The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-06-17
T" l.. NJ. HAvERSTICK, !
H. c. LONGNECKER, EDrToRs.
2 j.. B. LONGNECKER, - -
Perjury.

NOT .Tis not the many oahs that make the truth;
ba8W But the plain single vow that is vow "a true
1t is a feature of the lax morality of the
.oa times, that numbers of people entertain
very loose sense of the obligations Of an
o~ oath Many persons seem to consider the
sloo formula which they utter when taking a
lsh solemn oath, as mere colloquialism, of no
7oTomore significance and binding force than
emo street salutation, or a remark upon the
~ weather In no respect is the immoral
tendency of secession and Treason more
b9bIforeibly Illustrated than in this. Under its
-A teachings, oaths Of allegiance and the most
80 solemn asseverations of loyalty. are made
guI with the aippancy idle jest, and regarded
ai2 as little as aspend thrift's promises to pay.
's' 1t is painful to see men of pretended hon.
fs5 or, of good standing in society and the
og Church, make solemn adjuration to the
one Almighty of the honesty of their inten-
a'A tions, when at the same time they have no
.at idea Of fulfilling their part of the obliga-
adf ton, Whatever may be said in extenua-
ton of their conduct it must be admitted
o. that an oath voluntarily taken and admin
se' istered by proper authority is always bind
eea ing. No mental reservation or evasion,
81 no legal artifce can relieve the deponent
9hi from its solemn obligations.-But aside
from the loose morality inculcated by Trea-
noe son, the tri6ng Importance attached to
n oaths, is largely owing to the. manner in
i} which they are administered. All our rea-
ders who have had any experience in
gfo such matters, know with what indecent
sla haste, with what unbecoming levity, oaths
aI'a are frequently administered +" You do, SOL
emily make oath" &C., Kiss the book"
80 I: what's your name 2" all in the same
aTa breath, as though it were a mere idle-form,
aisfto be hurried through with the utmost ra-
80 pidity. We have seen officers administer an
81 oath with cigar 10 the mouth, and between
ngnthe whiffs of smoke, mumbling out the SOL
-i7oemE invocation to the Deity. We have
seen oaths administered in room full Of
81 people, some with hats Oh their heads, 9TH
loners standing by engaged in trihing CONVEX
81 sation. Such indecorous proceedings arise
lA5 partly from; the fact that the State and
= National authorities have required so ma
odiny oaths from the people to insure them
~ against imposition, that they have become
H. to common. There is too much familiarity
iii with the solemn pledge of truth. The pres
7I1oent course is highly pernieious to public
morals It were better to have fewer oaths
., - and more sacredly administered, to throw
s.t, the citizen more upon his sense of honor
"a and personal accountability c o@l y
sia Truth is essential to the welfare of So
ciety, and oaths are designed to secure that
ed end, by adding to mans natural sense of re-
~ sponsibility, the additional force of asol-
emn Invocation ofthe Almighty. They are
intended as a safe guard to society shield
to the community against irresponsible as
sertien ia binding compact between indi-
Dsyiduals and society, that what they say shall
g be "the truth, the whole truth, and moth
ing but the TRUTH" God being their witness,
AN oath is, as it were, a recognizance to
Heaven, binding US over, to plead to the
indictment Of our crimes in the courts
y above, should we escape deserved punish
ment here. t.. 1..aa &
ere;l Yet even with this sacred guard thrown
o, around mans conscience, how often are the
trends of justice frustrated and individual
wrong effected, through false testimony
In very many cases this is due to the slip
shod manner in which oaths are administer
ed.afEvery petty officer is invested with
Authority to pronounce the awful invoca-
ton, without questioning his moral percep-
tiens or inquiring whether he himself duly
appreciates the impressive solemnity of the
form. e l}fqN eHj - 9''is 4ui9h5i ~
~ Even in Courts of Justice the administras
tion of oaths is hurried over with too little
dignity and soIemnity We might do well
to follow the example of the Scotch courts
in this matter. There, when the witness
appears upon the stand, the Judge slowly
NJ rises from his seat, clothed in tho robes Of
y his Office, and commands silence The crowd
il hushed-you can hear pin drop in any
part Of the hall /; then, in grave and digni-
fed speech, the Judge administers the
q solemn obligation. Thus the witness feels
he responsibility of his position an the
3 binding force of the vow he has taken.
Unless something is done to check the
growing indifference to- the sanctity Of
Oaths, it will soon be an idle farce, legal
crime, to administer them in any FORM We
question whether even now any beneficial
results are attained in many cases. If the
iOath does not impress itself upon the con-
z science Of the individual, then its vitality
is gone, and the testimony is worth no more
than the mere assertion of the deponent.