The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-10-01
The Test Oath.

The Coppepheads are raising terrible
howl over the oath which the Judges of
Election are required to administer to all
persons Offering to vote for, or against, the
adoption OF the new Constitution and every
sympathizer with the Rebellion in the State
is echoing the weak logic Of Judge Cham
ber's minority protest, against the Consttu-
ton, which is itself to be submitted to the
voters of the State for adoption or rejection,
declaring what shall be the qualification of
those voters
None of the Copperhead newspapers have
published or furnished their readers with the
Constitution, although they well know they
will be furnished gratis with as many copies
as they desire to circulate, while all Of them
have printed and praised the UNANIMOUSLY
false protest of Judge Chambers. Why is
this? Is it not apparent that the object is
to keep their readers in ignorance, and pois-
on their minds with ISLANDERS and mistate-
ments? They.know right we'll that only by
deception and yilainy can the Rebellion and
its twin sister Slavery be upheld, hence the
superhuman efforts throughout the State of
every sympathizer with the South, every
Rebel, every Copperhead, every supporter
of Mcclellan to defeat the new Constitution.
We trust, however, no union--man will be
so foolishly weak as to be led into voting
against its adoption for any Of the reasons
advanced about the illegaity of the oath
prescribed, or for any of the other obiec-
tons raised against it, all of which are
equally absurd for every vote cast against
the new Constitution is a vote cast in the in
terest of jeff Davis.
When the Legislature. last Winter. provid-
ed for the calling of Convention, they pre-
scribed test oath for voters, and further
provided that the Constitution and form of
government adopted by the Convention,
should be submitted to the legal and quail
fed voters of the State sat such time, in
such manner, and subject to such rules and
regulations as the Contention should pre-
ScIi6e.'
In so enacting, any one can sec that the
Convention was vested by the Legislature
with powers amply sufficient to prescribe a
test oath but not satisfied to stop here they
went even further and added that, the pro-
visions for the qualifications of voters and
the holding of elections, contained in the
act for the call of the Convention, should
be applicable also, to the elections for the
adoption or rejection of that Constitution.
Can, then, anything be palmer to the
commonest capacity, than that the Conven-
ton acted only in strictly legitimate man
ncr in declaring who are the legal and quail
fled voters of the State? Or can anything
be more prop 0stcrous than the idea enter
tanned by the enemies of the Government,
that they are legal and qualified voters p
We do not say that every man opposed to
the adoption of the new Constitution and
the administration of Abraham Lincoln is
an enemy of the Government or an illegal
or unqualified voter but we do say. there
are thousands of men in Maryland who are
no more entitled to vote than are the hordes
under JEFF Davis attempting to destroy the
Union. And, we further say. that if the
Constitution i: adopted, the rebel cause in
Maryland will receive such staggering
blow, that its effect will be kecnly felt in
every nook and corner Of the tottering Con-
federacy Of the southern Shareholders And
the act of the Legislature prescribing the
test oath and the clause in the Constitution
ENGRAVING it in that instrument are deeds of
wisdom and patriotism which every loyal
Marylandcr will endorse at the ballot box
by voting for the Constitution"