Weekly Trinity journal., 1859-01-01

SoIEN1rTY OF OATH-It cannot have escaped
general attention that we are fast degenerating
into the practice Of converting solemn oath, on
the sanctity of which rests not only the temporal
interests of parties to a suit, but the dread ac-
connt of an immortal soul, altogether too much
into a matter of business-a thing Of transient
moment-an affair between mere men-a test of
partizan preference or disfavor. In a country
like ours, where the laws based on the princi-
plies of revealed religion, it must be evident that
some proper safeguard should be thrown around
the respect paid TO those laws, and the rights oi
parties whose interests are adiudlcated IN accor-
dance with their iniunctions, by surrounding the
oath with a solemnity which cannot be disregar-
ded, and by investing it with such form as cannot
fail to impress itself with emphasis upon the
attention of the most unobservlng. witnesses
should be made to feel that their every attestaton
made in the presence Of the living God, spe-
cially invoked as evidence OF their entlre truth-
fulness on such occasions. in England, the
Government became thoroughly alarmed at the
little respect paid TO the oath, by reason OF Its
too frequent administration in all cases, OF what
ever nature requiring the Intervention OF law
If bocame manifest that the solemn act was
nerforrned without due reflection, and not untre-
ouentlv used as a cloak to deception and false
hood -partiZan preiudices and personal iaVorltisn
The consequence was that the oath was relinqulsh-
ed in a multitude of minor cases, and " declar-
ation' substituted in its stead, which declaration
was surrounded with all the judicial penalties
attached to making false oath. We are not
advocating an imitation of the English law on
this subject, but we simply desire to impress upon
our Judges with whom we believe it to be
discretonary the necessary Of substituting some
more solemn and impressive form OF calling God
to witness the truth Of the testimony given, than
that which now obtains. The present form is as
follows: " You do solemnly swear in the presence
of the ever living God, that the evidence you
will give the Court and Jury in the case now on
trial, shall be the truth, the whole truth, ana
nothing but the truth, SO help you God" One
might reasonably imagine such an oath quite SOL
emn and pointed enough to satisfy any conscon-
tious mind but we must reflect that oaths are
not made to affect the consciences of honest men,
but of those who would not tell the truth under
ordinary circumstances They are not framed to
operate on strictly scrupulous minds alone, but
to exercise q decided influence on the unscrupu-
lous, hence the addition Of a severe penalty.
But, in order that the witnesses should entertain
a more distinct and impressive sense Of the nature
of his responsibility in the premises, we would
suggest the following amendment: You do
solemnly swear Jy the name, and in the presence
of the ever living God, that the evidence you rtH
be required 10 giue The Court and Jury in the case
now on trial, shall be truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth, dHd his you Srcor upon ne
peril Of goar immortal soui, so help you God. we
think few men would be found in this or any other
civilized community, who could, under the solemn
obligation and pointed language OF such an oath
be found base and impious enough to trIlle win
it or take it falsely-S. T. Heraid