Natchitoches spectator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1867-18??, 1868-05-14
The DISTINGUISHED.

Article SO, of the recently adopted
unconstitutional Constitu ton, prohibits
the following persons from either voting
or holding office under the new State
Governments:
''All persons who shall have been
convicted of treason, perjury, forgery,
bribery, or other crime punishable in the
penitentiary, and persons under inter
diction.
Cali persons who are estopped from
the right of suffrage by abjuring their
allegiance to the United States govern
ment, or by notoriousiy 1evying war
against it, or adhering to it's enemies,
giving them aid or comfort, but who have
not expatriated themselves, nor have
been convicted of any of the crimes
mentioned in the first paragraph of this
article, are hereby restored to the said
right, except the following: Those who
held Office, civil or military, for one
year or more, under the organization
styled '.The Confederate States of
Americas" those who registered them
selves as enemies of the United States;
those who acted as leaders of guerrilla
bands during the late rebellion; those
who in the advocacy of treason wrote
or published newspaper articles, or
preached sermons during the late re-
bellion, and those who voted for or
signed an ordinance of secession in any
State. No person included in these ex-
captions shall either vote or hold office
until he shall have relieved himself by
voluntarily writing and signing a GER
tificate setting forth that he acknowl-
edges the late rebellion to have been
morally and politically wrong, and that
he regrets any aid or comfort he may
have given it; and he shall file the GER
tificate in the Office of Secretary of State,
and it shall be published in the official
journal.
provided, That no person who prior
to the first of January, eighteen hun
dred and sixty eight, favored the exc
cution of the laws of the United States
popularity known as the reconstruction
acts of Congress, and openly and active
~ assisted the loyal men of the State
in their efforts to restore Louisiana to
her position in the Union, shall be held
to be included among those herein ex-
cepted. Registrars of voters shall take
the oath of any such person as primo
fdcie evidence of the fact that Ire is en-
titled to the benefit of this proviso."
The following is the form of oath to
be taken by all officers under such State
cStOtO tHbcftttS upth O00
discharge of their official duties:
81, "a. b. do solemny swear Tor af-
firm,) that / accept the civil and politi-
cal equality of all men, and agree not to
attempt to deprive any person or per
sons on account of race. color or previ-
GUS condition. of any political or civil
right, privilege, Or immunity enjoyed by
any other class of men. That / will
support the Constitution and laws of the
United States and the Constitution and
laws of this State, and that I will faith
fully and impartially discharge and per-
form all the duties incumbent upon me
as - according to the best OF my
ability and understanding. So help me
God.'T
The following is the proposed amend
meDt, as article Ia, to the Constitution
of the United States, which will I'M
doubtedly be adopted by the Legisla-
| ture:
SECTION 1. All persons born or nat
uralized il the United States and sub
ject to the jurisdiction thereof are citi-
zens of the United States and of the
State wherein they reside. No State
shall make or enforce any law which
shall abridge the privileges or immuni-
ties of citizens of the United States;
nor shall any State deprive any person
of life, liberty or property without due
process of law, nor deny to any person
within its jurisdiction the equal pro-
lection Of its laws,
Sec. 2. Representatives shall De ap.
portioned among the several States
according to their respective numbers,
counting the whole number of persons
in each State, excluding Indians not
taxed. But when the right to vote at
any election for the choice of electors
for President and Vice President of the
United States, Representatives in Con.
gress, executive and judicial officers OF
State, or the members of the legisla.
ture thereof, is denied to any of the male
inhabitants of such State, being twenty.
one years of age and citizens of the
United States, or in any way abridged
except for anticipation in rebellion Oh
other crime, the basis of representation
therein shall be reduced in the proper
ton which the number of such male
citizens shall bear to the whole number
of male citizens twenty-one years of age
I in such State.
Sec. 8. No person shall be Senator
or Representatives Congress, OF elector
OF President and Vice President, OIL