Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1863-03-11

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I place but in object submission. Nothing "
f left bat consistency in error and the uelanehc
S confession az the last, pas pas Qa "a bisH To-
3 Thus crafty were our unhappy fell0w-eitizs
deeeysd into the cath from which, At the hegi
ming. they rscoiled with the indignant sxelsm
ton Of HRzsel "WhRt is thy servant do
thst he should do this great wrong r.
The dsrkest feature, however, in this oppre
sion, Is found IN the undehned tsrrors whie
hang like portentious cloud over this devots
peoples terrors, too, Of such nature 2
gioomilg to impress the imagination and freez
the soul with horror The infamous order N,
., was not, as usually interpreted, the ontbuT'
Of brutal and savage nature ia q moment Z
resentment; but part of pFenaditated systeI
to stTlke universal terror into the hearts Of tn
| community The blow was threatened jus
/ where the sffections are most sensitive and th
| violation of the sweetest sanctities Of home wa
set forth as the penalty Of resistance to the tY
rants wiz Though directed in form sgains
! the women of Leaisians, its evident design wa,
\ to reach through them their intTsetsbls guardian
OF the other sex. The husband and the fathe
were called to look upon their imprisoned house
4 holds, and then to survey the hounds Of the das
/ pot By whom thsy were held at bay. A licsn
tiOus soldiery drawn from the skum Of Northern
society, the agrarian element always 50 be found
in the mixed population of large city, and
the drunken helOis jGst en1sncipatsd ffCa bond.
age and triekled out 10 the t0ggery Of their new
associates-thsse were held in the leash 20 be
let loose to sack aud plunder AZ their viii, and
70 crafty the worst passions of the human heart
l<Doubtless these fears were, TO q large extsnt,
imaginary for they were never realizsd by those
who openly defed the tyrant's power, who
seemed rather 10 amuse himself with playing
upon the fears Of men, aud imposing tests Of
nd
who islseFed and trembied under his fTown.
But though imaginary, they were nevertheless
effective. Our people appeared to feel as though
the earth was hesvlng beneath their tread, and
thai, in single moment, they might 20 down
together through she parted crust These name
less, formless horrors, presented by g morbid
fancy, with desire to preserve their property
froa' eonfscsti1nf combined to crush tee spirit
OF people as noble IS any beneath the sun
Ny heart, sir, alternately burns with sugsr aud
bleeds in sympathy as | contemplate these ac-
eumulated wrongs, which are Tecitsd with no
design to apologize for the cath, but 20 show
that the censure leveled against it proceeds from
no iDsensibility to the distress by which it was
eOerced. The same tenderness which weeps
over the sorrows Of cur iriiAds, pleads with
them to retrieve the still heavier disaster of
dishonOred name
Il IS not 20 be presumed that all were con
Quoted 10 this fatal step By precisely the same
line of argument. Accordingly we fad it justi-
fed upon two grounds, which are not only dis
tinet from, but even exclusive of each other, as
The attention happened to be fixed upon one or
the other hour of common delverance The
difficulty was how to take the oath withoat sur
rendering, on the one hand, conscious loyalty
to the Conftderacy, and retaining, on the other
hand, something ike integrity of conscience.
The path was too narrow to allow the slightest
detection without plungiHg into one or ths other
Of these two quickssndy. Soms determined 10
preserve their interest in the country which they
loved, even at the expense Of truth: others to
naintsin vsrscity at the hazard Of eIouding With
suspicion their civil fidelity. Let as examine
both expedients in detail.
