New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-29
EXCEPTIONS IN THE BILL

BenLs some points IN felatlOh 10 the lasJ am
nesty act, that have not been noticed else,
where:
WASHINGTON, May 22-The act to re.
move political disabilities, passed this morn.
ing, provides chat all political disabilities
imposed by the third section Of the four
teenth article of amendment to the constitu-
ton of the United States are hereby re-
moved from all persons whOmsOeYer, ex-
eept senators and representatives of the
thfrtt-sixth and thirty-seventh Congress,
and officers in the judicial, military and
naval service Of the United States, heads OF
departments, and foreign ministers of the
United States" The number relieved by
tins act is estimated by well-informed South.
erners at not less than l50, 900 persons OF
capacity and experience, who for six years
past have been debarred from all participa-
ton In the federal, State, county, or NUM-
Gipal governments. A number of prominent
persons disqualified by the fourteenth
amendment are now dead, but nevertheless
a very large mass of active talent in the
South is thus rendered available for federal
and local employments. The exceptions,
however, embrace a considerable number of
the conspicuous politicians Of the South.
Among those still under disabilities are
eX-SenatOrs Clay and Fitzpatrick, of Ala
bama; Robert w. johnson, Of Arkansas;
Yulee and Mallory, of Florida; Iverson and
TOOmbs, of Georgia; Benjamin, Of Louisi-
ana, now citizen OF Great Britain Jeffer-
son Davis and Albert G. Brown, of Missis-
Fippi; Polk, of Missouri; Chestnut, of South
Carolina; Nicholson, of Tennessee, Wigfall,
of Texas; Hunter, of Virginia: and the fol-
lowing named ex-members Of the House of
Representatives: Pugh and Curry, of Ala
bama; Rust of Arkansas; Scott, of Cali
fOrnia; Hawkins, of Florida; NJ. j. Craw-
ford aud jackson, of Georgia Lamar
Singleton and McRae, of Mississippi; Smith
and Vance, of North Carolina; Miles, Nc
Queen, Bonham and Boyce, of South Caro-
lima; Avery and Thomas, of Tennessee:
Reagan, of Texas; De Jarnette, Pryor,
Bocock, Lenke, Smith and Boteler, of Vir-
ginia, and others. The exception of the
Thirty-seventh Congress was made express
" TO include General j. G. Breckinridge, of
Kentucky, who left his seat as Senator from
Kentucky to aid the COnfederaey, and
served frsbas General, and next as Con
federate Secretary of War at Richmond.
The list of judicial officers of the United
States still disqualified comprises ex-Su-
preme Court Justice John A. Campbell, low
10 large practice at New Orleans, Judges
Walyburton and BrOckenbrough, of Vir-
ginia, and others 1t is a question whether
ex-United States marshals or district attOr-
neys are or are not embraced in this excep-
ton, and whether persons who had ceased
commenced, and subsequently aided it, are
or are not relieved by the bill.
There were about two hundred and fifty
officers of the United States army and navy
who LETT their places to aid the rebellion,
and of these probably not more than one
half are now alive. The law, however, is
ambiguous, and the exceptions may and
probably do include all those who had even
been educated at West Point, or who had
resigned long anterior to the rebellion in
which they participated. Of the number
thus under disabilities are General Samuel
Cooper, Confederate Adjutant General at
Richmond; Generals Joseph Johnston,
Beauregard, Bragg, Samuel Jones, Hardee,
PembertOn, Gustavus w. Smith, Hood,
Stephen d. Lee, Lowell, d. II. Hill, B. S.
Ewell, Jubal A. Early, G. w. GUSTS Lee,
now president of Washington and Lee Uni
Versity Dabney III. Maury, Fitzhugh Lee
Colonies r. B. Lee, Larkin, Smith, L. B.
NOrthrop, Confederate States Commissary
General; Myers, Qnartermaster General,
and others. Captain Semmes, of the Ala
bama Professor M. +. Maury, formerly
chief of the Washington Observatory
Captain Brooke, inventor of the Brooke
gun, and of the system of deep-sea sound
ings, are the most noted exceptions among
eX-navy officers.
Jacob Thompson, of Mississippi. Secre;
tary of the Interior, is the only Cabinet
officer Of Buchanan now alive, who aided
secession. But the exceptions include also
Governor William A. Graham, of North !
Carolina, who was Secretary of the Navy !
under Mr.. Fillmore; G. M. Conrad, of Lou |
isiana, ex-Secretary of War, and possibly |
some others. Henry X. jackson, of Georgia, |
and General William Preston, of Ken |
lucky, were foreign ministers, and are, |
therefore, embraced in these exceptions. |
IL is hard to estimate precisely the number |
,1.s1.4
wide of the mark to put the number at /
from 300 to 500 persons.
The folly of retaining these exceptions, |
in addition to the almost criminal error of |
an ambiguous statute, upon a subject where !
several penalties attached to an offender,
is exhibited by a glance at the number and
character of persons who are relieved.
These embrace not only many of the most
active advocates Of secession, but also some
who since the war have been persistent
'BOurbOns" and in one or more cases per-
sons who disdain pardon. If William L.
Yancey we're alive. he would be relieved
by this act. Alexander H. Stephens,
Vice President of the Southern Confed-
eracy, is relieved; also, Governor Henry A.
Wise, of Virginia, who boasts that he never
asked for an executive pardon; General
Forest, Of Tennessee; Governor Letcher, of
Virginia, who ordered the seizure of Har-
pers Ferry; General Wade Hampton, of
South Carolina; the Hon BENJAMIN Hill of !
Georgia; Herschel V. johnson, who ran on
the ticket with Stephen A. Douglas in 1860:
Robert Barnwell Rhett, of South Carolina.
The oldest secessionist of the whole South:
James A. Seldom, OF Virginia, confederate
of war; L. p. Walker, of Ala
Oama; Robert w. BaCnwell, of South Caro-
ina, confederate senator, and probably the
most infleXible opponent of reconstruction
N the winter of 1886; Colonel G. A.
Henry, of Tennessee; the Hon. Allan
T. CapertOn, OF West Virginia, confede-
rate senator; Lyon, Chiffon and Dargan.
Of Alabama; A. w. Garland, Of Arkansas; A.
e. Wright Of Georgia; j. w. Moore, of Ken
lucky: Duncan F. Kenner and John Per
Bridgers, of North Carolina
Henry s. FoOte, M. p, Gentry, G.. w.
Jones, and y. v. Wright, of Tennessee;
James Lyons, John GOrde, Jr., j. p. HOl-
,Ombe. John b. Baldwin, Waller +. Staples,
Fayette McMullin, of Virginia-all the fore
going being mostly members of the Con-
ederate Congress. Among the other prOmi-
lent cOntederates relieved by the bill are
Charles G.. Memminger, Confederate States
G. A. Trenholm; the Hon.
Thomas H. Watts, of Alabama, Confede-
ate States Acknowledgement; George |
Davis, of North Carolina, ditto; ex-Gover-
lor z. H. Bell, Of North Carolina; Lewis
3. Harvie, of the Virginia secession eOnven-
ion Messrs. A. d. Dickinson, G. Bruce, w.
W. Crump, and other eX-members Of the Vir-
yinia Legislature. All the members Of the
accession conventions at the South are re-
ieved, save q very few who may be en-
,raeed under other heads; and this fact,
ldded to the foregoing list Of persons re. !
ieved, shows plainly how invidious is the I
made by this law between diff ,
erent classes and individuals Of the late