The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1867-07-13

General sicklcs has addressed tbs blowing
letter to the Chairman ina sJNd sJuNdiciary opmittoo:
United States Senate 49, s.s.g
s. m ,CnARhlksToS,s. G., JulyS, 1867.
| My Dear Ser have decided nat /, begin
registration in this District until Congcss de-
termincs who shall be registered ssEsl trust,
therefore, that it will be the plcasurpfoi Com
grcss to extend the time for the completion of
my registration, untilAsay October d Novcm-
ber III proceed now, and dsrsgaid the
wishes Of the President. my actions@ould be
regarded as insubordinatc ;7it Il ifollogli:s init
n,ations, many would probably be ,egistercd-
not eligible according to the true ,iferprcta-
ton OF the Acts of Congress-
| Ifit is meant tllat sall who have Held any
officc-.Fcdcral, State, or municipal3 3ahaving
taken an oath Of Office to support that Consti-
tuition. of'thc United States, and aftorWalas en-
gagcdsin rcbcllion or given aid and homfort
etc., arc-disfranchiscd this should LcstaprcssIy
declared, otherwise, if left to ,o,,st,sction, it
may be held that no other officers uresaclutlc1
than those cnumcratct1,in. .A1ic1c II.efgac con
stitution, and that even as to these, aN pa,-
ION rc7noucs The Disqualification. 4ad.s :.
Ifit is meant to exclude lawyers, theSshoud
be expressly mentioned, or else described by
some classification as for example, afbrs thc
word :olicc," add s.any licensed c;llingsor.c.n-
ployent OF profession" Otherwise, iftse eli
gibiity of lawyers be left to constet9tio,, il.
i may he held that II lawyer is not public Off
ccr. although,a f..:nctivm.ry of Il court or}otHr
judicial body.
The truth is..wc have n,r,. in operat6ii;s ~
distinct systems of reconstruction: y..i3p;'ted
by Congress, aud cngraftc;l upon thctpresl
dents plan Of reconstruction. The .fhACoi-
grcssional Amendment. leaving suffrage Is be
regulated by the several States and imiabsng
upon certain classes of persons disquah G1tion
for Office. us punishment forsrebcllionis isld as
a safeguard for the future. That "A fpy
been refused by the rebel Staku S. krcss
passed the Reconstruction acts, 81 a
scc0uH scl,om,p VI reconstructioi12 I.si.,-
tinct in principle and plan from her.
In the second plan, Congress ass,iiS Eltrol
Of lcqucstion Of suffrage, which 49, tto
aHswho can takca prescribed oath, aid also
enforces' the disqualification for office, which
would have been the penal and conservative
feature Of the first plan. Now it seems 20 nc
that the true conservative guarantee against re-
action is in the addition made to The loyal vote
by the cnfranchiscmcnt Of the co!urcd pcorl :.
That being done, the occasion 70. tbs d,scr,l;.
fiootiOn clo,,cn ca,ccc -JJon,o
ton, believe. is to declare. with universal
suffrage, n general sty-nou,ing The cscc,,-
tons. a mcic liberal amncsty.is. in NY iud.,-
morto, essential to the success Of the CONGRESS
the range of popular choice for the importan;
judicial, executive, and Legislative departments
OF the State governments, otherwise inccnvcn,
icnHy confined to classes very few of whom are
fit to hold Office. The pcophr can s,,rdly be cn-
trusted to Judge and select from those who took
part III the rebellion the men at once qualified
and sincere in their adhesion to the new. order
of things. Such men, being eligible to Office
will have motives to identify themselves will!
reconstruction, and to support the views Of the
| -NUW, iiiplt liliil ever. liicll Oh
and experience i'll public business arc needed
for the State governments i'll the South; and
it is truly unfortunate that at such moment
nearly all who know anything of public affair.
and especially those who could ill judicial sta.
tons, arc distranchscd. THIS exposes the OK
pertinent of general suffrage To needless hazards
1t the experiment. fail it is most likely to fail
from the inability Of the people to put in Office
those who could and would assure success II
would have been advantageous perhaps to have
removed many disaffectod persons, especially
Judges, Shcrfls and Magistrates, in the exc
cution of Of the sixth section of the act 81 9,
March, if competent succcss5rs could hav,
been found among those who arc cliYible t,
Office And J. would regard the possession now
OF n wider field cf choice for civil officers. as
one of the most effective insrumcntaltics i,
the execution of the military authority confer
rcd upon District Commanders As it is.
find myself prevented. as will the people by
and BY, from securing for the public service
men Of aptitude and character, whose rcpcn
tancc is as certain as the devotion of the most
| consistent l0yaiist In truth lilo yr,l of eon,r