Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-05-02
THE TEST OATH.
Report of the COMMITTEES on the Judiciary
on the Expe1iency of Of Modifying the


The report OF Representative Wilson, OF
Iowa. April 23d, from the Commlttee on
the Judiciary, on the message of the fresl-
dent of the United States transmitting COM
m,nications from the Secretary of the Treas
ury and the Postmaster General, suggesting
IA modification Of tie oath of Office presented
by the act of Congress approved July 20,
1862, contains the following points:
The act presenting the oath was passed
when the nation was in the midst OF gI-
gantic war waged against it by Its own clti-
zens, and Congress intended to establish by
1t permanent rule of public policy which
should exclude from the offices of the United
States every citizen who had voluntarily
abandoned his allegiance to the Government
and Joined in the mad attempt OF traitors
to destroy it. The official positions which
many Of the leading traitors held under the
Government while engaged in organNrg .
the rebellion, were sources of power without
which the war could not have been COM
menced.
Those positions gave the consplrators a
resistiess influence over the Southern States,
and supplied the means for organizing Tor
ces that converted one half of the Republic
into battle fields, on which loyalty and trea
son contended for four years. Ii every ofti-
Ger of the Government had proved true to
his trust, he rebellion could not have oc-
Cured. This fact was properly appreciated
by Congress and by President Lincoln when
the act Of July ,, 1862 was placed upon the
statute-book of the nation.
They eaw that treason derived all OF Its
original strength from the official positions
OF the leading traitors. The baseness OF
the traitors who had gone from Congress,
from the Cabinet, from the army and navy,
I oto ND tIOn al
| er to the rebellion, was fresh in the minds
| of all who participated III the enactment ofthe
oath of Office The Yulee letter, disclo,lngth the
double viliainy of the men WIN consplred
against the Government while holding Its
| highest offices, had been discovered and
| placed before the country but a short time
| before the passage OF the act OF July 2, 1867.
| That letter did much toward convincing
every true supporter of the Government OF
the necessity Of applying the test OF unln
terrupted loyalty 10 every.public officer. So
marked Was its effect then, that the COM
mittee deem 1T proper to reproduce II hert
as au argument In favor OF maintaining tht
policy in the adoptin of which 1t materially
aided
The committee understand that it is the
deliberate purpose OF Congress TO maintain
the policy of the act of July2. 1862, which l.
to keep the offices OF the Government IN the
hands of loyal men, Treason Is not to be
made respectable by the robes OF ofnce, ano
places of honor, trust, power and proh
should be bestowed upon the loyal only
True men can be found in the inSurrectlon
arv States to f | all such places, and none
other should be selected None of the law
of the nation ought to be so changed as t
render any other course possible, and IN phI
regard the committee entirely concur IN th'
oold utterances nade by President johnson
both while the war was in progress and ate
actual hostilities had ceased.
The committee quote the remark OF ffesl
lent johnson while he was Military Gover
nor OF Tennessee, to 81 ow his declaration
We're in entire harmony with the policy es
tablished by the act of July =, 1867 ant
when on the 2uth of April, 1868, he assert
u ed that lit is time the American peopl
should be taught to understand that treason
is crime. not IN revenge. and not in anger
hut treason is a crime and should &c esteem
cd a. sucb and punished as such, he ut
tarod an appeal for the continuance of tn
!, ..test oath of such force that the commit
, tee cannot disregard 1t, and Is constralne
~ aid him in all proper efforts to reach s
, desirable result and the committee is G
) opinion that one the most effective mean
of making treason odious, is TO close all OFT
cial doors against traitors, and fill the office
of the Government with loyal men. and pu
no traitors on guard. This. in the jude
; ment of the committee, willfuily make trea
, son odious and tend to produce harmony.
action between the legislative and executiv
3 branches of the Government.
The committee does not suppose that IN
President. when he declared. II there ar
, but FIVE thousand men In Tennessee ioyai
: the Constitution, loyal to freedom, loyal !
Justice, these true and faithful men shoul