Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-02-16
A New Test Oath.

EDITOR STAR: II IL generally fell among
leyal men that there should Be some svideu CO
required Of those who participated in the rebel.
len, that their hearts are loyal to the Onion,
as qualification 10 vote and hold ONCE, even
under Sta.e authority. II q man s,ill desires
The establishment OF the "Souihsrn Con fedora.
cy" be cannot clam to be . COED citizen of the
United States, nor, n he il frank and holest
can he com plain that he Is disiranchissd. On
the other hand, IL his heart 10 now right; il he
repudiates the herssies Of secession and rebel.
hon, and desires the perpetuation an suprema.
cy OF the Union, there Is no reason of State
why he should be excluded from the polls. 1,
10 very desirable to unite all good and true
men Of the South in support Of the Govern.
ment' The "iron Clad test oath, It Is well
understood, would exclude nearly everybody:
and the substitutes that have been su egested
BY the authors Of the Norm Carolina ana
Louisiana bills that ha We been read or adopt-
ed In the House of Representatives. would
exeiude three fourths Of the white population.
At least, even in those States; while In other
States those oaths would bar eut from nine
tenths TO ninstsen-twentisths of the whites
This 10 certainly not desirable. They would
at the same time exclude thousands of the
most intelligent negroes, who, we are assured,
pretended 70 teel great enlh usiasm in the rebel
cause. Their sympathy with . cause which
mad for is object the perpetuation of their
slavery. was doubtless, in the majority OF
cases, Affected; but, under the Louisiana hill
they VIII be called upon to prove by compe-
tent loyal witnesses, that they were lyins
during the whole four years that they were
throwing up their caps, with their shovels of
earth, for the Con federacy. E p.
In lieu Of such oaths, the following hiss been
suggested, which seems 70 cover the whole
sround, and 10 give all the safeguAr to the
GeSernment that can b derived from test
oafhs: t ID III. f-.|IT- : =
al, A. b., do solemniy swear Tor afnrm) that
l earnestly desire the restoration OF All the
southern States 10 their proper relations as
members OF the United States; thai ! am In IA
stitatien a. ft now exists; and that ma or in,
favor OF q southern confedsracy. and would
oppose It's establshmept, even II 1t could be
swear that I wfrl support the Constitution Of
the United States and the laws made in mar.
suance thereof, a the supreme law Of the
any Sta'e TO the contrary notwithstanding. SO
help me God" -r .rrf.......I - -.
II Is is urged that this oath VIII be false.
ly takea. the came nay be said ofany tea oath,
even the "iron- Glad" Bad men VIII take an y
oath, and other bad men will stand a. their
compureators; but even bad men. " they have
oceupied prominsnt POSITIONS before the pub.
Tic, cannot afford to DO branded - perjurors
oy their neigh sors--and this ID the class which
IL - desirable 20 reach. IL 10 Of little con.
sequence that obscure med vots, though IN cir
hearts may not BE rtsht, as It rssards the
Union. provided their lead ers are EXCLUDED
rom ofaee az it-7 sf-ffJ $3.50 , y :
A great merit OF this test oath ", that It's
fairness cannot BE- disputsd BY these whom
II via exclude from the polls, and from Of.
nee. tsscl to--sB = % I1ai : e.