The Portland daily press., 1870-04-08
Ralifical Disabilities,

There has for several weeks been rulnor
In circulation that the President, as soon as
the fifteenth amendment should be ratlneo'
would send message to Congress recommend,
ing the removal of political disabilities rom oil
persons who participated in the reoeiiioh'
This rumor cannot fail to direct the a''en'.on
of the careful observer of public events TO the
fact that the forgiveness OF the grea' oii".
which our Southern brethren were Suu'y n"'
kent even mace with the gradual consum"a-
tion of legislation for the protection OF oil
cloesas of citizens and tor the promotlon OF
their moral and intellectual Weii''e
,,oss;ro ond prnse-iptfve measures That
.oo,od A. drst revengeful, have proved only
Temporary devices for the security Of the new
element incorporated after the war into the
body polite. At first the Rebels were held 10
have forfeited their lives and their property
by their reasonable acts, but that view of
their condition was speedily abandoned upon
their evincing purpose to desist from further
resistance to the Government. Not drop of
blood was shed for political offences. A few
indietments were found against leading Rebels,
but not Of them were even tried. The muir
derers of Lincoln and the assassin Wirz paid
the penalty OF crimes only incidentally con-
nected with the war, but the blood of no Con-
federate was shed by the civil law for his ad-
hesion to the Southern Republic. Finally, by
series of six proclamations, issued by Presi.
dents Lincoln aud johnson, and ending with
tho cd hu Tnbnco,
vns zurn or december, 1868, all who had taken
part in the war, even to the Rebel chief him
self, were protected from molestations by legal
process.
Political disabilities have been the only pun
ishments reserved for the defeated Southron.
From obvious motives he was excluded both
f.om office holding and voting during the re-
construction era. The hand that had torn
down ten commonwealth was not the hand
to build them up. But there was nothing in
the reconstruction acts that prevented the
loyal people of the South from adopting con-
situations under which all citizens might vote
when their States were restored to the Union.
nearly all the reconstructed States the trainers
of the new constitutions have omitted to pro-
scribe their repentant rebel neighbors, and
Is no disfranchisement in most of the restored
common wealths.
The fourteenth amendment to the Consti
tuition, ratified July 20, 1908, now authorize.
the only political prescription that remains a.
q punishment for rebellion, if we leave out O.
the account Missouri and two or three other
States where the organic law, framed during
or after the war, deprives Confederates of the
right to vote. The amendment deprives the
leading rebels Of the right to hold Office, but it
provides that Congress by two-thirds vote
may remove even this disability. From time
to time deserving individuals have been re-
lieved in order that they might serve the pub
Lie in official positions, and already the num-
Der of those restored to all the rights of citi-
zenship amounts to many thousands. Some
OF them, like Gen. Longstreet and Gov. Al
corn OF Mississippi, occupy very important
places. But Gen. Grant, we are told, medi-
tates more general ampesty, and will recon-
mend that in one sweeping act all disabilities
imposed by the Constitution be removed. But,
If we are not mistaken, such an act would
have no effect to make voters of the few
Rebels who by the provisions of State consti-
buttons are still forbidden to approach the
ballotrbox