The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1867-07-18

cnARLEsros. S. G., July 8, 1857.
My DEAR SIR: have decided not to be-
GIN registration in this district until Com
gress determines who shall be registered.--
| trust, therefore, that it will be the pleas
ure OF Congress to extend the time for the
completion Of my registration, nntil-say,
October or November. If prsceed now,
and disregard the wishes Of tho President,
my action would be regarded as insubordi.
nation; II follow his intimations, many
would probably be registered not eligible
according to the true Interpretation Of the
Acts Of Congress
l. II is meant that all who have held any
office-Fedaral, State or municipal-having
taken an oath Of office to support the Con.
stitution Of the Unitod States, and after
wards engaged 10 rebellion, or given aid.
comfort etc, are disfranchised, this should
be expressly declared; otherwise, IL left TO
construction, It may be held that no other
! officers are included than those classes emu
merated in Article vi of the Consti tuition,
and that even as to these q full pardon re-
moves the disqualification.
If IL is meant to exclude lawyers. they
should be expressly mentioned, or else de
| scribed by some classification as. for OK.
ample, after the word "oflice," add "any
licensed calling or employment or profes-
sion.' Otherwise, if the eligibility of law
yeis be left to construction, it may be held
that q lawyer is not public officer although
funct;onary Of n court or other judicial
body.
The truth is, We have now in operation
two distinct systefrs Of recon.tructicn.
originated by Congress, and engrafted upon
the Presidents plan of reconstruction. The
first Congressional plan is expressed in the
| llown d constitutional amendment, leaving
suffrage TO be regulated by the several
States, and imposing upon certain classes Of
persons disqualification for office, rs q pun
ishment for rebellion and as sale. guard for
the future. That plan having been refused
| 10y the rebel States, Congress passed the
reconstruetiun Acts, which form q second
| scheme of reconstruction, entirely distinct
IN principle and plan from the former. In
the second plaa, Congress assumes control
Of the question of suffrage, which is extend
| cd 10 all who can take a prescribed oath,
and also enforces the disqualification for
office, which would have been the penal and
conservative future of the first plan. Now
it seems to me that the true conservative
guarantee against reaction is in the addition
made 10 the loyal vote by the enfranchise-
ment of the eolored people. That being
done, the occasion for the disqualificati on
clause ceases. Hence, the true solution, /
believe, is to declare, with universal suf.
frnge, general amnesty--naming the ex-
| ceptions. more liberal amnesty is, in nv
judgment, essential to tho succ, IS Of the
Congressional plan Of reconstruction. II
will enlarge the range Of popular choice for
the important judicial, executive and legis.
lative departments Of the State Govern.
ments, otherwise inconvenicntly confined
to classes, very few Of whom are fit to held
office.
The people can surelY be entrusted to
judge and select from those who took part
in 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 them
selves with reconstruction, and to support
the views Of the majority. Now, more
than ever, mon Of ability and experience in
public business are needed for the State
Governments in the South I; and it is truly
unfortunate that at such moment nearly
oil who know anything of public affairs
and especially those who could fill judica
stations, are disfranchised. This exposes
the experiment Of general suffrage to need
less hazards If the experiment fail, It il
most likely to fail from the inability of tn,
people TO put in Office those who could ant
would assure success. It would have beer
advantageous, perhaps, to have remove,
many disaffected persons, especially judge'
!, sheriffs and magistrates, in the execution o
the sixth section OF the Act of 2d March,
competent SUCCESSORS could have been foun,
among those who are eligible to Office
s And would regard the possession now G
a wider field OF choice for civil officers. a
U one Of the most effective instrumentalitic
4 in the execution of the military authoIit
d conferred upon District Commanders a
l. il is, find myself prevented, as will tn
: people by and by, from securing for tn
= public service men Of aptitude and chara'
he ter, whose repentance is as certain as th
u devotion Of the most consistent loyalist /
10 truth, tho zeal of some of the converts on
runs the discretion Of many OF the faithfr
With reference to other practical suggestion
. it might be useful IL Congress. by one Of j
committees interrogntcd the commands
-, officers Of the several Districts upon u