The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-11-17

mo person shall be a Senator or Repre-
sentative in Congress-, or electOr of President
or military, under the United States. or
under any State, who, having previously
taken an OATH a member of Congress. or
as member OF any state Legislature. or as
an Executive or Judicial officer of any
State to support the Constitution of the
United States shall have engaged in insur-
rection or rebellion against the same. or
given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof
But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds
of each house, remove such disability
This clearly shows that its intention is
not to disfranchise but to prevent persons
who held office before the war, and after
wards took part in the rebellion, (so-call-
ED from again helding Office. That this
was the construction of its tenor by Con-
gress when it passed the reconstruction
act is proven by the oath which was en-
grated in that act. The reconstructed
States were expected to adept the XVIII
amendment, prior to their being received
by Congress. That bodyassumed that, all
who were disqualified by that amendment
to be adopted, would oppose reconstruc-
ton on account of their being prevented
by it from again holding Office, therefore
they prevented such persons from voting
upon the question of reconstruction or
in other words, from voting for or against
the convention and upon endorsing or re-
| iecting the constitution formed by it, by
the following oath, to which we have
above referred, and which upon COMPARE
son with section three, of the fourteenth
amendment, will be found to be much
harsher in its terms of re-admission into
the Union:
affirm in the presence of Almighty God.
| that / am citizen of the State Of;
| that l have resided in said State for
months next preceding this day, aud now
reside in the county of---.
| or parish of in said
State, (as the case may be,. that am
| twenty one years old; that have cot been
disfranchised for participating in any rebel
lion or civil war against the United States.
nor for any felony committed against the
laws efany State, or of the United States /;
| that have never been a member of any
StatesLegislature, nor held any executive or
Judicial Office in any State, and afterwards
engaged in instruction or rebellion against
the United States or given aid or comfort
to the enemies thereof: that / have never
taken an oath as a Member of Congress of
the United States, or as a member of any
State Legislature. or as an executive or iu-
dicial officer of any State to support the con-
stitution of the United States, and afterward
| engaged in Instruction or rebellion against
the United States. or given aid or comfort
to the enemies thereof; that will faithfully
support the constitution and obey the laws
of the United States, and will to the best of
4 oh ffVyn ~ l.
help me God"
Neither by the 18th Amendment nor
the above oath are persons who took
part in the so called rebellion or gave
to it aid or comfort disqualified from
holding Office under the Federal Gov
eminent, they only apply to those who
held Office and took the oath to sup
port the Constitution of the United
States prior to the war and afterwards
took part therein against the Federal
authorities; but both classes are alike
disqualified from holding Federal offices
by the oath of Office adopted by Con-
gress in 1852, better known as the Iron
Clad Oath.
So much for the disabilities which
have at different times been imposed
upon the late Confederates and those
who sympathized with them by Con-
gressional enactment
But it did not end here, the mongrels
who composed the majority of the Black
and Tan Convention, imbued with a
spirit of revenge and hate against our
people, and realizing that if those who
had been prevented by the reconstruction
acts, were permitted, by the expiration of
the force of these acts, to again exercise
the right of franchise, the negro majority
would be greatly reduced if not entirely
overcome; and believing that anything
they might propose would be forced upon
the people of Mississippi either by fraud
or bayonets, they went further than their
| Congressional masters had done in that
iniquitous measure of Acknowledgement
for the purpose of perpetuating Radical
rule in this State, and engrafted in the
constitution of the State in Article VII,
regulating franchise, the following Sec
tions:
Section 8. The Legislature shall provide.
by law, for the registration of all persons
entitled to vote at any election, and all
| persons entitled to register shall take and
subscribe the following oath of affirmation:
T., do solemnly swear In the pres
ence of Almighty God, that am twenty
one years old; that / have resided in the
State six months and in County one
month, and that l will faithfully support
and obey the Constitution and law of the
| United States and of the State of Mississippi.
and will bear true faith and allegiance to
| the same;
! THAT ana not disfrdnchised in any of the pro
UisioHs Of the acts kROton as the reconstruction
acts Of the 18th aud 10th Congress, and thar
admit the political and cfuH equality OF all men
so help me God; Provided. That IL Con0ress
shall at any time. remove the disabilities of aAv
person dtsfrdRchtsed in the said reconstruction
acts Of the said 39th and 10Th Con0ress land the
| Legislature Of this Stdte shall concur therein
then so much Of this oath, and so much oalv, as
refers to the said reconstruction acts, shall MT
be required Of such persons 50 pdrdoned to en-
| title him to be registered.
Sec. 4. No person shall be eligible to any
Office of profit ortrust or 10 any office IN the
militia in this State, who is not qualified
elector.
Sec. 5. No person shall be elfofbLe tn ann
Office Of profit or trust, ciriI or military in iis
State tch0, as member Of the LeoisIdt.rre
U0ted for the call OF the Convention thar PASSED
the Ordinance Of Secession or scho, as a dele
gate to any Convention U0ted for or signed ana
ordinance OF secession, trh0 GAGE colutarg
aid. c0EHten0nce. counsel encouragement 10
persous engaged in armed hostility to the United
States, or sch0 accepted or attempted to exercise
the functions OF any Office ciUil or military under
any authority or pretended Government Quth0r-