New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-07-28
POLITICAL DIsABILITIEs.

When the amendment to the Constitution
of the United States known as article four
tenth was proposed TO the Legislatures Of
the several States by Congress a loud
howl went up from the leaders Of the rebel
lion, and the charge was made on every
Democratic stump and in every Democratic
paper that the third section of the proposed
article was unnecessarily harsh and pro-
scriptiVe. That section simply provides
that no person shall hold office under the
United States who having as a public Off
Ger taken an oath to support the Oonstitu-
ton of the United States afterw9rd IN aot GnU
further provides that Congress may, by
vote of two-thirds of each House, remove
such disability" The liberal manner in
which Congress has removed political dis
abilities from persons deserving of such
favors is worthy the consideration of our
Democratic friends, and should forever
silence their unjust complaints
about ungenerous prescription on the part
ofthe peoples representatives. About six
weeks ago Congress, by one bill, removed
political disabilities from about eleven humid
red persons residing in the different States
of the South. Since then it has passed sew
eral other bills containing the names of
hundreds from whom political disabilities
are removed. In many cases such disabili-
ties have been removed from persons who
have always been loyal to the government
of the United States, and are only brought
under the disqualifying section of the Con-
stitutional amendment by forced or pure
ly technical Interpretation. Colonel
Hough, Of Caldwell parish, sincere and
trusted Unionist-a gentleman who as
member of the secession convention of this
State voted against and never signed the
ordinance of secession-has had bis politi-
cal disabilities removed. BY the power
of the rebel cause in his section
of the State he was driven into
the performance of some acts which
might be construed into giving aid and
comfort to the rebellion, and hence TIE ne
CGacAbJ VI OOuBA CoeAOAA1 9bbt0h ia u1o GdoCs
Judges Labauve and Howell, of the
Supreme Court, and Judge Haadlln, for
merly of the Third District Court, have re-
ceived similar Congressional aid, and yet
the whole State knows these gentlemen
have always been true to the Union,
'a QUEER donations, some of his sons o.
relatives in the rebel army, and Judoa
Howell may have acted as Judge of one ~
our District Courts during tae rebellion
Inese facts might have been deemed nv
some as disqualifying these gentlemen
from holding office hereafter. hence M
prOprie1y oil removal Of political disabiI-
ltles IN their cases. In the case of ex.Cov
ernor Hahn there was still less sbow 81 =
disqualification. He held commission a.
Notary Public long before and Al M
'reaking out Of the rebellion. IL
ontinued in the exercise Of tbe
uties Of notary some time after the com
tenement Of the war, but never took tbe
ath Of Office to support the Constitution /
nd laws Of the Confederate States . which
as prescribed by the secession couven- I
On. THIS oath he expressly and per- a
npsorily refused % take. still the fact !,
q. ne continued in the exercise of bis o.
'oiesaion as attorney and notary AFTER the | is
ate had been turned over to rebel rnle N
'ae opinion Of some brings him under I'll
disqualrying clause. He did NOT think ca
nor did The committee on reconstrue. b
I u Congress But to do away with ali ii,
hnicai questions concerning bis case his -
ne was lately inserted ia one Of the Bills. ~,