Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-05-04
Congregational.
THE TEsT OATH
REPORT or THE HOUSE COMMITTEE on
I'fls THR JUDiCdRY,

s THE TksT OA1 H. s1 a..a
REPORT or THE HOUSE cOMMITTER ON
ifl. THB yUDfcARf,
Md through Hon janis = nihon ofro~a. its chair
obedience 20 the direction Of the Hotsc
,ider NJ V1sssnqs sffAe Pr1,aen y infmitaag. o'
offhs Treasury and he P1simdsi is General su1qtsi
flg roaifca,i0n ofths oah ott flee eeysbsab by me
az u yu4y 2 ls62,-ofhsrioise snoi0H a. ne fef-
The aor prescribing this oath of ofts ess passed When
the nation N The midstoi giganfia wAgtd
agausi t pJ is own ci,isene,sl ngels intended 20
should exclude fdm hs Offices thctlutedsta every
citizen had voluntarily abtudpntd ais alesiance
20 .Se as.rg, Is s asa & r Fs'4 s
leadipg traitors held under h government while en-
gag 10 efgalHns theTsbgNon' W0e sources Of power
without which the could not have been nmenoed
Thobt pus gave the cvnspittors tesistcss ihhu
the people Of the S0athetn States and sup
piled The mean ll organising foe' hat converted one
and treason conttnded Cor four n every oa's
Of The soverpm-nt lad prov tae % bis trust The
bslton could not have oufred This fact Vas properly
tpprecia'ed BY ConNNe and by efeH ent bnson when
lhs act Of leiy lsf4 pa ~ upon i estste bosk
of the nation They that treason dffiud of iis
original strength from the official postion- Of The lead
ing tretors The Of the traitors who had gone
from Congress, from the Cabinet, from the army aud
from the navy % give ch racier and power and orRan.
zaii0n to the rebellion fresh in the minds OF al
Wh1 participated IN he ensoment Of the osth Of iee.
Ihe fuee letter disclosing the double yilaiuy oi the
men Mnn conenfed AAaluN iuH government WhAe
holding its hiehe off e., had been dis oveted and
actd beflre the country but short time before the
passage 4 the act Of July 2. 1862 That letter did
much t3sard convincing every true supporter Of the
government Of the necessity applying the test of IN
interrupted atty every public officer 30 iuarsed
vas is effect then IN tt the committee deem proper 10
reprod ICE Il here argument IN favor Of maintaining
the policy in The Adoption O which It materially aided
The letter is az fJlOss;
WASHINGTON, Jan. I, 1851.
the other she q copy q stogte5 At con
ss m s az & ena w & s9S ne 'Ssas s.s
suuld y out at once aud prQyl nr te sar orsuze,i,n
o. rat not ssr t7aa ie nf.ssa'h Of b.
paepate seemed 70 b. the opinion that All ieft here,
put NJ Lincoln condition fr lostite. shere
by uing pIaes unt Of Eatch, thought
that We can keep hs hsnis e M bae ~ sqd disable
STRENGTH rs hand. o. ne 1syiali & ih re-
ing hawkns n Conneotsut nave therefore thought best
to send you this copy ot 5hs fssayqSs yr,r
"J0;sgh Convention Tallahassee F'r-
The resolutions referred to in h. letter we're as fol-
lows
"Frs7 That our opinion ne southern States should,
si9osp rRst proyi.oa. .hoid made for convention
sot e mel IL i5 q fs6rairy, sS els Mont,
sTas0 Thstia view oftse hostile s,lson that :. threat
snins AZ ns the ssesans STATS ana whe ma. Dy
delegations Ae remain consrvs ua that d's r tie
ART That eSmmt,e os sni are hereby appointed,
s5 a'iis S. '' aud Mallory to carry out
The ,ons6ir.tofs ~so attended the meeting referred
70 in this letter. and who passed asse Fasolutons all I'd
resting upon their couscienses Oh ia oa requitiug
them support he Constitution of the United states
Ia public they proesssd pect that and 70 de-
sire the perpetual unity Of ths republic In secret they
diuegafded the and ploed fo the destruch Of The
other No one but aimkl should think u 'rusurg
these men agsin with Official poEer in this nation md
ye. iheif peri ~, deep and dAmnlng it did not
exceed that OF TIE great bod " public who
roed he political poser Of the u.utrectionary states
while The hrees Of war were concentrating and Who in
most OF those states, possess IL to-day
Congress aud the country convinced that uron
the OF such the ordinary oath Of Office
would have but little esst, aud that toe safety OF th
nation required their exouon from off sltoge her
The test bah Of 1882 Of the retts Of this
vieton Iae ieaehinss " more Rsn pur years 4 var
houors aud revolving haTbarsms. blse not shaken Viii,
conviction The tfeichery of 1854 taay be repeated u
those who participated in it 81 IA again be enuusted
with power Cenpetoss 90 ghi Foht 1y the e1perei &c
Of the past, aud make future more succesfu
than that waieh o'erehelmsd by disaster nov lies at
our feet Failure often hegsts wisdom. IL is NOT un-
flr difaster 70 give birth 10 success Allow the
enemies Of the public another opportunity 10 WELD the
o ia power which they held in the pgst and success in
some form may co ne 70 and A1ide with them.
