Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-01-10
From the Charleston Courier.
THE N. CAROLINA ACT OF AMNESTY.

The General Assembly of North Carolina, is evi-
IDENTIFY of opinion, that the spirit Of true peace
and civilization is opposed either to penalties tor
past political differences or to responsibility tor acts
committed during the state Of war. 1t has there,
fore passed an Act granting general amnesty and
pardon to all officers and soldiers Of the State OF
North Carolina, or of the late Confederate States
armies or the United States, for offences, commit
ted against the criminal laws OF the State OF North
Carolina. go. >. :, o.,
State shall be called into question for any act per-
formed while belgerent, and as such during the
late civil struggle. :.
It is declaration on the part Of North Carolina,
that whatever was done in good faith as bellger-
ent by either sde in the late war; shall not be con-
yerted into crime.
AS the Act embraces matters of general interest,
Section /. Be it enacted by the General Assem-
bly of the State ofN. Carolina, and it is hereby en-
acted by the authority Of the same, That no person
who may have been in the civil or military service
of the State as officers or soldiers OF the Militia,
officers or soldiers of the Home Guard, officers and
soldiers of the Local Police, officers or soldiers OF
the late Confederate States or as officers and SOL
ders of the United States, shall be held to answer
on any Indictment, for any act done in the discharge
of any duty imposed on him purporting to be by
law of the State or late Confederate States Gov
ernment or by virtue of any order enanatlng from
any officer, commissioned or nOn-commlssloned, OF
the Militia or Home Guard, or Local Police, OF n.
Carolina or any officer, commissioned or non-com-
missioned, of the late Confederate States Govern
ment, or any officer, commissioned or non-commls-
stoned, of the United States Government. That
no one of the above named officers or privates who
now are, or may hereafter be indicted for any homl-
cides, flonies or misdemeanors committed prior to
the LIST day of January, A. d. 1866, shall be held
to answer for the same, but shall be entitled to
full and complete amnesty, pardon and charge from
the same, upon the payment Of the costs: Pfora-,
ded, They shall not be taxed with the payment OF
the costs upon any Indictment preferred against
them from and after the passage of this Bill, or In
other words, that no officer or mivates in any OF
the above named organizations, against whom no
Indictment is now pending, shall be liable to prose
cution for any offence committed against the crimi,
nal laws of North Carolina prior to the lst day Of
January, A D. 1866, as aforesaid.
Section q Be it further enacted That in all ca
ses, whereindictmentS are now pending, either IN
the County or Superior Courts, if the defendant
can show that he was an officer or private In either
of the above named organizations, at the time, II
shall be presumed that he acted under orders, un-
| til the contrary shall be made to appear.
Section g. Belt further enacted, That all private
citizens, who, on account of age, from any other
cause, were exempt from service in any or all ofthe
above named organizations, who for the preserva-
ton of their lives property or for the protection
of their families, associated themselves together tol
the preservation of law and order, in their respec
tive counties DISTRICTS shall be entitled to all the
benefits and provisions Of this Act.
! Section f. Be it further enacted, That no person
who may have been in the civil or military service
of the State, or late Confederate States Govern
ment, or in the service of the United States Gov
ernment, in either of the above named organiza,
tons, shall be held liable in any civil action for any
act done in the discharge of any duties imposed up
on him by any law or authority, purporting to be
law of the State or late Confederate States Gov.
ernment
shall be in force from and after it's ratification.