Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-05-03
THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.
4. N. 20 81 ID w

10 IA. Editor Of the Wing
lftba order requiring the oath Of allegiance
mad been issued AZ an earlier day II would have
.apsrsfad harshly on many sincere and honorable
men. who. while Southern force remained, might
card the Confederate Government as still in eX-
silence and hst oath Involving hostility 10 their
u,,n state. and being therefore az objectionable
,acreancy. But the position Of affairs is now es-
seutisIlv changed. The Confederate army aud
,ba Co1c.d.rate Government are alike extinct,
and consequently the difficulties arising from sup
posed obligations in that quarter are al an end
Nor can 10 be considered necessary 10 wait tor any
.etion 90 the part Of the State. The Executive
aad tho Legislature heretofore recognized 10 Last
srn Virgins are in exile, without place, without
uo,v-r and without the hope Of restoration, while
me only State Government exercising authority is
the "Pierpout Government 20 submit to which
is 10 az knowledge allegiance to the Union. Under
these circumstances all Semblance OF duty 10 the
sonth or 90 Virginia, in opposition 10 the claims
gI the Federal Government, has ceased, and men
are len free 10 act for themselves Individually,
since By such action alone can the State be organ
lied and assume again its position as tederative
Uo4er. Nor can there be much doubt what IS the
course which true patriotism prescribes. The
south has fought calamity aud tried its utmost
strength, but the fates were adverse, and now the
only Alternative which in the nature Of things can
be offered is reunion, or vassalage 10 the condition
OF subject provinces. Can any one doubt which IS
the wiser choice Let us then frankly return 70
The Federal authorities n restoring peaceful reia-
t.0us and healing the wounds Of the past remem-
bering the past tJur wears as herce ieverlsh
cream. from which W. awake at length 10 milder
lsalit.e, and o. a Autuve OF better hopes.
There are circumsta nces in the late attempted
evolution sAlcI 100 Themselves furnish no unimpOr-
amt Guaranty against its fepsTit0n. Under the
Union political relations were peculiar, involving
divided sovereignty, with no umpire universally
4cIrnovlsdred competent To- decide In case OF col
llsiou. The respective provinces OF The Federal
and state Governments, we're defined With some
4nDrascL o. exactucSs; bat the paramount oblga-
ION ON the citizen, whose tcaliy 10 one should be-
come rel bel nous against the other, renamed unset
he'd. Hence 20 happened that numbers throughout
rbs S,rrb believed secession right, with which
The States had never parted and others who
fbousbt diHerently, considered that individual
opniot. ought Weld to the decisions OF their re-
spectige state. n thus appears that the treason
involved in ssging war against the United States
1nder the authority OF "A seeded State, was, in
ON. raSDact, essentially different from the crime
rbat usuallv bears that name, in which no conflict
no allegiance perplexes the Judgment, but the one
i.re.sot tioyrrnulent is resisted aud dehed. This
r,Rbt claimed by the seeding States, the Federal
vsrnulant re9ellad, and Che issue was fairly tried
\. tbe bloadissi war OF modern times, maintained
- H. south as the late head OF the "COnfedeIa
- publicly declared, 90 yindicate the right Of Sc
cessiOn. e. -. -. ,t.,a -
me consequence ~ t"~t - 49, ""i -
necessary Implication, embody ana PeTPs5uatte 5he
-;~i,Ic "a supreme aheg lance 10 The Federal to
f-lf,t 40 tbst any attempted secession he eat
tsr wn h. with che universal understanding that Il
= - nj sbsolute treason, from the penalties Of
1nirb no piea of doubtful or divided allegiance viii
,srve 70 protect the traitor. This great principle,
,bsn i pally settled by the event Of the VAT and
,.oition a. part OF the national organic Law,
An TEND to give stability to the Government aud
sseu ity against future disunion attempts, which
- Sc triss. with their attendant trains OF con
Sscations and bloody executions, could confer WIN
out It's AID ,,..
RIcHMosD, April 2qth, 1860.