The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-08-02
The Congressional Pest Oath.

u
borne arms against the United States
who has voluntarily given aid, conn.
tenance, counsel encouragement toI
persons that have been engaged in
armed hostility thereto; who has
sought OF accepted, OF has attempted
to exercise the functions Of any Office
under any authority hostile to the Uni
ted States; or who has yielded a vol
untary support to any pretended gov
eminent, authority, power or cons.itu.
ton within the United States hostile
or inimical thereto. Wewill not stop
to enquire whether Congress has the
right to impose any other quali6ca'
tions for membership than those pres
cribed by the constitution, or whether
the Presidents amnesty proclamation,
if complied with, does not not re-
move the disabilities recited in the
resolution in question. It is sufici-
ent to know that Congress has the
poaosr, and with the dominant party
power is SYNONYMOUS with right, and
RI -l.f = 4 45Lt
will be exercised without regard to
constitutional provisions or executive
proclamations. The object Of the
oath was to exclude Southern mem
sbers from the floor Of Congress, and
we agree with the Ny. Ersaiag Post
that the oath = will effectually bar
Southern men at the threshold from
entering that body" '''
The N. .. Tines takes issue with
the Post and says:
"We can have no more difficulty in
the South in sending representatives
Ito Washington who can take that
official oath without pejuring them
selves, than the people Of New York,
Chic, Indiana and Illinois. The In.
stances are not exceptional Of men
in the South who have not given a
voluntary support to the Confederacy.
7 If they were markedly exceptional
we should not run anything like the
risk in making our selections that
must be.incurred in Northern States
where reasonable associations have
been secretly organized. If Union
tlovers were great exceptions here,
we could pick ont our men at once
without fear of mistake"
Now with all due Difference to the
opinions Of the Times we may be per-
mitted to remark that original
Pc Union-loyers,n and men who have
not given voluntary support to the
Southern Confederacy are eery mark
edly exceptional" in the Southern
States. Never were q people more
thoroughly united on any subject than
were the people Of the South on the
question Of independence and the es
Establishment of a Southern Confeder
acy. Old and young, rich and poor
persons Of every age, sex and condi
I ton caught the contagion Of liberty
and entered with zeal, energy ant
earnestness upon the struggle for in
E dependence. The rebellion y as thu
enemies Of the South, within ant
without her limits, glibly style TIL
. Southnrn war, embraced not only al
/ the wealth, intelligence and refine
q ment Of the South, but drew to it
q support the masses and the hard,
yeomanry Of the land. If here ant
J there q prominent man declared him
self for the Union, he was pointed q
as an exception" remarkable in
; deed; and if, among the masses, ther'
were q few hostile to the new gov
d ernment,l twas among those who hat
!, mo interest in the country, or those
who moved by the fear Of the Con
script law and the hope Of plunder
!, Joined the enemy and lived by rob
bing and numbering their forme
friends. If the Times would only cal
to mind the difficulty its friends il
i New Orleans experienced in the worl
!, Of organizing q new .loyalp Stat,
!. government, and would reflect upol
I the character Of the men engaged il
! the movement, it would readily I'm
derstand what kind Of men composet
! the Union. party and the party whicl
stfailed to lend encouragement 10 th
Confederacy. The Union convention
and Legislature were a disgrace i,
!, any. civilized community, their legis
,ilation stinks in the. nostrilsof ever,