The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-04-09
Another order-Oath Of Office.

The following order prescribes an oath
to be taken by all officers hereafter elected
or appointed under the provisional govern
ment Of Virginia. 1t Is said to be issued
Gin pursuance Of the acts Of Congress Of
march I'd and Esd, 1867" which are the
Sherman law and the supplementary act.
There is nothing in either Of these acts
which requires such an oath to be taken
by tho provisional officers; but as 1t is
made the duty Of the commanding gene
raj to see that no man Is elected to office
under the provisional government who
cannot take il, and as he does not himself
know who these disqualified men are, he
has doubtless adopted this as q means
necessary to the end in view.
This oath is, as far Us it goes, precisely
the one which every person offering to
register will be required to take. Each
person also swoars that he has resided in
the State one year, and does, at the time,
reside where he asks to be registered ]
There are still some people who misun-
derstand its purport. They think it re-
quires them to swear that they have
"never engaged in insurrection or rebel
"lion against the United States, or given
"aid and comfort to the enemies thereof"
But it requires no such thing. 1t simply
requires them to swear that they never, as
officers, took an oath to support the Consti-
tuition and afterwards "engaged in insur-
rection or rebellion" &c. General MA
HONE. for instance, can take this oath. He
has "engaged in rebellion" but he had
never previously taken an oath to support
the Constitution. Mr.. SEGAR can take it..
He. before the war, took an oath to sup
port the Constitution, but he did not after
wards engage in rebellion or instruction.
1t requires two acts to disfranchise man.
And every man who has not performed
both of these acts is legal voter, and may
conscientiously take the oath, unless, in
deed, he is still disposed to disobey the
laws. Further Naturalized citizens who
once took the oath to support the Consti-
tuition, and who afterwards engaged in the
rebellion, can take the present oath, just as
any lawyer may take it; for none Of these
persons took the oath " as officers" This
is an important matter, and therefore We
reproduce here Senator WILSON'S letter to
gentleman in Texas:
My Dear Sir In reply TO your question,
Il,ns tnNA lSf LIST la
the rank and file of the soldiers who had
never taken an oath 10 support the Constitu-
ton of the United States" / have to say that
il does not disfranchise them.
The constitutional amendment disqualifies
from holding office certain persons who have
taken an oath to support the Constitution of
the United States and then engaged in the re-
bellion, or gave aid or comfort to it, This
class OF persons are disfranchised, and ali
other persons are entitled 10 vote.
These persons are mentioned in the consti-
tutional amendment, so that all persons will
know who are disqualified and are dis
franchised. Yours truly,
HENRY WILSON.
OF course General SCHoFIELD will give
proper printed instructions to the register
ing officers upon these and all such points.
We now give his last order:
HEADQUARTERS FIRST DISTRICT }
STATE or lRdlSlA, Z
RICHMoSD, Va, April 8, 1867. }
General Orders No. 8.
In pursuance of the acts of Congress OF
March and %, 1867, all officers hereafter 10
be elected or appointed under the Provisional
Government of Virginia will, in addition 10
the oath of office prescribed by the laws OF
the State, be required TO take and subscribe
the following oath
u, -, do solemnly-, in the presence
of Almighty God, that / have not been dis.
franChised for participation in any rebellion
or civil war against the United States, nor for
felony committed against the laws of any
State, or Of the United States F; that l have
never been 4 member of any State Legislature,
nor held any executive or judicial office in any
State, and afterward engaged in instruction
or rebellion against the United States, or given
aid or comfort TO the enemies thereof; tina
i have never taken an oath as q member OF
Congress of the United States, or as an officer o.
the United States, or as n member of any State
Legislature, or rs an executive or Judicla
officer of any State, TO support the Constitu
ton of the United States, and afterward en-.
gagged in instruction or rebellion against the
United States, or given aid or comfort to the
enemies thereof; that l will faithfully sup.
port the Constitution and obey the laws OF
the United States, and will, to the best Of my
ability, encourage others SO TO do; so help mt
God"
BY order of Brigadier and Brevet Major.
General J. NJ. ScHorIELD, U. s. A.
>. +. CHALFIN,
Assistant Adjutant- General