Year: 1868

We publish below the rules adopted by the
Board of Registration for the guidance of the
supervisors. We ask our citizens to read
them carefully; and, having read them care
fully, they will come to the conclusion that
these rules were contrived with the object of
DISTINGUISHING the whole Democratic party; in
other words, the white people of the
State. 1t will be seen that every white ap-
plicmt-for of course negroes will be admit
ted on the same free and easy terms that pre-
vailed in the time of Sheridan-is to be sub
jected to a rigid cross examination, a process
%"S%i ~ "sHD s%uuHa Tg resorted to only in
cases which are challenged, or in which the
supervisors have good reasons for objecting to
the applicant When it is applied indiscrlmi-
nately to all white people, its object as an
agency of obstruction and delay becomes
manifest. We hope that the supervisors will
have the good sense and discretion to abandon
this system. The people of New Orleans
are willing that the law should be enforced,
but they are not willing that the law should be
exceeded. The qualified voters intend to
register, and they intend to vote.


careiu eXamlnauon OF the registration laws
shows that no less than four different forms of
oath ale necessary 10 order TO meet all the cases
which are found neiuded in article 80 Of the Con-
stitutioD Of the State.


Before any person can be registered it will be
necessary 10 ascertain which OF the four forms of
oath is the one which the eector can take so "a 10
meet his particuar.c case.


Form is for those persons who have never
been disfranchised by the operations Of any law
This oath is the one which will be taken bv nearly
the whole of the colored voters all who have
been in the federal army all white persons who
were loyal to the government Of the United States;
all who gave aid and comfort 10 the enemies of
the United States, but who did not hold any Office
civil or military, under the socalled Confederate
government one year or more; provided they
have not expairiated themselves or been con-
paragraph OF the oath.


Form No. is the oath that will have 10 be
taken by those who, by article 30 of the Consttu-
tlon OF the State, are prohibited from voting or
holding office, and includes those who cannot
swear to the allegations contained In the second
paragraph OF form No. L. But all such persons
are by the same article Of the Constitution res
tored to their rights by filing an affidavit in the
once OF the secretary Of state, setting forth that
" they acknowledge the rebellion TO have been
morally and politically wrong" etc., but thew
must produce certificate from the secretary of
state, ssstipg that the same has been published in
the Official journal, otherwise they cannot be reg
istered.


Form No. 3 is for those who take the benefit of
The proyso of article 80 of the Constitution in which
they claim " th1t prior TO the lst of January
1s6s, they favored reconstruction and Openly and
actively assisted the loyal men of the State TO
restore Louisiana to her position in the Union.


Ihls oath Is, IN Its terms, very explicit ii read
carefully. A large number of persons will
probably propose to take it /; but it must be re-
membered that the words of the oaih are "openly
and actively assisted in restoring the State her
for the purpose of defeating the adoption of the |
Constitution of the State does not meet the |
case nay, even voting for the Constitution does |
not meet IT, The aid must have been given openly |
and actively before January |, lS6S.


IL must be borne in mind that the only way in /
which any person could have aided reconstructiOn |
prior to January l, ls6s, was by favorng and vot-
ing for convention TO revise the Consultation of
the State. at the election held on September ~ |
and Is, 1867. Those who opposed and voted /
against convention did not aid reconstruction /
1t this State would no more have been recon-
structed than Is Mississippi at the present time.


III the supervisors have any good reason to be-
lieve that any person by taking this oath would
swear falsely, they will particularly call the at.
tention Of the person proposing to take it TO the
penalty prescribed by the last paragraph Of sec
lion of registration law for false swearing.


Form No. is for the same class of persons as
those that take oath No. 2, with this difference:
They swear that they lost or mislaid the certif-
cate Of the secretary of state. The number who
will take this oath is very small, as up to the pres
ent time less thaa one hundred rec antations have
been MED, and certainly but few Of that number
have lost their certificate.


IL will be noticed that the first paragraph Of all
The oaths are the same. The reason of that is
this:


Article es Of the Constitution fixes the uualh.
cstions of an elector. See page ..


In the second line Of the oath will be fouud. |
printed IN italics, two words, born ndh1aLzed.
be careful to have them erased IL the elector vas
born in the United States, the word ndt,tr1lized |
must be erased, and if foreign born aud nstu.
ralized, the wudi born must be stricken out. |
which will make il read correctly in either case
This form Of certificate has been adopted to avoid