The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-08-07

and held by The military force of the vic.
torions United States Government. The
most ardent secessionist, who claimed for
the State the right to withdraw from the
Union Of her own free will and accord,
llnever: :pretende the same right to return,
and six weeks after the surrender, there
was was not anywhere within the former ter
lis lriitsory Of the Confederacy, either ability
| o., or intention, to resist the power Of the
United States. The question then, which
Immediately arose, was, were the seeded
States to be restored to the Union !? if so,
upon what terms, and by whom were
those terms to be prescribed? If, at that
time, the Government of the United
States had distinctly declared its terms of
re-admission, they would have been tul-
filed without question, but unfortunately
for us, the Executive and Legislative
branches of that Government differed,
both as to their Jurisdiction, and as to;
the mode of reconstruction. This differ
ence; excited a political contest, which
lasted two years, during which we were
not only excluded from the Union, but
held I'm most painful and anomalous con-
dition. The contest was terminated in
1867, by the passage Of the Reconstruc-
ton Act. This Act was vetoed by the
President, but passed by the requisite
constitutional majority over his veto, and
became. thereby, as much q law, as if it
had passed with his approval. It's con-
stitutionality was tested before the Su-
preme Court, and that tribunal declined
to interfere with its execution. The
President made the appointments it re-
qnired, and put iti into active force, giving
to its provisions, under the opinion of the
Attorney General, construction favora-
BILE to the existing State governments.
Congress rc-assem bled, passed an Act for
bidding this Executive construction, and
taking theadministration of the law away
from the President, and he, while pro
testing against the military despotism
which it creates, declares that for the
present, that law cannot be constitution
ally repealed, that despotisln cannot be
removed or, controlled. To-day, there
fore, the Reconstruction Act stands unim-
peachable upon the Statute Book, and
what stmore, withoutpowe anywhere Of
interference with its execution.
Act declares the State of South
Carolina to be part of Military Dis
trict, its local government to be illegal
and void, its State officers to be the mere
agents of the Military Commander, and
it then directs that officer:
1. To have made a registry of all the
male inhabitants, without distinction of
color, who are twenty.one years of age,
and have resided for twelve months within
the State It then makes all these regis
tered Inhabitants voters of the State, ex-
cluding from the right of registry and
suffrage, all those citizens who have held
certain specified Offices, taken the requi-
site official oath, and afterwards partici-
pated in the rebellion.
2. Having completed this registry, he
is instructed to order an election for a
Convention Of the people of the State,
and to appoint time and place for its as
sembling. But at this election the voters
have the right to vote for or against
Convention, and, of course, if the majority
vote against Convention, none will be
held.
The point to which I would first draw
your attention, is, that the Reconstruc-
ton Act is law, not an agreement, n law
made for. you, not an agreement made
,oith you And that to talk about accept
ing ''terms,' as if the State was negotia-
ting with the Federal Government, is
simply absurd. You might as well talk
of accepting the Military Commander
The law directs registry to be made.
You can obey or disobey this law as you
can any other, and if you prefer the
penalty of not voting rather than regis
ter, you can pay the penalty, but the law
stands whether you obey it or not in
plain words, the Government of the
United States, having taken military pos
session of South Carolina, has passed
law creating the voters of the State, or
dering registry of those voters, and ap..
pointing an election, at which they shall
decide whther they wish or do not wish
Convention, to take such steps as will
give them full representations the Union.