New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-04-20
Political Disabilities I'm Arkansas.

INC fohoWinS Is the production OF one OF the
colored Senators of the Arkansas Legislature
Report Of The Senate Franchise CoD,mttee oR
the Policy and ETpedfe7lcy of EufrancLfse.
ment-Adopted by the Senate efthe General
Assembly Of arkansas, March -, 1871.
Mr.. President Your committee on the cleo
tive franchise beg leave to submit the following
report:
That in accordance with the principles of
the Republican party, they recognize the fact
that the imposition of political disabilities on
large portion of the citizens of portions of the
country was necessity, SO rendered by their
own acts OF rebellion, and resorted to simply TO
make reconstruction possible and permanent
and to protect the loyal citizens of the United
States in the enjoyment Of life liberty, and the
pursuit OF happiness and carry out the consti-
tntional guarantee to each State of a republican
form OF government.
That, from the very nature Of our form of
government, the imposition of such disabiIi-
ties must be regarded as conservative and pro
tectlve, and not punitory''or indicative meas.
ure; and Its duration to be limited by the
same actual necessity that called it into ex-
lstence IN our midst. Hence, your committee
are OF opinion that so soon as the same can be
done with safety to the national and State
governments and loyal citizens thereof, as made
manifest by the cessation of acts of organized
violence and wrong against such citizens, and
the general acceptance of and acquiescence in
the reconstruction measures adopted by the
Congress Of the United States, the imposition
OF such disabilities should cease or when.
ever from the nature of things it is evident
that the hostility to such reconstruction meas
ures and to loyal persons is such only and so
limited that 1t may be controlled by the ordinary
laws OF the land and courts Of Justice That In
Of fhn ht 70 IL Il
disabilities of communities or of individuals
1t IS necessary and proper that the Legislative
oody should thoroughly investigate and exer-
else awise discrimination as to the facts of the
case, whether the future beneficiary be com
munlty or an individual, and with a view TO
the principle that the good of the whole must
be held to be OF greater Importance than the
benefit of part.
Your committee have, with great care, inves
tgated the condition of our own State, with n
view OF ascertaning whether its condition ia
such as to warrant them in recommending IN
immediate and general removal of all political
disabilities and regret to say that they are un-
able to find that such is the case
From q careful examination of the facts in
their possession they are satisfied that, on Inside
OF the larger cities and towns of the State,
nothing but the fact Of the existence of the
laws imposing disabilities is effective in secur-
ing adequate protection to the lives and prop
erty OF many loyal and peaceful citizens, the
ordinary courts being, even under present cir
cumstances, Tor that purpose almost totally
imperative.
1t will also readily occur to the minds of
your honorable body that, even in this city.
very recently, what was evidently in organized
effort was made to obtain possession of the
State government for ultimate purposes, which
may be correctly inferred from the surrounding
circumstances, as we'll as from the utteranccs of
influential individuals and party Journals Still
stronger contirmatory evidence is afforded by
events which have transpired in various States
OF the Union as a consequence of the accession
to power of party in sympathy with the dis
iranchised element. 10 sum up, III a short
way, your committee will only mention the
action of the Senate of Indiana in adopting a
resolution declaring the adoption of the fl
teenth amendment illegal, unconstitutional,
and void; the large vote in favor of res
olutiOn to the same effect in the Missouri
Legislature; the decision Of the Supreme
Court of California in reference to the same
subject; the action of the executive of the
State of Alabama in refusing to provide for
the payment of the interest due on bonds in
dOrsed by the State and the general state of
disorder and lawlessness which exists in several
OF the States of the UniOn-all of which in the
opinion OF your committee, afford the strongest
evidence of tendency to reaction, and an
unwillingness to acquicsce in the rcconstruc-
tlon measures of the Congress of the United
States which, if released from all restraint,
could only reach its ultimatum by the repeal
and abrogation of the legislation referred to,
the State constitution framed in accordance
Herewith, and to reopen and refer to the arbi-
tration of the sword all the issues recently thus
settled. In view of the aforementioned facts,
your committee are of the opinion that tho ac-
ton of your honorable body, already had in
reference to the subject of the removal of polit-
ical disabilities, is all that is warranted by the
circumstances of the case, and that it refers the
decision of the important question to the prop
er tribunal-the whole people at the ballot
box and We respectfully recommend the adop-
ton of the following resolution:
Resolved, That the committee on franchise
be discharged from further consideration of the
subject. JAS. 4. WHITE,
A. ID. THOMAS,
Committee.