The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-01-20

MS DOdy came 10 sudden naIB upon
ttke=seeend <lay-uf ITS sessien u11iersfls
apprehension of the majority who are
running it, atIthsf #ere trayeIlhg tos
fast. ~ IT, I'D
Members wed fuall iedpd tered
upon their Mites without reference to the
iron-clad oath. This was clearly proper
According to the only Reasonable. construc-
ton of the reconstruction acts, and the
Interpretation of Attorney General Hoar
as Communicated to Gen. Candy. New
ertheless they came TO a halt noth9Yever,
until the had presented the singular spec
afacle of "a ''truly loyal Legislature Ia
king its first step in the palpable viola
ton Of the viii of Congress, ss express
ed in the reconstruction laws, of which
their party claims to be the peculiar cham
pion, for they had disregarded the disa-
biiities imposed by the I 18th Amendment
under which quite a number Of those who
are known as ''home Radicals labored.
On Thursday they took fresh start by
imposing the following oath; ,a
You do solemnly swear that you will
faithfully support, and true allegiance bear
to the Constitution of the United States, and
the Constitution of the State of Mississippi
and obey the laws thereof; that you are not
disqualified from holding Office by the Con-
stitution of the Unite States or of the State
of Mississippi, and that you will faithfully
discharge the duties of the Office upon which
you are about TO enter to the best of your
ability. So help you God. ''"+'''..
In the Senate, Mr. Bennett, OF the 9Th
District, Radical, was ousted. And in
the Hogse the seats of. Messrs. Vaughan,
of lafayette, Nabors, Of Lee, and Chan
die, of Clarke, Radicals, were made va
Cant, and also that of Mr.. Wood, Con-
servative, Of Pontotoc-, III -...a..ss.a
We find in the Constitution just adopt
ed, a section providing that: IF any
candidate receiving the highest number
''of votes cast, cannot take the oath of
''ofice prescribed in this Constitution,
9''then, and in that case, the candidate
receiving the next highest vote shall be
''entitled to enter upon and perform the
t'duties of the Office upon taking and
subscribing to said oath " The ques-
ton naturally arises, will this august
body act in accordance with the COnst-
tuition under which it lives and moves
and has its being? If they do, then the
gentlemen who have been officially an
nounced by Gen. Ames, to have received
the next highest vote will be permitted
to take the vacated seats to which the
above quoted section of the Constitution
entitle them BY reference to Addenda
to General Order, No. so, we find that
VIM. F. Fitzgerald received the next
highest vote in the 8th District for Sena
tor Drury Robertson, the next highest
vote. for member Of the House from La
fayette county; II. X. Martin. the next
highest vote in Lee, and G, A. Smith the
next highest in Clarke; f. b. Bibby is
the next highest candidate voted for in
Pontotoe ~
If the majority that controls the Leg
isIature had any respect for other laws
than those issued from the Rooms of the
Republican Executive Committee, we
would expect to see Conservatives take
the seats of these Radicals SO disqualified.
In this there would be a Conservative
gain, though We would have to regret the
occuPfed ny " nhur 6l whose ponucs We
know nothing.