Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/104

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92 ATTAKAPAS cept during the life of the person attainted. In the cases familiarly known as the test oath cases, Cummings v. Missouri, and ex parte Gar- land, reported "in 4th Wallace, U. 8. Supreme Court Reports, pp. 277 to 399, where all these constitutional provisions were very fully dis- cussed, it was held by the court that within the meaning of the constitution bills of pains and penalties are included in the prohibition of bills of attainder. The former case involved the oath of loyalty prescribed by the constitution of Missouri adopted in 1865. Under the several sections of the second article of that instru- ment priests and clergymen (and the plaintitf fell within this description) were required, in order that they might continue to exercise their functions as such, to take this oath of loy- alty, which was to the effect that they had not committed certain designated acts of disloyalty to the United States, some of them being at the time of their commission offences involving penalties, and others innocent in themselves; and it was held that these provisions constituted a bill of attainder within the meaning of the federal constitution. The case of Garland in- volved an act of congress of Jan. 24, 1865, which provided that after its passage no per- son should be admitted as a counsellor to the bar of the supreme court, and after March 4, 1865, to the bar of any circuit or district court of the United States, unless he should first have taken the oath required by the act of July 2, 1862. This oath was much like that in Cum- mings's case, and was to the effect generally that the affiant had never been guilty of any disloyalty to the United States; and it was held that exclusion from the practice of the law in the federal courts for past misconduct was punishment for such conduct ; that the ex- action of the oath was the means provided for ascertaining the persons on whom the act was intended to operate ; and that for these reasons the act partook of the nature of a bill of pains and penalties, and was within the constitu- tional inhibition of bills of attainder. The court in both these cases consisted of nine judges, and in each four of the judges, including the chief justice, dissented ; and the prevailing opinion of the court has not commanded the concurrence of some of our ablest jurists. ATTAKAPAS, a large and fertile section of southwestern Louisiana, including several par- ishes. Though often mentioned in commercial reports, it is not the legal appellation of any subdivision of the state. Great quantities of sugar and molasses are produced in the district and shipped at Franklin, St. Mary's parish. ATTAKAPAS, an Indian tribe of southern Lou- isiana, who have left that name to a district of the state. Their real name is not known ; they were called Attakapas or Men-Eaters by the Choctaws. They were first made known to the French by the adventures of Belleisle, who was left on shore by a ship, and was long in their hands. They aided the French against the Natchez and Chickasaws. In 1803 there ATTALUS were about 100 dispersed through the Atta- kapas district, chiefly on Bayou Vermilion ; but in less than 20 years after that they ceuM-d to be enumerated at all. Their language was peculiar, abounding in harsh monosyllables. VITAL I. a central county of Missis.-ippi. bounded W. by Big Black river ; area, 750 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 14,776, of whom 5,948 wen- colored. Its surface is undulating, and the soil in some parts fertile. In 1870 the county pro- duced 9,544 bushels of wheat, 337,402 of Indian corn, 35,150 of sweet potatoes, and 8,912 bales of cotton. Capital, Kosciusko. ATTALUS. I. A general of Philip of Mace- don, and uncle of Cleopatra, whom Philip mar- ried, killed about 336 B. C. At the wedding festivities of his niece, he called upon the com- pany in the presence of Philip and Alexander to beg of the gods a legitimate successor to the throne. This Alexander violently resented, and a brawl ensued, in which Philip took the part of his general and drew his sword upon his son. Alexander and his mother Olympias then withdrew from the kingdom. The assas- sination of Philip by Pausanias was the con- sequence of an outrage committed by Attalus which Philip refused to punish.- Attalus, who was then in Asia, entered into a conspiracy against Alexander, but soon made overtures for submission, which the king disregarded. Hecataius was sent into Asia with orders either to bring Attalus to Macedonia or assassinate him, and the latter course was adopted. II. Altai us I., king of Pergamus, reigned from 241 to 197 B. C. He was the first ruler of Per- gamus who bore the title of king, assuming that dignity after a victory over the Gauls. ' He made himself master of a large portion

of Asia Minor, but was driven back to Per-

gamus by Seleucus Ceraunus and Achieus. He was afterward an ally of Antiochus the Great against Acheeus, and of the Romans and Rhodians against Philip of Macedon. The i Macedonians invaded his territory, but failed | to capture Pergamus. III. Attains II., king of Pergamus, surnamed Philadelphia, second son of the preceding, born in 200 B. C., succeeded his brother Eumenes II. in 159, died in 138. ! He adhered to the Roman alliance, founded Philadelphia in Lydia, and encouraged the arts and sciences. IV. Attains III., king of Perga- ! mus, surnamed Philometor, son of Eumenes II. and Stratouice, succeeded his uncle Attains II. in 138 B. C., died in 133. On his accession he murdered many of his relatives and friends. After a short reign of disorder he was seized with remorse and melancholy, withdrew from public affair^, and devoted himself to sculpture and gardening. He bequeathed his kingdom to the Romans. V. Flavins Priscus Attains, emperor of the West in 409-'10. He was born in Ionia, brought up as a pagan, and baptized by an Arian

bishop. Being a senator and prefect of Rome 
at the time of the second siege of the city by 

Alaric, lie was declared emperor by the barba- ! rians in place of Honorins, and sent a message