The weekly Panola star. [volume] (Panola, Miss.) 1857-1881, 1869-07-24

sslults lhe fsAiiieal sili eish s'lHai
~ n ~ msa WIN saeh sa oaih
should bsvqaifei eah enly H. matter
.onisetufe II certainly wsa no' nee.
s-.ay - protect ihe Iallsti y ean
na have even 4 remote tendency ~
iba, way. Il mast have been Oh
WINS that sume nen wguld ieeline
io take mch an oath, ~ they would
cunsider II degrading % do ~ per
hapa therefore " was intended to
narrow the circle II eligibility 70
Office and the right 10 vote.
But the Sch section of the same
article, more fully discloscs The
proscriptive character Of the conven-
iion-its purposes and its Objects
and total absence ot that liberalily, |
Of that iustice, which should ever
guide a deliberate body of the kind |
In short, IL discloses desire TO CON
troll and govern the people by Sc
lcct few, TO the exclusion Of the
many. II declares ineligible TO
office all members Of the Legislature,
who voted for a convention which
passed an ordinance of secession, or
who gave voluntary aid ,countenance,
counsel, or encouragement, to per-
sons engaged in the rebellion orwho
accepted or attempted to exercise
the functions of any office, civil or
military, under the Confederate
States, with saving however, to
mere privates in the army. 30
broad an exclusion, would probably
extend to one-third of the citizens of
the State. All who were engaged
in the military service, from the lieu
tenant up to the general, including
all those attached to the army assur-
geons, commissaries, quartermastors,
&C.; and in civil life, from the coro-
ner, or justice of the peace mp, and
all private citizens who aided, coun.
t tenanced, counsolled or encouraged
, relations or friends who might b.
} engaged in the rebellion.-Even tn
e father who had given shelter an'
# food to his son--the relation VIII
e had ministered to the wants of sic|
Ii kinsmen, are rendered ineligible t
n office-in short, almost every prom
= inent citizen in the State-thos
It persons in whom the people ha
II been in the habit of con6ding, an
to whom they had looked as guide
y are made ineligible to otfice--excl'
st ded perhaps, for the exercise of tn
Mt christian virtue, charity. The pr
re scriptive provisions of the reco
en- struction plan, including the fou
ny teenth amendment, are certain
tn very comprehensive, but this GO
Id far beyond them. And the idea ft
OF ces itself upon the mind, that tt
Die was a scheme devised to retain po
'er er and place, by making it impossi'
est that either competition or opposite
te- should come from the permane
mt citizens of the State, which is {
m more manifest, as the same sect
les makes a very singular exception
favor of "all persons who aided
lily construction by voting for this ct
Gx- vention, and shall continuously ana
the good faith advocate the acts Of the so
Re- 1t was known, that many h
minded, honorable men, had c.
vas scientiously opposed the meeting
it the convention; and it was 9
was known, that many such would
ties. pose its actions all such were to
ord, excluded from office. Was eve
b of more tyranical anathema ute
,ery against the freedom of thought
CEN the freedom Of action, those g
It of essentials which even Tiberius
and tyrant, held to be necessary to
how government. Those men were
hom tainly ignorant Of the great pri
d be Piles of republican governments
mo- if not, they have shown such a
lish- tility to them as to merit the Sc
pre- est condemnation from a people
was have any regard for liberty.
how Such a provision could only
ality been dictated by determinatio
the retain power, hence all who W
ltely, give in their adhesion to
ions, party and become its slaves-all
ils, it could forfeit self-respect,as well a
for a respect Of hia fellow-citizens
e. II who would forfeit their integrity
nain- their freedom, were exempt
bead the operation of this proscri
article.
ifest- But If this broad proscri
new provision, by which 80 many o
rs, in citizens are made ineligible to
res- could find any justification in