie present Legislature cannot ratify tic
amendment 1t must be done by Legisla-
ture to be clected under constitution here,
after to be framed.