Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-06-08
MILITARY DESPOTISM.
Gen. SehOfEeId's Construction of the
Military Reconstruction Act-Wheie-
sale Acknowledgement.

Military Reconstruction Act-Wnole-
sale acknowledgements.
Gen. Schofeld issued an order on the Sd
inst, containing instructions for the gov
eminent of Boards of Registration in Vir-
ginia, which will disfranchise very large
portion of The white people Of that State
certainly much larger than was intended
by Congress, as interpreted by the Attorney
General. And this order is issued in de-
fance of the opinion of the Attorney Gen
eral. The following paragraph viii show
the bent of this military satrap, who went
to Virginia with so fair reputation for
impartiality, but which he has been swift
to forfeit to the behests of Radicalism
l. All male citizens of the United States,
twenty-one years of age and upwards, Of
whatever race, color or previous condition,
who have been resident of the State for one
year, except such as may be disfranchised
for participation in the rebellion, or for
felony, are entitled to be registered as vo-
tiers, upon their taking and subscribing the
oath or affirmation prescribed by the act of
Congress of March 23d, 1867.
2. All those who were at any time mem
bers of Congress- or officers Of the United
States, civil or military, and, as such
officers, took an oath to support the consti-
tuition of the United States, and all who
were at any time members of any State
Legislature, or executive or judicial officers
of any State, and afterwards engaged in in
surrection or rebellion against the United
States, or gave aid or comfort to the enc
mics thereof; and all who have been con
victea of felony against the laws of any
State or of the United States, are disfran-
| chised.
3, No one is disfranchised for participa-
ton in rebellion, unless he previously held
| some one of the offices above named.
4. The following will be regarded as
executive and judicial officers of the State
of Virginia, within the meaning of the
law, viz: Governor, Lieutenant Governor,
Secretary of State, Auditor of Public Ac-
counts, I'd Auditor, Register of the Public
Land Office, State Treasurer, Attorney
General, Judges Of the Supreme Court OF
| Appeals, Judges of the Circuit Courts,
Judges of the Court of Hastings, Justices
of the County Courts, Mayor, Recorder and
Aldermen of any city or incorporated
town, who are er-offciO Justices, Coroners
of towns and counties, Escheators, Inspec
tors of tobacco, -four and other commodities.
5. All persons who voluntarily Joined the
Rebel army, and all persons in that army,
whether volunteers or conscripts, who COM
mitted UOIlntagily any hostile act, thereby
engaged in Instruction or rebellion. Any
person, however, who was forced into the
rebel army, but avoided as far as possible,
doing hostile acts, and escaped from that
army as soon as possible, cannot be said to
have engaged in the rebellion.
8. All who exercised the functions of any
Office under the Confederate government. OF
the government of any one of the Confed-
crate States, which functions were of ma
| ture to aid in prosecuting the war, or main
tanning The hostile character of those gov.
ernments, and all who voted for the ordi
nance of secession, engaged in the rebellion
or gave aid and comfort to the enemy.
z. Those who voluntarily furnished sup
| plies of food, clothing, arms, ammunition
horses or any other material of war, oil
labor or service of any kind, to the Con
federate military or naval forces, or money
by loan or otherwise, to the Confederate
government or aided in any way the rails
iuA, organisation or equipment of troops
| gaze aid and comfort to the eeelsyssAA
participated in the rebellion and evil wa
against the United States.
8. To give individual soldiers food OIL
clothing enough to relieve present suffer
ing, or to minister to the sick or wounded
are simple acts of charity or humanity
and do not constitute giving "aid or com
fort to the enemy" A parent may Civ
his son, who belongs to the hostile army
food and clothing for his own use; but i
he give him gun, horse, or other thing
to be used for hostile purposes, he thereb
gives aid and comfort to the enemy.