Il is alleged, then, by the 6rst Of these two
classes, that being without Hbsrty OF choice, ID
t6e bands of an unserupulous and bsrbarous
eneHy, It was lawful to swear an oath with the
bps to which tina heart gave no response; that
no faith was 10 be placed in an oath exacted
upon eomPulsion, and accordingly II might be
taken with q mental reservation 10 break il SO
sooH Is opportunity shonld be afforded of doing
i with safety. The case Is considered para Tel
VIII an oath of secrecy exacted by footpad w b
his stiletto at our throat, which it is a}epad
might be given with The firm but secret purpose
of bringing tho outlaw 70 iHstics IS soon IS we
should be onea more within the protection of
society and law. ] believe have here stased
ihe argument in It's utmost strength. The oath.
say they, was taken, bat under circau stances
which gave the imposer no confidence ia the
fidelity Of the party sworn, spd sbsolved the
latter from all obligation TO abide by his pledge
Il were FER better to let thisDath pass without
defense than TO justify it by doctrine go des1-
lating In its consequences. The apparsnt, or
even tho real, aposiacY Of many thousands from
our ranks cannot infiict SO severe OF lasting a /
shock upon the ConfedeTacy as tie promulga I
.iOn Of principles like these We are all willing I
n 2 superabundaBt charity, 10 forgive the weak I
ness Of those who have fallen uuder the cruel I
expressions which l have alTesdY described /
but We cannot permit that weakness to be ]
sxtolied into virtue, nor TO be extsnuatod upon /
grounds subversive alike Of morality and reli- /
gi0u, " hat is an oath but an appeal to the /
)mniscient Goa IS q witness to the truth where /
If we affirm IR this consists the essence of
ne sin of perjury; that " the aror hiss the /
hoRght of GOD and religion upon his mind a. 4
he time, 50 that, if be ofsnds. It is IL defiance
# the sanctions of religion, and implies a disbe-
ief Or contempt of Gods knowledge, power and 4
ustice." Since humsn society cannot exist /
Without mutual confidence, and this id turn de-
Dends upon truth, the oath has been ordained by
Sod for the attainment Of both these ends. To
,usrd as far IS possible sgainst the temptations
0 felsehood, the religions sentiment In man is
brought into exercise, and the conscience Is sur
ou1ded By all those motives which eau be
rawn from consideration of God snd HIS
justice. The juror Che term being
AIKEN in its genealogical, not It's technilsal sign
icaion) is cited Immediately before The Divine
ribunal, that in the view of him who reads the
screts Of all hearls, and Is pledged I'd punish
raud as sn off5nse against His suthority, he
nay have the strongest indueement to utter the
ruth This, Of course, is founded upon the
1es that human government itself is not only
q ordinance Of God, but that it IS a dim reAsc
ION Of the Divine We could not, indeed, be
ubieets of human law, if we were, not anteee-
ently under the jurisdiction of the Supreme
Ruler of the world. Hence. hnmsn govern
nent IS not only divinelg ordained butts exist
nce and preservation depend upon those re-
igiOus convictions which are recognized in the
)ivins law. With oil the temporal sanctions By
which il strives to enferee obedieuee, lis control
yer human conduct Is not etfsctnsl undl it in-
,okes the aid Of conscience and thus places 2
lolice in every human breast. Is strongest
lrotection is found in the oath which takes hold
4 tie righteous nature in man. I. can
jss no higher than this. It summons US into
he presence of the Infinite Col, sni sways His
.wiul scspter over the soul as it comBels our
toHNl1uJ N SlSul Ot tu17o tt5uih1uuAh jug
nents which fence agOuad the preTogatives of
bat august being Hence moralists have not
lesitated to describe tee oath as a twotold c1ve
laat made both with society and Gods aud in
his latter aspect it rises into the solsmBity Of
N act CT religious worship. Thus it is that
men swear BY the greater, and an oath for
confirmation is to them an end Of al strife,
lhe pledge OF veraeisy is deposited with the
Judge of all the esrth, and upon its foIisuce are
the fearful Tetrib8ti0ns Of Eternity /
L this docs not bind the conscience, nothing 4
an bind, and society is without gu arantse for
hat tTuthfulness upon which human intercourse I
must at last. hinge.
To trifie, therefore, with the sauetiiy Of the {
)ath, Is 70 strike fatal blow both at religion /
md ct law Il destroys religioe by weakeniog
Ihe sense Of Gods presenea in the saui, and by /
i ebaUchilg the very faculty to which All her
ianctions aTs addressed: q he that comebh unto /
Sod unst believe that Re is, aud tina, lie Is the
-sa'eFder Of them that diligently ssek Him" Il
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