Ths cvm siittse undsrstand that t Is the deliberate
pupoae o Congress 70 maintAn the policy Of the act OF
Iuy 2 o62 VIII CD is 20 Keep he ONO IS Of the oNer1-
ment in the hands Of loyal men Treason should not be
made pseta0e by he robes Of 0csplaces Of honor
and profit hould be bes.osod on TIE loyal only
True found in ho insurrecronary saies TO
all sach places and none otaer should be selected -
No law o TIE nson ought 10 b. 20 changed as 10 render
any oihef course ssioe And IN this reg nd the COM
Presiden Johnson, both whie the in progress
and ter aclnA hoslilities had ceased.
WHEN he A. m liiny governor OF Tennessee was
about calling convent 10 reorgauiEs civil govern
4snt in that State, and asked "Blt in ealing con
estahh h IL; Shall the me who gave his inhuence TO
destey the g1veTnmentl IL he 20 psrucipate IN he
great wok Of reorRslizationi shall he Who brought
ths State be permitted TO control It's
es? "A dill uVal that IN ere
but proper course 10 pursue, and he snhrked
that out in bold brave ute snees IN answer to MS o~n
wods: II this be so then ali ti prerious ood n
brave soldiers aud officers, ssy poured out WI nave
been wAntnnly spilled. All the glorious victories by our
rmies will go for naught, and al the bateheds which
have been sorn wi dead heroes during the rebellion
will have been made mem rable in yam Why AN this
carnage aud devastation II that ue son might be
pat down aud traitors punished therefore say that
should take back seat in the wlrk OF rec n
.iTue,on. II there be but hve thousand men IN ne
State l1ya the Constitution loyal 70 Freshmen loyal
justice these true and faithful msu should control he
work II reorganiza ion absolutely. q
These declarations Of the Pres deaf are in entire har-
mony with the policy established by the act Of Jdiy
1862 and when on the 20h Of April 1860, he asserted
thit sit is time tue American people should be Ausht %
understand that treason is cdme,-not in revenge,
not ger but that treason Is crime and should be
esteemed such and punished such he uttered an
.pne, fr Inc est os IA" of such frce that the com
iee oannet disregard It, and s constrained 70 so seek
sirabe result And the nittee is otopnion mat
OF the most Elective means Of making treason odi'
IL 10 close all NiuclA upOtt hkalua'
Offices Of the eovernment with but lOysi men put
traitors guard This in the judgment Of tie COM
miuee will surely make treason odions and tend TO pro-
duoe harmony Of action between legislative and
utive branches Of ihe government ..H
The committee does not suppose hat the President
VII en- he declared II there but five thousand mea
In Tennessee loya 20 the Constitution loyal r. feedom
10 al TO justice, thess tue and ~ men should con
troll the ofreogAnz NOD A2dref rmation absolute
" meant TO be understood lxlne numeiioal TINT
taton but rGtheT. Announcing the dostine that 10y
al however few in number, s.oud be the sole de-
pOstares Of political aud official influence 1hte
must be tue true Interpretation NJ his words fur any
other would he inconsistent with his emphatic and often
repeated dfnunc tons Of reason a d traitors
ON The ID 81 M oh, 1861, ne said in ,he Senate
Show me who has been engsgedi in ihese compromises
Who las upon our hig who has given instructions
to take forts and custom houses and afsena aud
dooky yAfds, audi will show you traitor Were Pres
idtnt of hF United states wlpll d. ap lhomas Jtsr
son in lb6 did with Aaron Baff-i wou have them
rested and II conv,ted sf treason within the meaning of
the Constitution, by the eternal God lwoald execute
them f. al tH
While Military Governor Of Tennessee he said -
These leaders must feel the power OF the governments
Treason must be ma OdOus and tFaitors must be i'm
poyerished Their greAt plant ati0ns must be seized aud
divided into small farms and sd % honest, INDUSTRIOUS
men - u Sou
Agaia, ON the 2l.t OF April 1866. as President, he
Affirmed these sentiments bysying; Treason must
be made odious Traitors m6st be made odiouk aud Inn
poyeIshed. They must only be punished but their
social power must be destroyed and after making tfea-
son odous every and the government should be re
mbusrd of the pockets Of those who have inflicted
this great suffe ing upon the country " fIUHH
These qaotaiOns from the emphatic utteranees Qi tue