Year: 1866

of our State constitution has declared


that no one shall be compelled to be a


witness against himself. The constitu


tiOu of the United States, and it is be-


lieved, the constitution of every State


of the Union, contains similar provis


ION. BY the common consent of civilized
men, this has been established as fun
| damental principle that ought never to


be violated. However strongly you may
psuspect man to have committed treas


on, theft OF murder, you have


no right to require him to


swear that he is not guilty of the


crime with which he is charged; nor can


you punish him, by the deprivation OF
tany right, because he refused to take


such an oath If he has been guilty


his guilt must be proved by lawfnl evi.


dence, and punished according to the


laws which were in force when the


crime was committed. Such laws as our


Legislature have enacted, might, per


haps, be excused, though they cOnld not


be justified, if passed in the time OF war


and public danger, under the pressure of


excitement and alarm; but what apology


can be made for them when passed IN


time of peaceP


There is yet another principle involved
| in the test oath system which is equally
| abhorrent to us, and it is this, that he
arhO has once erred shall necer be .}oryiren.
The oath to support the constitution, as


we have already said, refers to the future


only. The man, (and there are thousands
of such cases,) who was deceived or mis-


led into a voluntary support of the re-
| bellion, OF who Joined the rebel armies


in the mere thoughtlessness and hot
| blood of youth, may have soon discoy-


cred and repented of the error of his
| ways But there is no forgiveness for


him. He could take the oath to support
the constitution of the United States
and of this State, with clear conscience


and honest intention to become good


and useful citizen, and to fulfill there


after his whole duty to the Union and
the State But he is to be prescribed


and disfranchised forever He must


swear, in substance, that he has not,
since the first day of June, 1861, volun-


tarily given any aid to the rebel cause.


If he will not commit perjury, no re-
pentance, however sincere, will be ofany


avail. And yet We. are all taught to
pray that our own trespasses may be
forgiven, as we forgive those who tress
pass against us Nor do these laws rec
ogniZe any distinction in guilt, All are
alike to be distranchised. The man who
ignorantly or thoughtlessly supported
the rebel cause, because the community
in which he lived were doing so,-he
who gave any assistance to that cause,
however slight or whatever circumstan-
ces may have existed to palliate the Of


fence, is, underthis system of legislation,
equally beyond the reach of pardon as
the most inveterate conspirator and


rebel il. the State.


There are fellow citizens, other pro-
visions OF the registration act which
demand your attention


The Governor is stoappointt the County


Board OF Registration, and he may re-
move any member or the Board tor 0th-
cial misconduct, disloyalty or other
causeS"-that is, whenever he sees fit to
do so, The Board appoint the Regis
trars, and may remove them for what
ever they consider good cause" for re-
moval. The whole machinery, there
fore, by which this act is to be carried
into operation, has been placed under
the control of the Governor These Off
ces are to be filled with his tools, select
ed to manage this business of registra-
tion in such manner and. for such purpo-
ses as he may approve If any member


of County Board prove refractory,
the Governor has the power of removal
fla Registrar become conscientious, a
hint from the Governor to the County
Board that he had better be removed
will be sufficient. The people of the
county or township have nothing to do
about these appointments or removals.
We cannot, therefore, expect anything
else than that these men, in the execu-


tion Of this act, will prove the servile in
struments of the Governor and his party.
But to complete the scheme, the tif-
teenth section Of the act authorizes the
Governor, among others, to examine the
registry books of any election, State,
county, town or municipal, and reject
any returns that are contrary to the


provisions of the act. He is to be the
Grand Supervisor of Elections, small and


large, with power to reject any returns.
Who ever heard of such authority having


having been given to the Governor OF a


Statel On the other hand, the provis-


ions for protecting the rights of voters


are wholly insufficient and deceptive. -


If any person is aggrieved by the decis.


ion of a Registrar he may appeal-tO
the County Board of Registration-that
| is from one instrument OF the Executive
to another equally subservient. fla Reg
istrar wiJmy or malici0usly reject any


person from registration he may be fined.
But you must prove that it was wiltully


OF maliciously done, and not 10y mistake
or error of judgment And how, when
you find your name omitted from the
register, will you be able to furnish the


proof! Can you search the mans heart


and drag forth the hidden purposes OF


his decision! But even this provision,


insufficient as it Is to protect the rights


of the voter, is nullited by another act


passed during the recent session, which


provides that no officer acting in the


discharge of his official duty, under any


act of the Legislature, or any order or
proclamation of the Governor, shall be


personally responsible. Another section


of the registration act repeals the 'twen-
| ty-ffth section of. the act to regulate


elections, passed November 18th, 1868


The section thus repealed required the


officers of elections, when they rejected


tue vote of any person, to enter his


name, If he demanded it, In a seperate
| list upon the poll books, and to seal up,