The Lincoln County herald., 1866-07-13
The Frank Blair Test. Oath Case.

cult Court Of st. Louis county, Missouri,
lavo decided against Gen. Frank Z.
Blair in his suit against the elocfionjudg- !,
cs uf the Sixth Ward Of 81. Louis, for
refusing to receive his vote in local
election tlcro last November. doubtless
Gen. Blair will carry thc care to high
or court. 1t is an important one, chiefly
to tho validity Of certain clauses In the
now Constitution Of that State craflily de-
viscd by tho most reckless set Of fanatic-
al Gosporadocs thnt over cursed nOd con-
trolleL any Govcruucnt on the face Of
The earth. 1t was against these biSo.cd
aud cruel Radicals that The venerable
Edward Eatos, formerly President Lin
coins Attorney General, lately contondcd
with such vigorous and persuasive clo-
uucncc. But to the whole country tho
ila.tcr is important us disclosing tho de-
tiant lawlcssncss, the ! al hcortcuncss, tie
reckless desperation which there, AS hero
aud everywhere tho Radicals exhibit in
attempting to retain thcir hold On power.
Gcn. Elai,'s history is well known. 1t
IL identified with soa.c of The ihost brill
iant passages nd the crownng triumph
Of tho war. lie returned from his CON.
panionship with Sherman, to his old rus.
ilcncc, aud there, at an election for couu-
ty Auditor and Judge Of u County Court
offered his vote, which was refused, de-
spite his rendering ut the sumo time IN
oath Of allogitncc to the United States
aud the State of Missouri. Gen. Blair
did not take or offer to take the "Oa'h Of
Loyalty" required by the Radical Con-
stitution Of the State of Missouri, which
contriycs causes for disiranc!.isemcnt out
OF matters which urc in the past, and are
prescribed by the Constitution Of the Uui-
ted States aud the very nature Of free in-
stitutions.
The clauses Of the new Radical Consti-
tuition which wcro relied upon by tho de-
toulants to iisfranclisc ecu. Blair arc
in tho second article Of that amazing doc
umcnt. An analysis Of its third section
shows that the wits Of those political dcs.
pcradocs who contrivtd that. document
aud forced it upon the people Of MisSou-
ri by prostitu.cI military power, werc
able to devise, divide and distinguish
cirhty-six se,ratn and distinct acts for
doing which, no 4! for having done either
one of which, they proposed to mako it
constitutioually unlawful, cx pvst iacto
unlawful, for u citizen Uf Missouri u
vote to hold any Office Of honor, trust
or pr fit; TO bo an officer, director or
trustee Of any corporation, public or pri-
vatc, present or iatGre to teach or to
preach. None of these ci,,h.y-siX things
in the past must he have Lvacxeach md
all of them must Ia swear an Gath of
Loyalty never to have done. Of course
tl.eso cighty-six crimes. Vi which every
Mis- oufi voter was thus presumed ea,i;y
Chs rrc.uI p,ion OF innocence VAS once
tie drtam .: the law, e;rn in Mi,sou.i,)
stretched over the whole cacut o: dis
loyalty, from the deep bass of overt trca-
sen to the fiddle squeak ot whi,ietc,!
! "Sympaily." Aud the "Con,,i'ul.1n'-
= that j, the nanic this astounding ,io,u
mcnt is called by--bcsinning with Tic
. presumption Of guilt vi these dozen oc
l tav.s ipaS crimes (some Of which hav,
, always bo,n tctiucd as hig.. crimes, pun
/, i.hablc by law, aud some Of which urt
acts Of perfect innocencc, never puni.ha
bio by any law is satisfied with sue!
trial for these CO past Jacto crimes IA m
be had before an election judge, by tn,
act Of taking or refusing to rake this cx
: purgatOry and cathartic ''Oath OF Loyal
= ty." No Indictment or prcsentmcnt Of ,
grand jury, no specification Of offence ci
tllcr before Or after tho fact, no complain
or information OF oath or in writing, u
SUMMONS or other notice, no ovijenc
, siited or unsittcd, no witnesses, no jury
no record, no day in c,urt, no right u
. appeal, no mode OF oinsccrtainlug the fact c
). o,use Of di>tranchiscmcnt, NJ right to tcs
tho cyi.ainalty Or non -crimilality Of u,
"acts" or "words' thus lawlessly und b.
wholesale imputed to the voter, the trui
too, tho officer, tho teacher and til
j preacher, and imputed for crinlo.
Against this dislranrhisemcnt by in
4 quisitorial process, from which eycm ii.
n inquisitorial "Ca'h Of Loyalty" relieve
no Missouri citizen if any Radical H..
c!louscs to ayuor-o lin before the u!c,
!. ton judge, Gen. Blair has eontcndvi
III thus lar without avail. Yet not who'll
=. without avail, since the true and SCUM
- doctrines Of law have been cxpcunled
10 his behalf, in Missouri, by such an abl
'rr lawyer as Hamuel I. Glover, aud siue
!, this decision against him cliciting ~
IL plauso from all the Tribuucs Of the Ian,
II will bctray their share in tho DEVILS
r.. spirit which has afflicted Missouri wit
such unhcard Of legislation.
Quito unhcnrd Of it assurclly is
that ho who exposes its nature mu
y, y, needs assert that tho alphabet OF law dot
aI not begin with u and old with a, au
at shape its argument to prove that. r.
~ this article Of tho Radical Constitute
Y which wo have uttcniptel 70 ,lcscribe, y