Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1862-05-10
The Oath OF Allegiance.

From The Montgomery Adverlssr1
Theso mag b5 some parties in the-South VII,
are Preparing, II case their homes are invaded
by the enemy, 10 take the cath Of allegiance t
the United States for the purpose of securing
their property from noiestatIon, they protesting
TO believe thar 5Gch an oath Is not binding upoI
them, and thGt'when the enemy retires shey bavC
a perfect right 70 repudiate the obligation they
have taken, ard that Ghey viii in future occupy
tine position Of citizens CT the Confederate states
TEeIe ar6- men VINO profess 70 think that such
an oath Ct allegiance WILDE no more biuEjng
upon thsm thGn the osth by a foreign bonn Cit
zen Of tho Coniederacy, taken previous TO Sc.
! CC5SiOn. Ii IS tue the oath in both cases is vol
uEtsry, but the circumstances under which ii is
| taken are very different, and those who would
place the two oatbs on an equality simply display
their ignorance Of the fundamental principles
Of the government
Before the dissolution Of the Ulion the Tor
/ siguer who became a citizen Of the Guited
| States, and took an cath to support tse G0us.i-
| tuition, became also ~ virtue OF his residence
in any one State, e-citize2 6t that State, and if
/ there rs anything in tho -Aoetrias- Of States SOW
eIeignty, tho allegiance 10 owed 70 the State was
paramount 10 all ,0lGeTs, So long, therefore, as
ne remained q citizen Of the State ii which he
resided, that State alone had ths power to sb-
| solve him from her oath OF allegiance To the
Constitution Of The United States. n the Ease
Of The Confederate States, each State actfzg as
a sovereign, has withdrawn from the Unic8, and
has sbsoiyed its citizens, whether native OF foE-
eign born, h0m y! obligation to the United
States Those, therefore, who have taken such
gn oath are now neither legally nor morally
bound to observe it. They are as free from its
operations as though they bad never taken it.
The case of those who are base enough, Ander
the circumstance we have previously mentioned,
to take the Uatn Of allegiance 10 tse Yankee
government IL altogether different. Any man
atthe South. who sweaTs 10 support The Lincoln.
g~oEernment, by that act eKpatriates himself, and
becomes an alien and an enemy 70 the .Confed-
eracY, He voluntarily transfers his allegiance
10 8 foreign and hostile government, and as q
matter Of course renOUnces his allegiance TO the
State and Contederacy in which he lives. Con
seqUently III tho future he viii occupy a position
similar TO that of ether citizens of the Yankee
States, and can never become a citizen of the
Confederate States unless through the operation
of the nstUTsfizs ion laws,
The governRRnt would have the power to
allow the Fscusant citizens to resume their ale
glance, but we do-not belieFe such measure
would be sanctioned by the people of the South.
The men vino desert their country in her hour of
peril and place tbemsel7eBi in the position of alien
enemies, merely for the purpose OfsecuEing their
own personal ease and comfort, will receive no
other treatment from tho people of tho South
than that usually accorded TO enemies and tsai-
tors. Should any of them venture outside the
protection of their Yankee friends, or remain be-
hind alter the invaders depart, they will very
likely fnd that the steel and cord in the hands of
southern men are quite effective Instruments 10
the disposition of traitors. --I