Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1868-07-24


TIE legal effect Of the luteamnesty
proclamation is being discussed ex-
tensively, and the important fact es-
tablished, by judicial decisions and
the usages of all civilized govern
ments, is, that amnesty restores all
offenders embraced within its provis-
ions to their legal status before the
commission of the ofiense. This
point is so clearly settled that none
will question it who are not resolved
to Ito wrong in defiance of law. In
this country, the right of the Presi-
dent to pardon is a constitutional
right, and the right of the pardoned
to its full benefits as settled by law,
can only he barred 10y the most bare
faced tyranny.
If we are not mistaken, when the
Missouri test oath was before the STU
prcme Court, il decided that amnesty
restored all the original rights of the
persons amnestied, and that the test
oath was unconstitutional, in part,
because it was designed to deprive
pardoned citizens of the right to vote.
Before the war, the status of the
South, was the enjoyment of the
right Of suffrage, and since it is an es-
tablishcd fact that amnesty restores
every right, once deemed forfeited,
every white man in the South, of the
proper age, and not excepted from the
benefits of the pardon, has clear le-
gal right to vote.
TO this it will be objected that the
right Of suffrage is determined by
State laws, and that in Tennessee, the
prohibition, being the work of the
Legislature, is of higher authority
than the dictum of the Federal EX-
ccutivc. In reply, we assert that the
presumed offcnse of the people of
Tennessee was not against the State,
hut against the Federal Government.
The people constitute the state, and
it il novel idea that the State can
commit treason against itself. And
if Estate can not offend against itself,
the diSiranchisemcnt of the majority
by the minority, with the aid of fed
eral bayoncts, is crime so hcinous, a
wrong SO intolerablc, that submission
ceases to be II political virtue. And
since il IL undcniablc that the amncs-
~ has all the effect OF federal en-
actmcnt and is therefore the suprcm,
law, resistance ia it by the b0gu,
Legislature is rebellion against tho
Federal Government, which is bounG
to protect by force if necessary, every
citizen in the exercise of the rights
restored by said amnesty.
It is contcnded, and rightly too
that If n foreigner merely file his I'M
tcution to become citizen and OF
his return to his native land is con
Scripted or otherwise mnlested, it il
the duty of the United States TO righ
his wrongs by every means at it
command. And are those born an,
reared upon the soil of the Unite,
states entitled to less protection than
the natives of foreign lands? Their,
would he no occasion to ask this Qucs
ton, he'd government limited h,
the Constitution and guided by wis
dom; but since the tyranny in Ten
ncsScc is upheld 10y the despotism u
Washington, our only hope for lih
crty aud right lies i'm the manly cNcr
else of our constitutional privilege
and a firm purpose 10 maintain then
10y all legitimate means.
The amnesty IL torres tous thcrigh
of suffrage, let lis exercise il and ap
peal 20 the President to protect Us, s.
far ut least, n 10 keep quiet tn
armed slaves of RadicaliSm, standing
guard, in our midst, over the partisan
interests of usurpcrs.
The most exhaustive argument
backed 10y the highest authority am
the best established prccedcnts, vii
avail nothing whore the question
one of force rather than of right; still
Il Strengthens any cause to nave ju'
.ice on its side, and this is Che sol
reason why theright should bc c'carl
established. To This extent only
argument of any avail.
PRESIDENT johnson has sent
message 10 Congress recommcndiu
several Amendments of the Fodyr,
Constitution, We havcno space f,
any such Radical nonsense. Eve
suppo,ing the proposed amendment
10 be iuditiaus, Il Is am outrage upo
Justice 90 attempt 20 make them at
tmcwhvu the Whitysut twelve Sla.
are di.nNuchi-cl audthewhoIc com
try T. In state OF mr,a-ouiugv Ncit,
mrnt aud when, n fact, there
practically NJ Constitution To amen,
BEAST Buffers record i'm New q
leans, So long suppressed by stanton