The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-07
WHO GAN REGISTER.

| WHO GAN REGISTER:
From the passage OF the lirsl Rcconsi ruct ion
Act i'll March last, down to the present time,
wc have aglin and again cndcavored to
familiarizc our readers with the nature and
provisions Of tho several Acts of Congress bear.
ing on Reconstruction. liut it would appear
we have faile'l in our rnlcnvor; for we hear
almost dnily Of persons whose i,lcss Oh The
subject are hopclcssiy AMI mosl uncomfortably
confused. Some there are whu believe that Ilo
une can register who has 'ai,lcI and albeit c
the rcbrllion;' others arc Of the opinion
that the "iron-cla'l' oath must he taken 10y
every one VIII" PROPOSES 10 register. These
aud oihcr misconceptions appear To prevail
much more widely than we could have thought
after the repeated publication Of the laws on
the subject, with the exposition that has been
repeatedly given in all The public prints. II
| il 10 he accounted FOR in the fact that, when
this information was published, many fell IL,
! immediate interest in the lHnitcr, registration
being then far oIr: anl now, when the time for
The application OF these laws has come, many
| are ignorant Of their nature.
NC fcIunlsh therefore,. uh our lin page
this morning, The several Acts passed. by CON
,.rcss having in view the rest oraiinn Of the ten
Southern States to the Union. They are |.
The Aci Of March =. iSG1. =. The Act sup
plcmrntary thereto, passed March -, lSli7.
3. The Second Supplemental Act. passed July
10, 1857 and It'll, The (li"wAnr) Amendment
proposed to be a,lcd to the Constitution of The
United States.
These documents, together with General
| Orders M. ,"'. from the headquarters Of ihc
Second Military District, containing The
tRcgulations fur Eegistra,i0n, embrace the
entire body OF Legislation ihr snlirc: and
we would advise our readers to lay by this
copy Of The NEWS for reference.
Aud now we will briefly consider who.
privilege Of registration:
]. All colorcd men iwcniy-onc years old,
who have rcsietti in The State uuc year next
preceding the date of rcgisl ration.
.. All while mrn, native anL resident here,
who have attained the age Of twenly Y one years,
since The rlusr Of The war.
=. All mcu. whether they were Engaged in
.
ir"ri,i,H they did not Lrfnrc the war hold any
office under the Gntc'l STATES Government. or
held amy "civl Office created hy law fur the
administration Of any general law Of II State, or
for the administration Of Justice
WHO AuE pisrEANrnlsEn?
MI men who have either borne arms against
ille United States. 'uled and allotted in the
rebellion. after having (at any previous period
OF their lvrs) taken m oatl, rs n member of
Congress, or as an officer Of The United States
or as II member Of amy State Legislature, or ny
an executive or judicial officer of any State, To
support the Constitution of the United States, :"
are ,lislranchisc,l. This is according 10 The
first Reconstruction Act, and this clause is
based upon section :id Of the proposed Consii-
tutional Amendment. The second Act contains
nothing oil This head.
The I'd, however, passed ut the July session,
IN section 9TH. enncts f'that the true intent and
meaning of the ontll prescribed in sail supple
meniary Act is (nmong other things) thnt no
person who Inns been u member of The Lcgisla-
turc Of any State or who las held any exccu-
tive or judicial Office in any State, ,rheihcr he
has taken an oafA 10 support Tie Constitution Of lie
Unitra States or mol, and whether he was hold
inS Office ut The commencement Of the rebellion
or had held il before, and who was afterwards
engaged in insurrcctiop or rebellion against the
United States or given aid or comfort 10 the
enemies thereof is entitled 10 he registered or
10 vote; and The words executive or judicial
officer in amy State in said oath mentioned
shall be construed 10 include al civil officers
created by law for the administration of any
general law of State, or for the udministra.
tion Of Justice
Under this clause, we think, arc COMPRISED
NIL officers, of whatever character, of either
the United Slntes or any Of The States, except
ing, perhaps, officers Of the militin The Dis
irict Commander is clothed with large discrc-
tionary power in the construction of all doubt
iul points in these Acts. We cannot say what
GERS, but incline TO the belief, thai in The case
of lnwyers, also doubtful in The minis of mnny.
he will rule that they nre not ,lisrranchiscd.
This we infer from his letter 10 Senator TnrM-
HILL, wherein he set forth what he deemed a
proper Interpretation Of the clause in question.
in Article Xiy-the constitutional Amcnl-
ncnt. As Congress did not lcgislaic on the
subject with sufficient clearness 10 exclude
doubt, it is fair 10 suppose TINT Gen. SIcKLEs
when he has the power to be his own iuternyc-
Ter, will rule in accordance with the Indications
laid down in his letter.
PostInasters, magistrates, notar les public
md indeed all officers of every grade, VIC pre
sumo, must lie considered disfranchiscd under
the last act. Judge USpERw0oD, last week.
charged tho Grand Jury in Richmond specially
TO investigate charges of perjury made against
ex-posnnslers who have registered.
In Tho case Of several of the officers mem
TONED, we know there will still he doubt, and
we hope that Con. SIcRLgs will, Mt m carly
date, in General Order, define beyond n
doubt or peradyenture, who nrc entitled to
register and who arc not. IIo is tho only
authorized exponent within the limits of North
and South Carolina. An order of this kind is
much needed, and nothing else can sci at rest
the anxiety and doubt of tho individuals con-
ccrncd.
-.