The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-07
LEGAL Effect of Amnesty.

The National MtelHgencer of yesterday
very clearly proves by argument the plain
proposition that the amnesty proclamation
of the 9TH of July "placcs all the people
- of the United States upon complete po-
" litical aud civil equality" except indeed
d" such as have been indicted for offending
against the laws of the United States, or
&" of the States in any part OF the ohloh'
who have to await the determination Of
ct the judiciary in their respective JurlS-
(" ,lictions." the President having excepted
such from the benefit Of his proclamation.
All other persons, it says, care, in law, IN
(" nocent Of crime, and, in the language OF
:" Lord COKE, new men if they have here
torore violated the criminal laws of the
- United States by participating in the late
E civil var" 1t follows, it adds, 7" that
person who was q rebel, no more than a
{" person who was never rebel, is subject to
hc challenged at the polls of his vicinage
t. on grounds Of rebellion, or to be 60
vcrned by military authority in any
&" matter"
I'm regard to the power of the States to
regulate suffrage, ii says that 1.-THE pro-
"scription of a valuable franchise in 1865
:" for acts done to the prejudice of the public
"rood in 1864, or earlier, would appear to
"thc most stupid or most blinded as simply
" an or post ftcto law. The Constitution
Al IL, IA, NJ, pnrtinp 1Dl
GO No State shall pass any bill Of attainder,
d" er post .tacto law, or law impairing the
obligation of contracts. "
The h,teNigenccr cites the limitation Of
the powers Of Congress in the preceding
section, which prohibits that body also from
passing "any bill Of attaindcr or Err post
Guct0 law :" and il asks how can the four
tccnth article, known az the . constitu-
tionnl amendment" should it be adopted,
" operate as applicable to II rebel upon
"a person who, before it went into effect,
81 had to all purposes and all intcnts, and
under all senses known to law, ceased
" not only to be, but cro 10 hoce been, Il
"rchcl :"
On these grounds it declares the right Of
all persons in the South to vote ut the ap-
rrouchnu national elections, and that " II II
"thc duty of those who may he charged with
''thcturcrvision of elections in the South to
''s see that no man il wrongcd in the premi-
" $685.
And these persons so "chargcd with the
"supervibion' arc the very persons WHO Will
see that the wrong is done. They are APP
painted for the express purpose OF wrong
and outrage, and no authority OF law or
constitution, nor no right, however clear,
will be respected by them. We shall have
.n additional illustration of the abominable
,yrauny to which the South is subjected by
a brutal party in power, whose object has
been MI the time to Cypress the white men
and diminish their power in the Govern
mcnt, while the late black slaves were en-
rranchised and put in control Of the gov
crnulcnt; ana when that could not he done
otherwise, it was done by frauds upon the
Aballot-boz and by continuing the polls open
y r.GS many az eight days al ''lhe 10 give
~ ,.,all.1t2ttS opportunity to carry out
The more conrtS,c---t-
~ns,a. " ,n',~o------sr'
those frauds.
If we appeal to the Judiciary, that is or
vii! lie in the hands Of Radicals, ut least
until We get up to the Supreme Court: ana
before any help can come from that body,
the time will have passed for the citizen to
exercise his right; the wrong Will nave
been done, and there will hc no mode oil
udoing it. The elections will have been
certified and returned, and the Executive
being helpless, Congress and the army,
headed by General GRANT, will 60 ahead
in their own way, utterly regardless Oh
laws or rights.
Perhaps this will be all the better as
hcaping up wrong to give that revolution
which must hurl the present party from
power down to everlasting execratlon, IN
creased wrath and force.