The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1867-06-12

WuO he nots IN popular iAhRuaRe, CHAR
acterized as county officers, do, in the
opinion Of Mr.. Stsnberty, come under the
dlsqusIifying clause.
Persons who exsfcise or exercised spe
cisl or occasional pubic duties. are not
included ss State officers, and such as the
following are. therefore, not dIsfrsnchised;
commissioners of public works. directors
Of State ssy ylums, visitors Of State univer'
sites, State directors Of banks or other
corporations, special commissioners or
agents appointed by State authority. 10
perform special duties IA examiners Of
banks. No'aries Public, an1 Commission
ers OF Deeds.
4 oATHs OF OFFICE.
Any person who has taken an os,h Of
office to support the Constitution Of the
United States and has violated that oath
and engaged in rebellion, is dsfsl hchised.
This tlause. as far as the executive or ju.
dcial officers OF State are concerned.
does not enlarge tho class subject to dis
franchsement, because the officer break
ing the oath must also he IA Judicial or
executive officer" OF State, Recording 10
the rule heteinbefore mentioped. Thus
militia officer or a Notary Public, who
had taken the said oath, would not he
disftanchised under this clause, because
he is not held to he a State judicial or
executive officer.
All officers Of the United States. both
civil and military, who have Sioiated their
osths, are Of course disfranchised.
8. ENG&GING IN RESURRECTION OR RE
| BELLIoN AND GIVING AID AND COMFORT.
These. without concurrent holding Of
one Of the designated offices. accompanied
by the taking OF the oath OF office, do not
work dIsltanchisethent. The two elertients
must concur, and in the order mentioned,
Tor person who has held designated
office and had taken the oath and had not
I ofterwdrds. participated in a rebellion,
may safely take the registration oath.
The clause, bo~eter. com prehends every
rebellion which has taken place in Tho
United States; and every foreign war In
which the United States has ever been
engaged. a person, therefore, who gave
aid and comfort TO the enemies of The
| United States 10 the war. with Great
Britain Of 1912. or in The war with Mesi
CO IN 1s4f, would be dsqyaIi6ed.s
All persons who did anv overt act.
either individually or officially, or in
civil or military capacity, in fur,herance
Of or for the purpose Of promoting The
rebellion, did, under the law, engage in
rebellion.
Soldiers compelled to service by con
scrip,ion, and slaves serving or aiding bv
the command Of their masters, or bv
military order, did not "engsge in rebel
lion;" are not Gisfranchsed.
Officers who. during the rebellion, dis,
charged official duties no, incident to the
war. but in preservation OF order and nd
ministration Of law, are not to be consid
cred as engaging in rebellion. This ap
plies to all Offices Of y purslr civil charac
ter, such as county and municipal offices.
and all Others Of like nature. which were
not created for the furth-rsnce OF the var
or the moro etfec,uaI carrying on Of hos
tili,ies.
Some direct overt act, dc ne with intent
to further tho rebellion, il necessary to
bring the party within the provision and
mea"'ng OF the law; and the pers"h ap
plying for registrauon Is not. therefore,
required to clear himself frrm any taiiit Of
disIoyalty incurred by mere disloyal senti.
ments or expressions.
Mere acts Of common humanity or
charity are not participation 10 rebellion.
nor are forced contributors or the Com.
pHsory payment Of taxes in aid Of the
rebellion but voluntary contributions,
subscriptions to ioaos, and even organized
contributions 9f food or clothing or neces.
ssry supplies. except Of stric,IV sanitary
character, are to be classed with acts
which disquslify.
DUTIES AND PowEss OF REoIsTR ALTON
BOARDS.
No other oath can be required OF, or
administered to, ahy applicant for regis.
tration but that Combined in rhe Supple
mentary act. Any O,hef would he extra
Judicial and without authority, and false
swearing could no, bs assigned as perjury
upon such unsuthor zsd oath
No authority is given TO enter upon
any outside inquiry into the qualification
OF the person PROPOSING TO tegntef, for the
oath itself is the sole and only test Of the
qualification Of the applicant. Ifhe take
that oath his name must 90 upou the
registry the board cannot inquire whether
he has s"orn falsely ortruIy that inquiry
mnst ba feserved' TO the court which NAV
afterwards have Jurisdiction 10 Try bin on
an Indictment for perjury
In experimenting the elections il is he
duty OF the boards TO receive the votes OF
the psrson' whose names ~re up for regis
tration, and to rsjec, all others. There is
no provision anywhere to .surchargs or
falsify, or to add single name TO the
registration. or to erase a single name
which appears upon it