The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-08-08
CHI AR I. ES TON.
THURsDAYa1oRNING, AUGUST s51sc7
Ii Il wiz Gag 3: REeIsThR :.

Aes Fday | considered thoseioladses Of the
Reconstruction Acts of Congress which desig-
nate who shall register, and who on the other
handA-is disfranchised. 1t is difficult, nay
impossible, fpF any one no. authorized, to clear
up beforehand all doubtful points that must
arise in the course of The execution of these
laws Cur exposition ofthese Acts maysatisfy
ourselves; but il may not be accepted:by others
who are. equally concerned. All who have
any reasonable doubt about their right to reg
lister, will do well to apply to the Board sitting
at their. precinct who, doubtless, have the
necessary instructions and are competent to
decide in the case.
Much has been said about the charge of peri
jury impending over any one who was connect
cd with the "rebellion" and now proposes to
register We already stated yesterday thai
the oath of 1862, the so-called iron-clad, pub
lished in General Orders, No. 65, (Fcrm y, is
required only of the egistrars-those who
compose the Board Of Registration-and not Of
citizens desirous of registering. e., of enrol
ling their names for the purpose of exercising
the privilege of tho elective franchise; and i
is so stated in the Order, the caption. to this
oath Form being ''oath prescribed torment
bers of Boards of Registration"
The "oath prescribed for voters Form 9 ih
General, Orders, No. 85), requires that candf
date, fer registration shall swear that he iP
tweuty-one years of age,'has ."not'been dis
franehised for participation in any rebellion Of
civil war against the United States, nor tor
felony against the laws of any State or of the
United States" AS regards the latter clause,
we believe there is no disfrauehisement
under the Constitution of this State for felony.
There may be many, however, who still enter
tain doubts as to the meaning of the former
part. of this sentence: "How do know" say
some, "whether or not have been disfran-
chised for participation In the rebellion ?" IN
answer to which we would state that Congress
has passed no laws disfranchising any one for
participating in the rebellion against thf
United States save the Reconstruction Acts we
reviewed yesterday, The disfranchising clause
in which applies only to such citizens ss haye
held certain officers, Federal and State, and
afterwards engaged in rebellion. Of those we
spoke yesterday; and he who registers has tP
take the oath that he has held no such office
and the disfranchising clause therefore cannot
refer to him. In Missouri, Tennessee, and, WE
think, also in Maryland, laws have beep
passed by the Legislature disfranehising all
whe have been connected with the cause Of the
late Confedetate States. But there is no law
of this kind in operation in South Carolina
GIand, en- passant we may state our belief that if
our people will be true to themselves and t9
their interests such laws will not and cannot be
passed in this State.} No one, therefore, who
has not held Office before the war need hesitate
at this portion Of the oath.
He is next required to swear that he has
"neEer been "a: member Of any State Legislai
ture, nor held any executive or judicial office
in any State, and afterwards engaged in insur1
rectien or rebellion against the United States!
or given aid or comfort t>,the enemies thereof;
that he has never taken IN oath rs q member
Of Congress of the United States, or as an Off
GER of the United States, or as member of any
State Legislature, or as On executive or judicial
officer of any State to support the Constitution
Of the United States, and afterwards engaged
in insurrection OF. or.rebellion against the United
States, or given aid or comfort to the enemies
thereof"
At the risk of being deemed tedious, in rel
oeating what we have said again and again, we
will again state that no one is disfranchisedII
limpl for lAs wing been engaged IN rebelion
against the United States, nor is any one dis-I
'ranchised because he has held any of the ofli-
,es above mentioned lie must have held some
,ne Of these offices, and thereafter also engaged
u rebellion; these two circumstances must be
,embined to disfranchise any one. This seems
lear, beyond any possible chance of miscon-
eption, ,... -,.. .-. IL: - /
The oath, finally, requires that the applicant
or registration swear that "he "will faithfully
upp6rt the Constitution, and obey the laws of
he United States and will, to the best of his
.bility, encourage others so to do" This, we
,eleve, all ofus are ready to do, having pledged
ourselves to it already in the amnesty oath we
Il, Or nearly all, took at the conclusion of the
, We have now shown who is excluded from
egistration In the estimation Of Governor
jar, this class does not comprise much over
wo thousand in South Carolina. Counting
he number of white voters in the State at forty
housand, there would still be nearly thirty
light thousand entitled to the privilege of re-
every one of whom, we hope, will
vail himself of it. For it is duty; no less
han a'priyilege, every man owes TO himself
0 his children, to his .neighbors, and fellow
itisens, to his State, hiss. country, and his age
# this privilege he' must avail himself now;
his duty he must discharge now; for he may
ever have another opportunity. No man can
~ Eoweser wise and far:sighted political
rophet he may deem himself, how long these
.ws will remain in force. g. 1t may be few
ears only; it may be generation. Let no!
ne, then, hastily and foolishly, by his own
ilful act, disfranchise himself, perhaps for all
me to come. However we. may differ on otherj
uestions, there should be no difference among
$ in regard to the propriety, the absolute and |
ital Importance of every one to register who
entitled so to do Let every one take this
ecessary initiative, so that when the day of
:iasl comes he may be prepared to exercise the
ght ofsufrage inrelligently, and, it is to bell
oped, to good purpose: Il
GOVERNOR PERRY's LETTER.