Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1867-07-20
PlCKENs COURT HOUSE, S. C, SATURDAY, JULY 90 1867
Important Letter from Gen. sickles,

Important Letter from Gen. Sickles.
The following is tho letter from Maj. Gen.
Sickles, Commanding this District, referred
to in our tclcgraphic columns:
CHARLESTON, s. C. July S, 1867.
MY Dear Sir Il have decided not to be-
gin registration in this District until Congress
determines who shall be registered. trust,
therefore, that it will be the pleasure of Con
gress to extend the time for the complexion
CT my registration, until-say, October or No.
vcmbcr. If proceed now, and disregard
the wishes Of the President, my action would
he regarded as INSTRUMENTATION if follow
his intmations, many would probably he reg
istcrcd not eligible according to sTc truc n-
depreciation of the Acts of Congress.
II it is meant that all who have held any
office, Federal, State or muncipal-ha having ta-
ken ar oath OF Office to support She Constitu.
t'cn OF the United States and afterwards en-
gagged in rebellion, or given aid and comfort,
etc, arc distranchiscd, this should be express.
ly declared, otherwise, if left to construction,
it may be held that no other officers arc inclu.
dcd than those classes eu~sAeratcd in Article
W of the Constitution, and that ever az to
these full pardon removes the disqualilica-
ton
If it is meant TO exclude lawyers, they
should be expressly measioncd, or else dcs-
crioed by some classification as for example,
after the word Office" nda "ony licensed
calling or employment or profession" 9th
crwise, if the eligibility of lawyers be left to
construction, it may be held shat lawyer is
not public officer, although n functionary of
Court or other judicial body,
The truth is, we have now in operation two
distinct systems of reconstruction, originated
10y Congress, and cn2raftea upon tho Prcsi-
ldcnt's plan of reconstruction. The first Con-
grcssonal plan Is expressed in the Howard con
stltutional Amendments, Esawing suffrage to be
regulated by the several States, and imposing
upon certain classes of persons disqualification
for office as pwnishmsms for rebellion and
as Il safeguard for the furarS~ Thas plan hay.
ing been refused by the rebel States, Congress
passed the demonstrations Nets, whicl, form
second scheme Of reconstruction, entirely
distinct in principle and plan from the former.
IN the second plan, Congress assumes control
OF tho question nf srffrape whie%- n, .s5staos
ded tn lnll who can take prescribed oath, and
also cnforccs the disqualification for office,
which would have been the penal and conscr-
vativc feature Of the first plan Now, + seems
to me that the true conservative guarantee
against reaction is in the addition made to the
loyal vote by the cenfranchiscmento of the colorcd
people That being done, the occasion for the
disqualification clause ceases. Nenae, tho true
solution, believe, is to declare, with universal
suffrage, general amnesty nming the cx-
ccpions a more liberal amnesty is, in MY
Judgment, essential to the success of the Con-
grcssional plan of reconstruction. It will en-
large the range of popular choice for the i'm
portnnt judicial, executive and Legislative de-
partmcnts Of the State Governments, other
wise inconvcnicntly confined to classes very
few of whom are fit to hold Office, The pco-
pie can surely be cntmrstccH To j,idEG H.sd Sc
lect from those who took part in Tic rebellion,
the men at once qualified and sincere in their
adhesion to the new order of things. Such
men, being eligible to office, will have mo.
tivcs to identify themselves with reconstruc-
ton, ,and to support the views Of fife majority.
Now, more than ever, men of ability and cx.
pcricnce in p,sblie business nrc needed for the
State Governments in the South and it is
truly unfortunate that'at si,ch moment near
~ all who know anything of public affairs,
and especially those who could hll judicial
stations, arc disfranchiscd. This exposes the
experiment of general suffrage To nccdlcss;llaz.
ards. If the experiment fail, it il most likely
to fail from the inability of the people to put
in Office those who could and would assure
success 1t would have been advantageous
perhaps to have removed mary disaf1ectcd
persons, especially Judges, SherifTs, and Mag
,strates, in the execution of the sixth section
Of the Net of Zd NIarch, if competent sue.
ccssors conld have been found among Shosc
who ere eligible to office. And would re-
gard tho p's cssion now Of d wider field of
choice for civil officers, as one of the most ef-
fectivc instrumcntalitics in the execution of
the military authority conferred upon District
Commanders. As it is, | find myself prcvcn-
ted, as will the people by and by, from sccu.
ring for the public service men Of aptitude and
character, whose repentance is as certain as
the devotion of tic most consistent Ioyasts.
In truth the zeal of somc Of the converts out
runs the discretion Of many of tho faithful.
With reference to othtr practical suggestions,
it might be useful if Congress- by one of its
committees, interrogatcd the commanding Of
fcers of the several Districts upon the opera
tion of the Reconstruction Acts, andt the fur
thcr legislation required.
Very respectfully,
-. Il. SICK LES.
Hon LYMAN TRuMBuLL, Chairman Judici-
ary Committee, II. s. Senate.
From Washington.