Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-06-22


somss, N 10 siisssihss, . most slssalss dee
amssi an ons'iss h. p'eplflsis Ceas'e..
~ uhieh bgdy the Attorney GENERAL seem.
10 he IN msnlfes, terror
Our people are nov thoroughly aeeus.
toned 10 sdIeis, and have ceased 10 hope ior
justice or reason, hence, the Attorney 0en.
cral might Just ne we'll have given us hIs
conclusions and spared the arguments, with
which We have nothing 10 do. In thls In
stance At least, the Advantage Of being un.
dersiood would heve been much nearer st.
tanned.
As the subject Ia one In which our peo-
pie are directly concerned, We present In
this connection, for their convenience, the
"0pinion" reduced 10 such dimensions as
will suffice TO present the points decided I;
REGISTRY.
I. Tho registry OF voters once
made, ia fixed an unalterablc. The
vote OF u person whose name ia on
the register, shall not be disputed,
IL he has been twelve months a citi.
zen.
2. A citizen may register, if he has
not been resident twelve months,
in the State his right to vote TO
commence. when that term Of resi-
dehce shall be completed.
3. But no one may register unless
twcnty.one years Of age on the day
no offers himself.
4. Anunnaturalized alien may not
register.
5. Tho registration must DO con-
cluded before the LIST of September
next.
A citizen, therefore, who might
be twenty-one years of age on the
LIST of September may not register,
and cannot vote at any election sub
sequently held under the act.
| Observation-Disclosures.
1. No person has been disfran-
chised, or is to be so considered, as
the penalty of any law of Congress
or Of a State, whether the law re-
fers to participation in the late Sc
cession or felony,-until there has
been trial and conviction. Though
the fact of such participation or
commission be true, it counts for
nothing until ascertained by the
Judgment of court or by legisla-
tive act passed by competent au-
thority.
2. The following arc disfranchis-
cd: Those who have been members
Of Congress, or Of State Legisla-
turc, or of such State Conventions
as passed ordinances of secession,
(none others.) Those who have
been military or civil officers of the
United States, and taken as such, on
oath to support the Constitution
Those who have been Governor,
Lieutenant Governor, Auditor,
Treasurer, Secretary, or other State
official exercising executive AUCTIONS
at the seat Of government. Those
who have held judicial offices whose
jurisdiction extended over the whole
State. All these classes are disfran-
chised il, after their official tenure
they engaged in, or gave aid and
comfort to the late war.
WHO ARE NOT DIsFRANcHIsED.
Those who have been officers of
tho military of the State, are not
disfranchisod.
The officers of cities, towns, vii
lagos or other municipalities, no
matter what their functions may
have been.
The officers of State Legislatures,
not members.
Members of Boards of Public
Works, Directors, ofState Asylums,
Visitors of State Universities, Di-
rectors of Penitentiaries, State d.
rectors in banks, and other corpora
tons, special commissioner 8 or
agents, notaries public, and commits
sioners to take Acknowledgements of
deeds.
DOUBTFUL.
The Attorney General declares
himself unable to decide the follow
ing, without further deliberation
Whether err not those who have been
"county, township and precinct Off
GERS" are prescribed such as JUS
tees of the county courts, sherifs,
and we suppose clerks and consta-
bles.
The Attorney General in passing,
very timidly, though very conclu-
sively, shows that the act of Con-
gress imposing the penalty of dis
reimbursement on citizens who held
certain offices perhaps many years
ago, for deeds not thus punishable
when performed, is erpost facto in
its nature. But this, though fatal
to the act in every just and legal
view, he naturally dismisses, as a
matter of no moment as times now
go, and taking it as granted" that
thinge are all right, he proceeds to
measure out the contraband pains
which the act inflicts.
"ENGAGINa."
The term "engage in instruction"
does not apply to conscripts, who
are presumed to have been forced. |
Persons are to be considered as thus
engaging, even though not entering |
the army, if they held any office
whose duties had relation to the sup
port of the war such as Confede-
rate Congressman, members ofLeg
islatures or conventions during the
war, and Confederate diplomatic
agents. Officers, whether judicial
or executive, engaged in the preser-
walton Of order, and enforcing the
civil law, are not thus embraced.
No inquest is to be made into the
past sentiments Of any applicant for
registry. He is not required by the
oath to purge himself Of "disloyal-
ty," either Of opinion or Of expires
sion but only Of any "direct overt
act done with intent to aid in the
war, after holding Office, d,c. Meth