The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-08-13
Registration of Voters.

registration OF fOterSs
The work of registering the voters in this
State will begin on the 18th instant. Il
must be finished by the first of October
after which the lists of voters must be re
turned to the commanding General al
Charleston, to be revised by him. This viii
require some two weeks, after which we may
expect an order for an election of delegates
to constitutional Convention. The number
of delegates will be 1870. The election will
probably be ordered about the first of De
cember and we may expect the Convention
to meet about the first Of January. A Con.
stitution can be framed by the first OF Feb
ruary, and by the middle of March it can be
submitted to the people for approval or re-
lection. The Convention can provide that
the people may vote on the same day for
Governor, members of the Legislature, and
seven members of Congress. If the Consti-
tuition is ratified by the people, it will then
be laid before Congress. That body can
approve it by the middle of April and the
members of Congress. being in Washington,
can be admitted to their seats; and then the
new State Government, under an ordinance of
the Convention previously passed, can be put
at once in operation.
As Congress has made rules, probably with
as much clearness as possible, prescribing
the qualifications of voters, and as much
discretion is given by the law to the Regis
trars, the commanding General did not deem
it his duty to give any specific instructions
on the subject The oath required would
seem to be plain. No person who held any
cioH office before the rebellion, said Office
having been 6 created by law for the admin
istration of justice" and who afterwards en-
gagged in instruction or rebellion, or gave
aid or comfort to the Confederate cause, can
register his name as voter. 1t makes no
difference whether he took an oath or not,
if he held the office. Persons who held mil
itary offices before the rebellion are not ex-
cluded. Persons who held no civil office be-
fore the rebellion, as above described, are en-
titled to register and vote. though they may
have fought the United States throughout
the war, and though they may now be as
hostile to it in feeling as they were while
fighting it.
The civil office referred to must have been
" created by law" 1t must have been exer-
cised "tor the administration of the general
law of the State, or for the administration
of Justice" under that law. The general
law of the State" is the common and statute
law, operating alike upon the whole State
Consequently, Judges, Governors, heads of
departments, Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs,
Clerks of Courts, Consta bles, and other per-
sons, who held similar civil offices before the
or who held office under the gov
of the United States, and after
wa1ds engaged in the rebellion, are excluded
from registering. What must a person have
done, to have engaged in the rebellion %
"Aye, there's the rub" This depends largely
on the intent of the person, as well as on the
acts performed. AS the oath itself is de-
clared by the law not to be conclusive, so no
mere act can be conclusive.
1t seems to us, therefore, that a man who
was forced into the army against his will, or
who accepted some office to avoid fighting
against the United States-who can prove
that, during the rebellion, he assailed
and embarrassed the Confederate govern
ment, expressed affection for the Union and
the flag, and desired the triumph of the
national government in the conflict, and is
now well-affected towards the government,
can not be said to have engaged in the re-
bellion, and ought not to be excluded. So
also of those who ministered in charity to
Confederate soldiers or their families In
word, the question of intent runs more or
less through the whole matter.
1t is important that competent persons
should be present at every precint to chal-
lenge such as may not have clear right to
register. The instructions of the command
ing General have wisely provided that this
shall be done. No injury to any can result
from it, but on the contrary good can be eff
fected, by securing the enrolment of persons
justly entitled to it, and excluding those
who are not entitled A mans best judges
are his immediate neighbors. They know
who engaged, and who did not engage in
the rebellion.
There are many points in this business
which must be decided by the good seense
and judgment of the Boards of Registers.
They are to construe the law literally, but
their discretion should be inside the law
If the lao clearly gives man the right to
register, they will have no right for any
cause, or from any feeling they may have, to