Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-02-03

rights ana privileges OF such citi7enship:
that ardentiy desire the suppression of
the present insurrectiou and rebellion
against the Government of the United
States, the success of its armies and the
oeteat OF all those who oppose them and
tnat the Constitution of the United States,
and all laws aud proclamatious made in
pursuance thereof, NAV be speedy and
permanently established and enforced over
all the people, States and Territories
thereof; and further, that will hereafter
heartily aid and assist all loyal people in
the Accomplishment of these results. So
Lelp me God"
We regard this oath as being much
nearer the proper thing than the one
liable to be administered to challenged
voter in West Virginia. And for the rea.
son that it meets nearer than our oath the
requirements of what is vital necessity
as long as this war lasts, viz the suprem-
acy Of the Union sentiment in every county
and township.
By the Gath section of ''sn act to regu-
late elections by the people," passed in
November last by our Legislature, voter,
when challenged, is simply liable to be
called upon to swear 'sthat he will support
the constitution of the United States and
the constitution of this State" Most any
one will do this if called upon, reserving
to themselves the Interpretation of the
oath taken. 1t was no uncommon thing
in the early days of this rebellion, and it
is not now for that matter, for violent
rebels, VIGOROUSLY in sympathy with the
rebellion, to take readily an oath to sup
port the constitution of the United States.
This class OF persons in this Stale do not
acknowledge the State of West Virginia.
On the contrary they distinctly claim that
Virginia is as she was before the war, one
and indivislble, and that when they swear
to support the constitution of "this State"
they mean by "lhis State" the State of
Virginia. Under the oath prescribed by
Governor johnson no such dodge can be
played off. The words admit OF no license
no variable interpretation-but on the
contrary tie man down TO the affirmation
of construed and settled and unequivocal
set of words. A man must swear that he
"ardently desires the suppression of the
present insurrection and rebellion against
the Government of the United States, the
success of its armies and the defeat of all
those who oppose them" He must further
swear that he "will hereafter heartily aid
aud assist all loyal people in the accom-
plishment of this result"
n of
thing. 1t cannot be taken with easy res.
ervatiOn- Very few persons not entirely
STEPPED in torsworn and perjured iuten-
tious, would dare to take it. The effect
therefore of any suspicious character being
made liable to be challenged and called
upon to take such an oath would be to
keep away from the polls all persons who do
not go there with genuine loyalty in their
hearts towards the Union cause. Every
Union man must admit that no one except
such truly loyal person ought to VOTE
The very idea of an election is bound up
in the loyalty Ofthose who adhere to the in.
situations for which and under which they
vote. 1t is to make the whole thing a
farce to say that those who sympathize
with the attempt to overthrow the govern
ment and the condition of things around
us, have right to vote. They have no
such right.
We trust that our legislators will so far
amend the election law of last session as
to prescribe some such oath as that we
have quoted. They enacted "A good law
in relation to civil and military officers, ON
the 10Th of November last, and we are
only surprised that they should have lef,
the requirements of voters at the polls SO
loosely and inadequately provided for
We would not be understood as ADVOCATING
for voters such u law as that relating to off.
GERS. Wewould have nothing retrospective
in the oath for voters, but simply require a
man to swear in good faith as to his pre-.
sent and future intentions. This feature
constitutes the excellence of the oath quot.
ed from Gov. Johusou's proclamation.