Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-06-19

". Editor At the instance of some oI my
fellow. citizens who have manifested sn interest
in the question Of my eligibility rs cShdIoale
fer the House OF Delegates, allow me through
your columns to state that section u OF the act
of Congress passed March ID, 1867, and Whlch
controls the subject Of eligibility to othce III
this election declares that no person shall be
eligible &c. who would be disqualified by sec
ton 3 OF the nth amendment TO the Constltu-
ton Of the United states.
Section 3 OF the ld.h amendment disquallAes
from holding office persons who, rs officers OF
the United States or rs executive or judicial
officers OF any State took an oath to support
the Constitution and afterwards engaged IN t"e
wsr'upon the Confederate side.
AS 1 never held any executive or J1dlc@!
Office and never took the oath ABOVE mentioned
tire disqualification does not nor does it appear
from the general tenor and spirit OF the Consl u
tutional amendment and the reconstruction
acts that il was intended, To reach that class OF
cases Of which mine Is ore.
Tho commission Of Notary Public which J
held before tho war WAS neither an executive or
judicial Office, nor WAS it indeed technically an
Office Mt all, and so l believe toe military com
mander the State decided in hi3 Instructions
To- the registrars.
The position ot Corporation Attorney was
not an office Of the State, nor was it OF an exec
utiye or judicial character; it was II plsce OF
professional trust and neither that position
nor the commission OF Notary Public dls1uali-
fed ne as q voter, - 10 evidenced by the fact
that ama registered voter the It'll ward,
with certificate OF transfer 10 the Isl ward. IN
which | nm now residing.
A care 'll pcrusGi G. the proposed constitut on
ct Virpinia and tho reconstruction acts Of Con
gress will di-close that the purpose both OF Con
gross and the convention wa II make tho quail
Ifcations 81 Il candidate f.? o.ice tho same a=
those Of voter and when. therefore, the reglsl
ration Ulcers decided that man Was voter,
thev At the same time decided that he was
eligible t. the Office Tor which no meeting al
Liberty Hall nominated me.
Section ! Of a.lielo of the proposed Sta:t
Cor :i,utIor Declare tnnt qualified voters arr
eIi,lblc t. the Senate and lIUuse OF Delegates,
and We. the samo conititution contains test
oath, which, # not voted down, Wi prevent
from taking their seats a Inai )rty CT the men
WI % are nov running for the Legislature, and
who are uuder the reconstruction acts, the i4th
amend mnot, and tho said section 8. eligible t,
the Offices fox which theY we been nominated
as csnddstes
Its thcr,lJ.e, al important to vote down
tie ties, oath ana Il siranchi.lng clauses as we
have q light AID sii opportunity to do under
the PrCsiLrL.- tcD-Gvo4t orior, to which ca q
! NUT aCaia oxr!.-s ile hope that those Of on!
fel!oW-citizens who can vii. register and vote
unless il is their q sire and deliberate purpose
10 keep me md many other men Of this State
because of the unfortunate past under this yoke
and badge Of conquest.
Punishment at the hands of foes may be eI-
pected but when friends who car vii not re-
move he yoke and set the captive free, tnen
those friends must not con.pl If their slnctr-
it, and friendship should both DO doub -.
Very respectfully,
IiiEs io,n, Ia - - l.. - hOili.