Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-03-26
WHO ARE DIsTRAHoHIsED BY the

LHGIsLArI0E OF CONGRESS
The Louisville Courier says; From
an examination Of the various bills II
appears that the following is the condi'
ton of the various classes mentioned IN
tine various bills which have already been
passed;
lat All persons who, before the war,
were members of Congress or officers OF
the United States, and took an o1en ~
support the Constitution of the Ohileu
States aud afterwards engaged IN the
rebellion. I'd. All persons who, prior 70
the war. we're executive, legislative, OF
iudicial officers of the State, aud took the
like oath, and engaged in the rebellion;
This embraces Governors, members oil
the Legislature, and judicial officers
from a Judge of the Supreme Court down
10 A Justice Of the Peace, who at any
time held the office and took the oath,
and afterwards engaged in the rebellion
Who then are not exoludedG lst No
one is excluded because he held an office
under the Confederate States from Presi'
dent down, ifhe does not fall within one
of the excluded classes above specified
The simple fact that he was a Conieder-
ate Senator, or Confederate General,
or that he took an oath to support the
Constitution of the Confederate States,
does not exclude him.
I'd. No State or county officer is ex-
claded on account of his having held the
Office and taken the oath and engaged in
the rebellion, if he were not an executive,
leqislatire or judicial officer; therefore,
neither lawyer, sheriff, clerk, tax col
lector, receiver, county treasurer, cor
oner, surveyor, constable, or road com
missioner is excluded.
3d. As no man under twenty.one years
of age, when the war began, held any
such Office is disqualified, and none of
them took the oath to support the Con-
stitution of the United States during the
war, and as the war commenced nearly
six years ago, no man in Georgia under
twenty-seven years of age can be ex-
cluded.
4th. Militia officers are not excluded.
5th. The whole mass of our people
who fall within none of the excluded
classes above mentioned, are free from
the disqualification, aud may vote and
hold Office 10 the State without regard to
the part they took in the war
1t is evident that these prescriptions
will exclude a large proportion of the
people. Every man who has participa-
ted in the rebellion, and has prior to that
period taken an oath to support the
Constitution of the United States, is
prescribed. No matter how long before
the war he may have taken the oath to
the Constitution, though it may have been
half a century, he is still excluded by
that fact from all official position. 1t is
a relentless and inhuman policy, I'M
worthy of an enlightened people and a
free Government and yet there are men
in the South who, for their ewn personal
benefit, and in the apprehension Of mea-
sures still more severe and exclusive,
are willing to accept the legislation now
presented to them, and fix upon
aud their posteFity the badges
of degradation which have been pre-
pared by their foes. We cannot believe
that the mass of the Southern people are
yet ready to be guiltyof this selfabase-
ment, and hope to see them repudiate
the blind and selfish guides who are
leading them to disgrace