The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-09-15
The Congressional Elections i'm
Mississippi nKRfs Fall.

The mandatory provision of the Con
stitution Of the United States that :" the
q House of Representatives shall be
{" composed Of members chosen erery
second gear by the people Of the sereTal
" Stats, and the electors in. each State
{" shall have the qualifications requisite for
q electors Of the most numerous branch
4" OF the State Legislature leaves no
alternative with the Governor but to
order an election this fall.
Assuming that he certainly Will do so,
and pending his proclamation ordering
an election, we embrace the opportune mo-
ment to urge upon Democrats and Con
servatives in the several Districts the i'm
portance Of selecting candidates who are
eligible. This was the earnest advice of
our Congressional Committee in their
address to the people. To elect persons
who cannot qualify under the proscrip-
tive laws of the party in power is simply
to play into the hands of the Radicals.
Men should be chosen in the way Of whose
admission no obstacle can be thrown.
Let us see, then, who are eligible
They must be persons who, if coming
within the provisions ofthe 18th Amend
ment, have had their disabilities removed;
and can take the oath Of 1868 applicable
TO such cases, under which Gen. Lewis
/ can ex-Confederate General Of Kentucky
and Others have been admitted or if they
have had no disabilities to remove they
must take the iron-clad oath which will
/ be inheNibIy enforced.
! For convenient reference, we will here
quote the 14th Amendment:
s.Sec 3. No person shall be Senator or
! Representatiyc to Congress. or elector OF
/ President and Vice President, or hold any
! Office. civil or military. under the United
[ states or under any State, who. having pre-
yiOusly taken an oath, as a member of Con-
gress, or rs officer of the United States, or as
a member of any State Legislature, or as an
executive or judicial officer OF any State, To
| support the Constitution Ofthc United States
I shall have engaged in instruction or re-
! bellion against the same or given aid and
! comfort TO the enemies thereof. But Con
gress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each
House, remove such disability
This excludes all Confederates who
previous to the war held office requiring
them to support the Constitution. 1t has
been inferred that persons who did not
hold such office are eligible. So they
would, but for the memorable iron-clad
oath which all have to subscribe who have
not been relieved by act Of Congress. The
iron-clad test which is sill applied, is as
follows:
LAB. do solemnly swear, lor affirm
that l have never voluntarily borne arms
against the nited States since | have been
a citizen thereof; that | have voluntarily
given 10 aid, cOuntenance. counsel, or en-
enlargement to persons engaged in armed
hostility thereto; that l have neither sought
nor accepted nor attempted to exercise the
functions ofauy Office whatever under any
authority or pretended authority in HOSTILE
ty to the United States that have not yield
ell a voluntary support to any pretended
government. authority. power, or cOnstitU-
ton within the United States hostile or
inimcal thereto. And | do further swear
(or affirm that. to the best ofmy knowledge
and ability, | will support and defend the
| Constitution OF the MCeu states against
! all enemies, foreign or domestic; that | will
bear true faith and allegiance to the same
/ that | take this obligation freely, without
/ any mental reservation or purpose of eva
/ sion, and that | will well and faithfully
discharge the duties of the Office on which l
am about to enter, so help me God"
Let the foes of RadicaIism bear these
facts in mind if they desire to be repre-
scented in Congress. To disregard them
viii be futile misapplication of effort
and result to the advantage of the com
mon enemy. In the presence of existing
necessities individual preferences should
yield to the public good. -Four of the
five Districts were carried by the Conser-
vatives by decided majorities in 1868,
and they can doit again by proper effort.
The political complexion of the next
House of Representatives may be deter
mined by the elections in Mississippi.