Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-05-15
THE VIRGINIA ELECTION

u il expected that q proclamation will be
issued to-day, fixing the 9Th day of July for
the election in Virginia, and it Is understood
that the President has determined TO submit
the fourth clause of the first section OF the
third article and the seventh section of the
third article OF the Virginia constitution to be
voted on separately. The sections thus sub
pitted refer TO the disfrane hisemeut and test
cath clauses of the new constitution. The
following is the fourth clause OF the FRS, sec
ton Of the third article, which covers the dis.
1ranchisement:
Each person who has been a Senator or Rem
resenianye IN Congress, or eleCtor OF Preside 4
or VICE President, or who held any Office, civil
or military, under the United States, or uudar
any state, who, having previously taken an
oath as member OF Congress, or as an OH Ger
OF the Unlted States. or a Der of Stata
legislature, or as an executive or judicial Of
nCer OF any State, shall have engaged IN insur
rection or rebellion against the same or given
ard or comfort to the enemy thereof. rms
clause shall include the following ON ,ers.
governor. lieutenant governor, secretary of
state, auditor of public accounts SECOND a,dI
Tor. register of the land offics, StIta treasurer
attorney general, sheriffs, sergeants of A eitv or
.oMn, COM missioner OF the revenue, county
surveyor, constables. overseers of the Door
commissioner of the board of public works'
Judges OF the supreme court, Judges of the car.
cunt court, Judge OF the court of musings, JUS
Ices OF the county courts, mayor, recorder al
derman councilman OF a cIty or town, coro-
ners, executors, inspectors of tobacco and n our
ano clerks Of the supreme, district, circuit and
county courts and the court of hustings. and
attorneys for the commonwealth; provided
that the Legislature may, by a vote Of three.
nfths of both houses. remove the disabilities
incurred by this clause from any person in
GUIDED therein by separate vote on each case
The test-oath feature, which is the seventh
section of the third article, is as follows:
lin addition 10 the foregoing oath Of of7cs
the Governor Lieutenant Governor, members
Of the General Assembly, Secretary Of State,
Auditor of Public Accounts, State Treasurer
Attorney General, and all persons elected To
any convention to frame a constitution for this
state, or 10 amend or revise this slit ton N
any manner, and the Mayor ana Council in any
city or town shall, before they enter on the du-
ties of their respective offices. take and sinh
scribe the following oath or affirmation, pro-
vlced the disabilities therein eontai ned may be
indiyidually removed by a three fhhs vote OF
the General Assembly: Il, do solamnlv
swear or affirm, that have never yolu ntarIIy
borne arms against the United States since
nave been citizen thereof: that have yolun-
tarily given no aid. countenance, counsel or
encouragement to persons engaged In armed
hostility thereto; that have never sought or
accepted or attempted to exercise the functions
OF any ONCE whatever under any authority or
pretended authority in hostility to the United
States, that have not yielded vol utarv SIM.
port 10 any pretended government, authority,
power, OF constitution within the United States
hostile OF inImical thereto. And do further
swear (or affirm, that 10 the best of NV kuowI
edge and ability L will support and defend
the constitution of The United States against All
enemies, for-ign and domestic; that / will Dear
Irue faith and allegiance to the same; that take
this obligation freely. without any mental res
ervatiOn or purpose of evasion. and that will
well and faithfully discharge the duties of the
once ON which i am about to enter, SO help me
God -
The above cath shall also be taken by ali
city and county officers before entering upon
their duties, and nv all other State officers NOT
included in the above provision
The Conservatives of Virginia have asked
that The section in relation to town ana county
organizations should be submitted separately.
they ccntendirg that such form of division
would brIng great Inconvenience to the peo.
pie Another Objection on their part, though
not. we believe, urged BY their committee, is
that IN q large number Of counties the entire
control would be given over to the negroes
who preponderate in them. The argument liz
favor Of submitting this section separately was
oyer-ruled, however, on the ground that in
case OF its rejection the educational interests of
the coiored people OF the State would be EN-.
barrassed.