The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-29
Reeistration...The Intent OF the Party
offering to Register must be Consid-

tration laws of Congress as to demand no
s tice. The article shows itself to be the stud
led continuance of one who is no.friend to
the reconstruction measures, and who
would rejoice to see the purposes of Congress
in the passage of these laws defeated, Union
men excluded from the polls, and the con-
troll of the ballot-box given to the enemies of
the government.
As stated by the Sentinel, much the largest
class excluded from voting by the Registra-
ton laws, are those who "before the wal
held executive and judicial Offices of the
State" and afterwards " engaged in insurrec-
ton or rebellion against the United States
or gave aid and comfort to the enemies there
Of" And by the last amendment of Con-
gress to these laws, executive and judicial
offices of the State are construed to Gin
clude all civil offices created by law for the
administration of the general laws of the
State, or for the administration of justice,
whether the incumbent took an oath of Of
flee or not"
The Sentinel then asks:
"But what is engaging in rebellion, or
giving aid and comfort? 1t seems generally
admitted that this embraces only such per-
sons as rendered voluntary assistance. The
law does not say so, but the Attorney Gener-
al so construed it, and his construction seems
not to have been doubted on this point
Hence. the general idea is, that man who
paid his taxes, or was forced, by conscrip-
ton, into the army, rendered Involuntary as
sistance only, and is not DISTINGUISHED for
such assistance"
Here is an admission by the Sentinel that
the exclusion of the party from voting de-
ponds on the intent with which the aid was
rendered to the rebellion.
But before closing the foregoingparagraph
that paper says: g No man can register who,
after holding any of the above offices before
the war, and during the war sought any Of
,, flee to escape the hazards of the war; This
is not true, if intended to be applied to
Union men. Congress intended no such
thing. 1t is an attempt by the Sentinel to
deter from registering large and influential
class of Union men.
These Editors well know that thousands
of Union men sought and accepted office du-
ring the war to save themselves from being
forced into u traitorOus rebellion to fight
against the Union which was the idol of
their hearts, and the object of their affections.
Yes, thousands of the best Union men of the
country accepted such offices as Justice of
the Peace, Constables, Clerks of Courts, &C.,
&C., not to all the rebellion. but to sare them
selces from CONSUMPTION and they did good
service is restraining rebel lawlessness and
giving protection to Union men and poor
defenceless families whose natural protectors
had been forced into the rebellion. Every
man knows, and every honest seccssionist of
any intelligence will admit that Congress did
not intend by the Registration law to dis
franchise Union men of this class.
To properly understand the intent of this
law and to carry it into effect according to
its spirit and meaning, we must look to the
condition of the country and the object of
its passage.
The government of the United States had
just got through war which had been
waged by traitors and disloyal men four long
years for its destruction. At cost of thou
sands of millions of dollars and hundreds of
thousands of lives the rebellion was sup
pressed and the Union saved. Congress then
enacted :hese reconstruction measures to
exclude the enemies Of the Union from goting
and from all po,cer and control IN tile gocer7a-
naent, and to secure the support and preserva-
ton of the Union to its true friends only,
the Union men, and not to its enemies who
might engage in another conspiracy to
destroy it.
Such being the intent of the law which is
the true key to its Interpretation, it becomes
the duty of the Registers who are required to
be good Union men to carry that intent into
effect. In fact, the late amendment to the
Registration law enjoins it on the Registers
to give the act a liberal construction so as to
carry into effect the intent and the purposes of
Congress in the passage of the law.
Therefore, Registers must look to the IN
tent Of the party who may have aided the re-
bellion, to ascertain whether he is entitled to
register or not.
All admit, even the Sentinel itself, that
conscript who fought on the rebel side IS not
excluded Why? Because he was forced to
enter the army, while the disunionist who
volunteered to kill yankees" is excluded
They both fought against the Union i
Wherefore this difference? Because the
law, common sense and justice look to the
notices and intent of each. The one was
forced to take up arms against the Union,
while the other voluntarily did the same
thing, but with the intent to aid in its de-
struction.
The Sentinel also admits that one who fur
nished food and clothing to a soldier, be-
cause he was naked and starving, is not
thereby excluded while another who did
only the same thing, but did it sOith the intent
to aid the rebellion, is excluded So of the
Union man who accepted office during the
war to save himself from CONSUMPTION, to aid
in saving others from the army, and who
stood ready to restore peace and the Union.
He is not excluded. Not so with the rampant