Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1867-05-30
The Attorney Generals Opinion.


The Attorney Generals Opinion.
4 We occupy most of our space this morn
Ing with telegraphic report Of the opin
ion OF Attorney -General SrANBERY touch
ing the bearing and effects of the recon
struction act. From the hasty glance which
is all we have been able to giveit, we have
not received the impression that it is mark
ed by the clearness and precision that are
particularly desirable in the case. When
the citizen is required to substantiate his
/ right to register by an oath, he should be
IN no uncertainty as to his right. The At
torney-General's ''inclining to think" 50 50.
and so, or his being unable to bring him
self to- conclude" this or that, is hardly
such phraseology as will relieve cautious
and conscientious men Of their own doubts.
The fault may be in the law itself, and we
dare say it is, instead of in the power to
sconstrue of the Attorney-General AS to
the most numerous class of cases in the
State Of Virginia, and the only ones in re-
spect (which there was room for doubt. we
mean the large number usually denomina-
Tied county officers and officers Of the courts,
Mr.. STANBERY reserves them for further
consideration that very few Of us in
Virginia will be any wiser after reading
the opinion than before. Militia officers,
he tells us, are not embraced in the dis
Embellishments of the act, nor municipal
officers, nor persons whose appointments
were special and for special and transient
purposes-such as commissioners to open
] 6c Rya fp,,t IL IL.
can be so styled-were required to take
the oath Of fidelity to the United States.
AS to what constitutes participating in
the rebellion" or ''giving aid and comfort"
| to those who did, the Attorney General
holds that voluntary action is required
The services Of a soldier under conscrip-
ton, the furnishing of supplies under i'm
| pressment, the payment Of taxes under
eompulsion and acts Of that character are
not to be considered as having brought
those who performed them under the OPP
Grafton Of the law. Acts and Offices Of hui
manity, though voluntarily performed, he
thinks, are not intended by the law to work
a forfeiture of the right Of suffrage. But
participating in organized contributions of
supplies, filing civil offices whose functions
had direct relation to the war, investing in
the loans and credits of the Confederate
States, he holds to have been "a partici-
patton in the rebellion equally with the
voluntary bearing Of arms. The Boards Of
Registration, he maintains, have no right
to reject the vote of any one who takes the
prescribed oath. If he swear falsely, he is
to be left to be dealt with by the courts.
These are the leading points decided by
the AttorneyGeneral, but we refer the
reader to the opinion itself for more cor
rect understanding Richmond Wing.
Another Chicago Horror.
Not all the dead bodies found in and
around Chicago are taken from the lake
and river Mother earth is made to HIDE
the carcass of many poor victim of VIC
lence as well as the turbid waters Of Lake
Michigan and its tributaries. The latest
discovery in the line referred to was made
yesterday morning, near the north western
limits of the city, by MIR. Thomas Tookey.
Mr.. Tookey lives on the Northwestern
plankroad, and at the time spoken of was
walking up the road, in the direction of
Jefferson. When about half mile be-
yond the city limits he discovered what
looked like the arm Of human being pro-
truding from the ground The spot was
but rod or two from the road, and has
been made the receptacle of offal of all
kinds from the city. Proceeding to make
an examination, he found that it was in
deed human arm, and that the body to
which it belonged had been thrown into the
pit and buried in company with mass of
purified meat The stencil arising from
the place was intolerable, and almost i'm.
peratively forbade any investigation at
the time. Consequently, Mr.. Tookey is
unable to give any facts which will lead
to an Identification of of the body, nor in
deed can he state whether it was a man
or woman He returned at once to the
city and notified the Coroner, who pro-
ceeded to the place designated.-Cha co-
go Times.
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