Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-02-24
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1870.
The Removal of Political DisabiI.
tiles.

The removal of pc litical disabilities is q
question that has taken form under
the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend
ments, that would seem, to secure perfect
harmony in the re-admitted States, must
be permanently settled by the present
Congress. 1t is one of those subjects upon
which great variance of views exist, but
a general movement towards general
amnesty on the part of Congress has at
last assumed in part positive shape.
The reconstruction committee have di-
rected Gen. Butler to report bill by
which Congress will transfer the greater
portion of the pardoning power to the
United States District Courts.
Among its provisions is one that every
citizen disfranchized by the third section
of the 14th Amendment, except persons
who have held commissions in the army
or have been members of Congress, shall
be restored to all the rights of citizenship
on apply by petition to such court in
any State or territory in which he had his
home during the war, setting forth what
Office he ever held under the United States
government prior to April LIST, 1861,
which by law required on oath to support
the Constitution, and also in what man
ner be had given aid or assistance to the
rebellion, or whether he had held any
Office under a StateIor Confederate govern
ment during any part of the war, giving
particular description of the acts done,
and offices or places held by him in that
behalf, and that he therein and thereby
renounces all allegiance or fealty to any
supposed government heretofore set upI
against the United States within the
same, and that he truly intends hereafter
to act and conduct himself as true and
loyal citizen, and will bear true faith and
allegiance to the government; that he has
not done, since June 1st, 1865, any act of
hostility to the United States, or commit
ted any crime by violence against the
laws thereof or against the laws of any
State, and that he has not endeavored
since that time by force and fraud to
interfere with the civil rights of any
citizen, or to prevent the freedom of cleo
ton or of speech; that from that day he
has been well-disposed and good citizen,
and that he prays that his rights may be
restored to him. This Petition is to be
sworn to in open court and is to be pub
licly advertised thirty days, at the end of
which time any person may appear to OPP
pose such petition but if there be no OPP
position, the judge can issue certificate
to the petitioner, whereupon his disabili-
ties shall be removed. If there be sufi-
cient evidence showing why the oertif-
cate should not be granted, then the petit
TONER is forever debarred from relief ex-
cept by special act of Congress. The act
is not to be construed to restore any rights
of property heretofore forfeited or lost, or
allow any claim on Congress for the same.
Several amendments will probably be
moved when the bill is reported and it
is understood that Gen. Farnsworth favors
a substitute, that all political disabilities
of citizens of all States whose legislatures
have ratified the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
Amendments, be removed The bill of
Gen. Butler seems to be the best adapted
to meet the question if any investigation
is to take place, and relieve Congress of
the vexation of holding a petty trial in
the thousands of cases that will arise, and
we are not prepared to advocate so general
a sweep as Gen. Farnsworth's bill would
provide for. 1t is to be hoped Gen. But
ler's bill will be adopted.