The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-07-17
CHARLESTON. S. c.. July

letter to the Hon. Lyman Trumbuli, Chair
man Judiciary Committee, United States
Senate:
CHARLESTON, s. c., July 3, 1861
NJ DEAR Sir: have decided not to be-
gin registration in this district until Con-
gress deter mines who shall be registered. /
trust, therefore, that it will be the pleasure
of Congress to extend the time for the CON-
pletion Of my registration, until-say, Octo-
Der or November If proceed now, and
disregard the wishes of the President, my
action would be regarded as insuhorGna-
ton; if I follow his intimations, many
would probably 5e registered not eligible
according 10 the true Interpretation Of the
Acts Of Congress.
fit is meant that all who have held any
ofSee-Federal, State or icipal-haEing
taken ON Oath of Office to support thu Con-
s,itution Of the United d States, and after
wards engaged in rebellion, or given aid,
comfort, ETC., are diSlranchised, this shoald
be expressly declared ;-otherwise, if left to
cons; rnction, it may be held that no other Of
! 6cers arc included than those classes emu
merated in Article VI Of the Constitution,
and that even as to these Il full pardon re-
moves the disqualification.
IF tits meant 10 exclude lawyers, they
should be expressly mentioned, or else de-
scribed by some classification; as, for ex-
ample, after the word office" add "any
licensed calling or employment or profess
sion." Otherwise, if the eligibility of law.
gers be left to construction, it may be held
that lawyer is not public officer, although
a functiouary of court or other judicial
body.
The truth is We have now in operation
two distinct systems of reconstruction, orig
mated by Congress, and engrafted upon
the Presidents plan Of reconstruction. The
first Congressional plan is expressed in the
Howard constitutional amendment, leaving
suffrage to. be regulated by the several
States, and imposing upon certain classes Of
persons disqualification fer Office, as pun
ishmcnt for rebellion and as n safeguard
for the future. That plan having been re-
fused by the rebel States, Congress passed
the reconstruction Acts, which form Sec
| ond scheme of reconstruction, entirely dis
s;nct in principle and plan FROM the former.
In the second plan, Congress assumes con-
troll of the question of suffrage, which is ez-
tended to all who can take a prescribed
oath, and also cnforces the disqualification
for Office, which would have hcen the penal
and conservative feature of the first plan
Now, it seems to me that the true conserva-
tive guarantee against reaction is in the ad-
dition made 10 the loyal vote by the en-
franchisement Of the colored people. That
being done, the occasion for the disquali6-
cation clause ceases. Hence the true solu-
ton, believe, is to declare, with universal
| suffrage, general amnesty-namiag the
exec eptions. A more liberal amnesty is, in
my Judgment, essential to the success Of
the Congressional plan of reconstruction.
1t will enlarge the range of popular choice
for the important judicial, executive and
legislative departments of the State Govern
ments, otherwise inconveniently confined
to classes very few Of whom arc 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, will have motives TO identify them
selves with reconstruction, and to support
the views Of the majority. Now, more
than ever, men of ability AMI experience in
| public business are needed for the State
governments in the South and it is truly
unfortunate that at such q moment nearly
all who know anything of public affairs,
and especially those who could fill judicial
stations, are disfranchised. This exposes
the experiment Of genera suffrage to need
less 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 disafected persons, especially judges,
sheriis and magistrates, in the execution of
the sixth section of the Act of I'd March, if
competent successors could have been found
among those who are eligible 80 office.
And would regard the possession now
Of a wider feld-of choice for civil officers,
as one fthe most effective instrumental
ties in the execution Of the military author
ity conferred upon District Commanders.
AS it is, find myself prevented, as will the
people by and by, from securing for the
public srvice men Of aptitude and charac-
ter, whose repentance is as certain as the
devotion of the most CONSTANT loyaiist.
In truth, the zeal Of some of the converts
| out-runs the discretion ofmany of the faith.
full. With reference to other practical srg.
sestions, it might be useful if Congress, by
one of its committees, interrogated the
commanding officers of the several Districts
upon the operation of the reconstruction
Acts, and the further legislation required.
Very respectfully,
D. Z. SICKLES.