Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-07-10
ADDRESS.


The undersigned, your fellow Citizens, 'ac-
ius,ed by no selfish motives, regarding Ci1ly
The honor and prosperity of ourSsate and of
her people, d;sclaiming any mention to as
sumo the position of dictators or TO iHtrude
upon Your privilege of private Judgment, de
sire to offer you, in ell sincerity, as the result
(. of their calm deliberations, few words OF
couasel concerning your rights and duties in
the present condition of our public affairs
We have learned with regret that many, OF
Son have expressed your intention nosto
register voar na,ncs IS voters under the recent
ac;s of the Congress O: the United States,
known as tie military Bills" We ask you
to reconsider that resolution before 1t shall
have become fixed and irrevocab!e deternn-
nati5n, and to examine in the spirit betting
So solemn question, tie grave consequences
involved in your decision
We appreheud that many of YOU are infu-
epced by tue mistaken idea that adherence 10
the late Confederate Government, or service.
civil or military. under it, constitutes grouad
Of disqualification and deprives yoa OF tie
right OF registering your names and conse-
ouen;'y of votin. at the coming elections 1t
SO, we assure you that you are in error. 'Such
is not the to,r Two elements must combine
in order to produce the result Of d:squaliilca
tion under the military acts.
!, person must not only have served or
ade1 the Confederate States during the late
w,r bot he must also have previously taken
an oath to support the Constitution OF the
Tni:ed States on his assuming the duties o.
,me national or State office specified or in
cluded in the terms ofthe act. Nsitfer SER
vice in the armies OF the Confederate States.
n5r civil employment under their govern
men,, nor any amount of aid Of any character
which YOU may have rendered to the Confed-
crate cause, can alone effect your disqnalif-
cation. You may have fought under the Con
tederate flag in every battle during the whole
war; YOU may have invested thousands in
Confederate bonds, nevertheless you are not
dissranchisea. nor debarred from the right oi
registering, if (supposing you to possess the
qualifications OF age, residence and citizenship
You can swear that you have never previously
to the war of secession taken an oath to sup
port the Constitution of the United States as
member of Congress or as a civil or militia
ry o(Iic.r of the United States, or as mem
Der of State Legislature, or as en- executive
or iuGicial officer of State. The persons
i,cinded in the terms Executive" and iu
dical" officers, are defined and designated
in the opinion of the Attorney General of the
United States" and in the orders OF General
Pope, to which you all have access through
toe public prints,
So also any one of you may before the war
have held any of the enumerated Offices, and
have taken, when entering upon its duties
an oath to support the Constitution of thc
United States, yet if he did not afterwards
compromise himself by aiding the Confedera
cy in the manner contemplated by the acts
he is not excluded from the rights Of register
ing and of voting.
To create the disqualification intended by
the law, therefore precious incumbency Of one
of the designated Offices gitL taking the oath
to support the Constitution Of the United
States, must bc connected with subsequent
support of the Confederate cause of the char.
acter contemplated by the military acts.
Upon these points there can be no doubt.
The remaining qualifications required Of
the applicant for registration are that he is q
citizen of the United States, (uatiye or natu-
ralized1. that he is twenty-one years of.age
1T the time of registration, resident of the
State and county for at least twelve months
pr.rious to the day of election. He may
have been resident for less time before his
registration, but the full period must DC CON-
pleted before he can be d voter at any election
Many Others of you, We learn, intend de-
clining to register your names from impulses,
spring,ug out of sentiment and individual
pride; impulses which we appreciate aud res
pect, but which we think TO be, under the
present circumstances, impractical and delu-
sive, and calculated to distract your attention
from your obvious duties and responsibilities.
You shrink from what you consider a-per-
sonal humiliation, in consentng to submit to
the dictation of those who now WELD the
power of the General Government and who
choose to exercise it despotically.
We entreat you TO discard. these feelings,
and to accept cur calmer judgment and coun
sci in this matter.
We agree with you in condemning the acts
which Congress has passed, bnt we do not &C
knowledge that there is any voluntary humil.
iation in asserting the rights allowed TO Ills by
them.
Granting that the acts under consideration
are unconstitutional, arbitrary and unjust
that they violate established principles Of po
litical right, and wantonly force the safe,
Guards of social freedom yet, until repealed
or annulled by competent Judicial Tribunal
Neu are tile lars Of the land IN aoiich pc lice
You can "accept tie situatiom' with dignity
ard without sacrifice Of sef-respect.
The war is over, the issues upoa which il
was wared have been decided against US
You have done your duty in that contest. bu
another duty still devolves upon you. The
crestion now is how to restore our State to q
peaceful position of prosperity and of political
freedom. To this end Georgia needs and de
,nands the aid of all her sons. The only way
in which YOU can render that aid is by quail
fv;no Yourselves to be voters at the coming
election. You can d. that only by register
i,e vour names under the provisions of the
military acts. In DO other way can you as
sumo your true positions and grasp once more
the power which is your birthright.'
II YOU hold back now and refuse to register
consider what may be the consequences o
your inaction and the responsibilities that vii
rest upon you.
A very few votes may decide the prepoa
derance of power at the next election. VIVA
fearful contingencies are involved in that sim
pie suggestion.
If you refuse to register, yeu deprive your
salves of the opportunity of voting tor OF
against Convention, and for or against the
Constitution which that Convention may
adopt
If you refrain from qualifying yourselves te
he voters, what guarantee have you that the
Convention may not frame Constitution fol
vonr State that viii on the very ground o.
your default disfranchise yourselves and your
sons foreyer2