The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-06-11
Disfranchisement in Virginia
LETTER FROM GEN. SCHOFIELn TO GEN.
GRANT

LETTER FROM GEN. scHorELD TO GEN.
GRANT.
The Secretary Of War sent to the
House today the communication
which he addressed, as Commander
of the First Military District, to Gen.
Grant, saying that he transmitted it
at the suggestion of the General of
the army, for the consideration of
the proper committee. The follow
ing is the document:
HEADQ'R's Mil. Dis. VA,
RIcHMoND, May Is, 1868.
Gen. Il. S. Grant:
GENERAL IL have the honor to in
vite your attention to matter which,
understand, to be of great import
ance, and which, if am correct, will
demand the early attention Of Con-
gress. / suppose the amendment to
the Constitution of the United States,
proposed by the Thirty ninth Con-
gress, and known as article II, will
soon be declared to have been ratifi-
ed, and become q part of the Consti-
tuition, and understand the effect
will be at once to remove from Office
all persons who are disqualified by
that amendment.
If / am right in the above supposi-
tion and in my understanding of the
effect Of the proposed amendment, it
becomes matter ofgreat Importance
to determine what is to be done in
those States where governments are
still provisional only. In the States
which shall have been readmitted to
representation in Congress, no scri.
ous difficulty will exist, for the reason
that, in those States, the only dis
qualification for office win be that
contained in the eConstitutionala amend
ment. Hence, an ample field will be
left for the selection of persons to fill
the vacant offices, except perhaps, the
higher judgeships; but in the States
hot readmitted to representation, the
oath prescribed by the act Of Con-
gress of July I'd, 1862, will still be re-
quired Of oil persons elected or ap.
pointed to any Office.
| have called for reports, which
will give the number Of officers of
the various grades in ii, who will be
displaced by the operation ofthe OPP
Grafton Of the constitutional amends
ment, and will forward the specific
information when obtained. For the
present, | can only state that the
number, will probably be several
thousand, and that only small PRO-
portion Of the vacancies thus created
can possibly be filed by persons pos
sessing the. necessary qualifications,
including ability, to take the present
test oath. lnthe Judiciary DEPART
ment, the men would probably be in.
sufficient, for nearly all lawyers Of
sufficient experience to fit them for
the bench, held some Office before the
war, and hence are disqualified by the
constitutional amendment.
have already appointed in Vir-
:, ginia nearly 500 officers, and would
have appointed moro if qualified per-
sons could be found. 1t is important
to observe that the large majority Of
city, town and county officers receive
little or nocompensation for their SER
vices, hence the men who possess the
necessary qualities. lions cannot bc in.
duced to accept such offices, except
in places whore they reside and own
property, and have substantial inter
ests. Reports have been re ,eived
from several portions of the Stste
that no persons can be found even tc
fill vacancies that now exist. When
the Constitutional anendmenttake
effect, large number Of important
Offices must become vacant aud re
main so until the restoration be com
pleted unless some relief is afforded
by Congress.
Very respectfully,
s Your ob't servant,
4 j. M. SCHoFIELD.