The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-04-26
Modification Of the Test Oath OPP
D0Spd

Modification Of the Test Oath OPP
posed.
The House Committee on the Ju-
dietary, through its Chairman, Mr..
WILSON of Iowa, made lengthy re-
port on Monday in opposition to the
modification of the test oath, as asked
for by the President. The Report
starts out by enumerating the circum--
stances under which the law establish
ing the testnoath wasgenacted, aswell
as the necessity for it. The manner
ii which prominent Southe1ial Rebels
used their official positions in 1861 to
prevent the Government from taking
any steps to interfere with the plans
and operations of the. conspirators, is
specified clearly and succinctly. The
celebrated letter Of Yulee, Of Florida,
IN January, 1861, to a member of the
Florida Secession Convention, in
which he declared that, after con-
sultation on the part of the Senators
from the Seeding States, it was
thought best for them to remain in
their places until the expiration Of
Congress, in order to disable the Re-
publicans from effectirg any legisla-
ton calculated to strengthen the
hands of the incoming Administra-
ton, il copied BY the Committee to
show the infamy and treachery Of
those engaging in the conspiracy. At
this same consultation of Senators
spoken Of by Mr.. YULEE, the following
resolutions were adopted, and Messrs.
DAVIS, SLIDELL and MALLORY ap-
pointed a committee to carry them
out: aeR
LIST. That, in our opinion, the Southern
States should, as soon as may be, secede
ID. That provision should be made for a
convention to organize q cOnfederacy of
the seeding States, the convention to
meet not later than the 18th of February,
at the city of Montgomery, Alabama.
81 Sd. That in view of the hostile iegtsla-
ton that is threatened against the seced-
ing States, and which may be consnmma-
lions whether the delegations are to re-
main in Congress until that date, for the
purpose of defeating such legislation.
The Committee very properly af-
firm that none but madmen would
think of trusting these. men again
with official power in the nation
Congress was convinced that the or
binary oath dc office'll would have
no effect on the consciences of such
men, and therefore passed the test
oath which excluded them from Of
fee altogether. e
In the opinion of the Committee,
nothing has occurred since the pas
sage of the test oath to warrant its
repeal. BY it alone can the Offices OF
& the country be kept in the hands OF
truly loyal men, of whom sufficient
number can be found even in the i'm
surrectionary States The Committee
concur with the bold utteraacesi Of
President JOHNSON, both while the
war was in progress and after actual
hostilities had ceased. The Presi-
dent has maintained that traitors
q Should take a. back seat i'm Che work
of reconstruction, and if there were
only FIVE thousand loyal men in /;
State they should absolutely contro
the work of Reorganization" TIL
Committee also inderse2 the Presi
dents celebrated remark that trea
3. son is crime and believe. that on
of the most effective means of making
it odious is to close all official door
against traitors-put no traitors OIL
guard. aa $50 20 a41s 81
Any modification of a law so essen
iaI to the safety and perpetuity of tn
Government, should be based on som
very urgent reason, and the COMMITTEE
then proceed to examine the reason
offered by the Secretary of the Trea
sury and Postmaster General in fave
of its modification, copying the Secrt
tary Of the Treasury's statement
a~ the effect that the close of the war ha
left seven millions Of people in a sta
of disorganization, without any civ
government, and without even adj
- anate military protection against al
archy and violence; that in order !
s. establish the Federal authority an
civil government, it was necessary