Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1865-11-03
The Abbeville Press.
Abbeville, s. O. .,
Friday, November 3, 1865.
THE TEsT oATH,

>ASh""ESs - IIpHl.
The test oath is uneonstilutionaL obsolete,
anti.republican aud odious!
We have nottime or space to give the ar.
gument at length as tQ its unconsti,u,ion-
aity. That has recently been done by
Governor Graham, Of North Carolina. in
very able, we'll considered and well writ
ten letter. We regret that we have mo-,
room for the whole argument. The capi.
tai point, however, is, that Congress- has no
power to adj to the oath Of office prescri.
bed by the Constitution. If majority in
Congress has the right to prescribe such
tests, then any political party in the as.
tendency, could perpetnate themselves bv
+xacting an oath Of their opponents which
they could not take. The Republicans
for instance might exact an oath that the
members elect were Aot Democ ats and
Ufce versa.
The oath IS obsolete and inapplica5le
for the reason that it was. war measure.
and these are times Of peace, not only of
peace, but, we had hoped, Of restoration
and reconciliation. The oath was one Of
the most stringent measures of the war in
order % bring about peace, is it not absurd
that it should be continued and applied
now in order to prevsntereconcihation and
harmony, and to continue the auar ?-the
war, if not of arms, Of bad feeling, rancor
Sind'ctive~"'- and revenge2 The Nortl,
erp 80 e mower to con,inue Il
out II I'ey don't mean harmony
and peace. = bave the power to d.
eide which they will have, fraternity or
rerenge. If unity and harmony are desir.
able, then the unfitness of applying the
test oath to the returning South, is only
>eaualled by its folly.
1he test oath IS anti republican, for tho
reason that it will utterly destroy the repre- :
sentative principle. In South Carolina. it
may be said safely, there is not one man,
who is fit for the Office of constable, who
can take the oath that he never voluntarily
gave "aid. countenance or encouragement
to persons engaged in the war; In this
State we were 80 nearly unanimous that If.
ter secession everybody went Nth the
State whether they approved the act of 60
cesslon in, the first place or not. The
country was engaged in great war, and
everybody had friends and relatives in it,
and of course sympathized with them. He,
who did not, was either more or less than
man: We have poor opinion Of that
mans head or heart who could stand un-
moved in the midst of such convulsions.
All good men syssa,athized with the dis
tress around them and we're loyal to their
Slate, and their friends, If we are ex-
pected to furnish men for Officers, POST
,nas!era, Congressman or any other posi-.
tIon under the Federal Government. who
can take the oath, we can't find them.
They are not here. In that case. al ]
though the war is over, We are d;sfranchi.
sed en- anasse. We have no lot or part in
the Government. But II VIC could find
enough men to hold the office who are
willing to take the oath, are i've expected
toreward men for d;sloydlty to the State
For want Of fidelity 10 us in the crisis of
our fstei For Withholding 'taid aud coun.
ten"nee" from their neighbors and sons in
arms for our cause, and by onr au,Nor;tr
For cowardly siulking and mercenarv
Specializing when the brave and true were
strnggling and dying. No; meyer! This
would be ,monstroYs, This can never be
required OF US. This would he. a prcmi.
'um to'the basest instincts of our natu,e
. and direct encouragement TO all tho no
Die d'sinterested virtues. Restoration ia a
mockery u the whole population is to. be
als'ranchised BY one .'fell swoop.n No
,st usohaye representative men or none n,
III. Let us not consent to he misreDreseut.
sea: Better far to have NO representation.
.. WeswHl not consent TO be represented
eathes byts"a child or an idiot" We ar,.
!or peace, restoration, harmony and union
We have done much-indeed. ALI that wa.
'eq"l'eo' to secure these blessings, but 9
scshnot consent voluntarily, to have our
.: :ofticss filed by the false in principle or in
heart ihose.w who suffered for US must not
90 ostracised. Taose who are fiji for high
places must not be excluded, because thev
i; nave beensbrave hearted and tue. IF we
ere received into fellowship in the Union.
y y must be in. c. mpany, with our Jewels.
we will not separate from them, come
what may! That would not be Just or
grate'ui, but, on the contrary, foolish. ser.
Witty aud bassness: These menhaye been
ie-t!ls9e to:e9r tFlst sthey p1ayy bs relied on
az aNlsn they give their word to the Federal
authonties. They sre frank and sincere.
and any prstencs that they are unreliable
ijsauasoundeds They are the f,oTer Of ouf
Sschiyalry And.A Ill ;dsc,i - nobody, .
~ saAse egash 'odious becau % il is stest 1cf
exesnsion-7aps es. assumption of unweItbiness
q great war between the sectIons bas been
= waged and il over. We proposed Ssimply
y f9ko Ourselves, iiiis was moi. allowed: The
agfsE ofstte whole matter $.was that Ybs
4 oglgswss unwilling for aseparation.. The
Senlh Was required TO remain in the Union
{ VIII a,em, ahd COW that we propose TO re-
easw ss the bond ip good faith, and tnat, too
J. ~sshout slavery; objection Is made 81 6r ar,cI,
"a asss Applied a. excludes the whole por3ssa
lassonl They wonld not let. MS 90. md
,seow HsZ sgiY not let' .uss return. It Is a
atettibis ailems II, We are not nAovad ~ -.
s sstsaig DIT 81 % Come in with honor. h,;.
tS5esais diSffancb bisemeDt, If persistsd ;n..
"A o,stse ;r,,sA 80. y. =, H