Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-05-28
IROr the wheeling 1n.slllgeneer.l

The ADMINISTRATION OF OATHs.-An oath is
commonly defined to be "a religious assevera.
ton by which person renounces the mercy,
and imprecateS the vengeance of heaven. if he
do not speak the TRUTH" or perhaps more cor.
rectly, as in the language of learned author,
an outward pledge given by the juror Cor per-
son taking it) that his intention or promise is
made under an immediate sense of his RESPONSE
bility to God" Such being the nature of an
oath, the situation of the person receiving It
and testttying under it, must, indeed, be very
grave and solemn one. Calling God to listen to
what he says, he asks that If knowingly he
speaks falsely, His vengeance may eternally
punish him for it.
The design of an oath is said to be not to call
the attention of God to man, but the attention
| OF man to God. It is intended that the witness
should be brought in this public and solemn
manner, to reflect that he is about to speak be-
fore God and to consider how great his responsi.
0ility is The witness ought to receive the oath
with that reverence and religious fear, which
would comport with his duty, if standing in the
actual presence of the Supreme Being, to whom
he must finally account.
Such being the solemnity and design of the
oath as administered in our Courts, It cannot
help being observed, that the duty Of the per-
son administering the oath is not morally, an
indifferent one Nay, so far from it, we cannot
] help regarding It as solemn Cluty,-to be per.
formed in properly reyerential manner Yet
now seldom 90 we md It thus considered, or II
so considered by opinion, how often do We see
this imperative duty of practice, irrevcrently
tdisregardedl
stranger, acquainted with the character of
an oath, and Of the responsibility it imposes.
but who has never seen it administered, would
be surprised and mortified, on entering one of
our Courts, to see the heedlessness and actual
dtsreSpectfulnesS, with which 1t is there fire
quenty administered. In truth, we have ex-
perienced these feelings ourselves. The officer.
whoever he may be, seems to think that his duty
Is merely an c6ieiat one, and that the mechan.
ical act Of presenting the book aud repeating
tue formula, ending in the mere cords, $50 help
you God, is the sum and completion of his
duty. But not so, indeed. Levity on the mart
OF him that administers the oath, is very likely
to produce corresponding feeling in him that
receives It,
The very essence of an oath consists in the
reverence which 1t impreSses on the mind, and
1t must be perceived that If the mind does mot
receive this impression, the oath is ruitleSs and
| OF no more effect than if never taken. He who
takes 1t ought to have his attention solemnlv
drawn nom every thing else to the God whom
ne believes to exist, when, with his mind thus
directed, VIC may feel the highest assurance that
he will speak the truth. But, usually, how hit
tie adapted to fixing this solennity upon the
mind, do we find the tone, manner and conduct
OF those whose duty it is to administer oaths.
Mhatwe have animRdvested to is an evil
one that IS Injurious In its effects upon public
Justice, and upon our religion, and It ought to
be regarded as such, and as such should lie rem.
edied. DEITA.