, 1866-04-25

Raged IN industrial pn1.uits, 10 gi1e ,hen lie prs
ference ior appointments To femonerarye sttu4tion:
aud cnpluJmeut..
Approved March 8, 1865.
It seems to the committee that an effort to
carry out this congressional policy, would
have discovered among the many thnusantlz
OF men IN the Southern States, who enlisted Ia
the army to sustain the authority OF the Gov.
ernment, q number sufficient to fill all the
Federal offices IL those States. The President
has recently called the attention Of the heads
Of the several departments, to the propriety
# carrying out this congressional policy and !
to do 60, will reward many Of the soldiers Of
the Republic III The Southern States with Off
cial position under the Government in whore
cause they fought. The men sherr, 49,
arc willing tu accept thc Offices Without
modification OF the oath prescribed By law.
APPLICANTS UNDER TIE ACT.
Some Of these persons are applicants Tor The
rs required by law.
HIr. j. ]. Giers, citizen Of Alabama, up
piled for IN appointment as Commissioner for
The collection OF direct ta1es for that State
His application VAS supported by the follow
ing testimonials:
Gie1s On the propnety Of furnishing small arm au-
munInoa to ihe loyal people Of North Alabama.
T. LINCOLN.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Sept 80, 1861.
MI: Giels Il gentleman Of integrity aud re.<
% Rho STOOD DIM n 10 ths Union. Any kindnes 3s yoS
nay shoN h1u' ~ln confer nen ps1,ens ap I've, np0n
1lr. G,e,s Is . loyal citizen Of Aiabama, and has
done many acts to ptoSe hig position
g. Il. TuoxAs, Maj. Cen
IIty NJ f,;or. ,ra1, .,3 h.,. .1,r.r, ..,ns
h,m read, tn nd the Government in every way pos
sible. lie Is COMPETENT aqd rciisole:
Mr.. Giers' friends were not successful IN
their efforts to secure for him the position he
desired but one T. ". Sykes, who was q
member Of the rebel Legislature of Alabama,
was nominated to the office. Other cases
might be given, hut 1t is deemed unneces-
sary. Applications are still pending for tho
South TO official positions in those States.
On this point the Secretary OF tho Treasury
remarks rs follows:
1t Is true that there are ztil aome applicants for
call clean record for loyalty, bHt with rare exeep
hons, they are persons who would have been able
to present equally fs record for place unner the
confederate Government, 4 the Teoei:'on had been
euccess. or persons lack1ng the qualifications
which one needed In revenue positions.
The persons here referred to nre doubtless
those who refused 10 aid In the rebellion, and
could not a1d the Government of the United
States during the war, because Of the merci-
less rebel dcspotism which restrained them.
And all the credit which they receive for their
faithfulness to the Republic il what seems
not unlike sncer On the part Of the Sccfe-
tary at their clean record for loyalty" 4
clean record for loyalty" deserves higher
reward than this, md those who can present
It arc entitled to quite IS much colsllera-
~ . bun \, 81 h. ~.
men Of" character and intelligence" who are
holding office in violation Of inv. Numbers
Of the latter class we're not unkindly received !;
but, on the contrary, were treated With great
kindness and forbearancc. When they could
not take the oath of Office It was ss varied by
more Or less being stricken out or omitted,
according to the feelings or circumstances OF
been appointed to Office In the rebel States
does not arise from the fact that no such men
are there, but from other and very different
ealuses. One of these causes Is presented in
The communication Of the Postmaster Gen.
e1al accompanying the message referred to
The committee. In speaking Of the dll]cnltY
he has experienced in securing the services OF
persons Who Gun take the test oath, 10 act as
Postmastcrs, lie says:
'Thif, as l am Inclined to beleve, has not been
owms exclusively 10 there not being loyal per,ors
~ho would take The cath. hut 10 tho limi.cd con-
pcnsatton In most Of the Offices, odking In. u1ctent
i1tuceme1t 10 petsous 10 act ~ postma:ters, and
afso to the Inwi1lsnsness OF many who might other
wise actto do to,n Consequence oi the compromise
Of 1hel1 social which they fca1 might result
nom their ink1ng tho Dab. where the great malos-
lily OF iheE nel.hbors consist OF those who had In
totue to1zn aided the Ecbellon"
COMPENSATION.
The difficulty arising from the limited
compensation In most Of the postoiftces ogthe
I rebel States would have no application In re-
gard to revenue offices, for they command
men to seek after them. And 1t may well be
said In answer to the suggestion Of the Post
master General that ex-rcbe1s cannot afford
to discharge the duties Of M office at d
less rnte Of compensation than
loyal men can. Hence modifica.
ton OF the test-oath would not lit the Post
master General out Of this difficulty. The
real trouble les In the second reason assigned
by the Postmaster General, which Is 'tthe
unwillingncss Of many who might otherwise
act, to do so, In consequence Of the compro~
mise Of their social position, which they fear
would result from taking the oath, where the
great majority Of their neighbors consist OF
Hon.
Instead Of this being an argument
In tayor Of the modification Of the
test oath, It's force appears to the COM
mittee TO- be iu the opposite direction. 4
modification based on such consideration
would operate as premium for dis1oralty.
It would add to the social power of the dis
loyal, and this result would stand in opposi-
nounecd By him in Apgil, lsf5, when he said
Of The rebels, "their social po~er must be
destroyed" ..-.-.-...-.-1.
a PREM1EM FOR pIsLoyALrT.
II the test oath should be so fur modified Us
to enable an ex-rcbcl to lake 1t, the social in
Auence which nnw orerawes men would still
push them out Of the way, and force the Gov
rsument to bestow its Offices on the tfsloYal
Ihis would not mako ''trcason odious," nor
would 1t s9punish traitors" On tho coutta-
ty, 1t would increase the odium which now
and punish nltu because oftheir Elfthfulness,
TO the Government. J. community that will
not respect an officer Of the United statez, be-
cause he las been sufficiently loyal to the
Government to allow Of bis taking
The test oath. does not deserve to
have the advantages and conEenicnces
of the postal service extended to
enforced against 1t by sueh officers as the
Government may be able to secure the scr
vices OF.
There are thousands Of loyal men in the
South who can take the test oath, and to
such should the offices in those States be
given. Let the Government recognize their
claims IN this REGARD, and loyalty aud respect
for the loyalty Of the United States will soon
be strong enough to overcome the social
power which now froWns upon every Union
man who stood By the flag OF the Republic
throughout the whole course Of the war.
GOOD ADVICE TO REpErs-
Temporary fnconveniences should not turn
the Government aside from this policy. The
unhappy condition of the Southern States
cannot be improved BY changing laws which
may be opposed to the views and feelings OF
those citizens who fought for four years to de-
strov the Government. They must lunrn that
obedience to law Is q duty not to be lightly
regarded and that loyalty to the Govern:
1nent is virtue which cannot be destroyed
these ends are secured, It may be cxpedtsut se
modify the test oath, but not until then
The committee. therefore, ask to be dis
charged from the further consideration Of the