The Van Buren press., 1868-09-04

'c in favor Of depriying them OF H. Bu
II. lin the coming Presidential election
they so to the polls separately, like tii,
white n'cn do, and vote somr one wal
and some another, thereby showing thai
they are capable OF making choice be
tween candidates, aud like honest men
vote but once, they may furnish som,
evidence of their fitness to be entrusted
/. with the elective franchise.
Suppose yOu can take the oath. but re.
fuse. You deprive yourself of the fran
ehisc secured to the elcctor by the con
stitution, and yet you arc under the same
obligation to submit to the constitution,
and abide by its provisions AS the man
who takes the oath. Congress has DC.
clarcd il valid constitution, and we can
not do otherwise than regard it as q dc
Jdcto constitution at least and all the Of
ficcrs of the State, from the highest 70
the lowest havo-so treated il, and yielded
up their Offices to the men who have been
elected or appointed under il TO Gil their
places, The radicals and most of the
colorcd men will take the oath. Ii the
conservative people refuse to take it, the
Presidential election in this State will 90
| by default, for the Grant and Colfax
electors, and they win be counted by the
present House of Representatives All
the vacancies which have occurred in the
| Legislature which is to rc-asscmble in No.
vcmbcr will be filed by radicals, and
your grand and petit jurors will be com
posed exclusively OF negroes and radicals,
rs well as all of the public offices. II is
the duty of every good man, therefore,
who can take the oath, TO take IL, as a
matter Of self-preservation and protection
to the people of the State.
SO an oath forced upon man by com
pulsion or durcss, and taken to preserve
life, is said not to be binding on the con-
science. A familiar example of this is,
where the highwayman robs the traveller
of his purse, but spares his life on condi-
ton OF his taking an oath not to disclose
the crime. Casuists have concurred in
the opinion, that the traveller may well
report the crime to the officers Of the
law, and cause the arrest and punishment
Of the robber, regardless of the oath.
How far oalhs forced upon our people
by ndyenturers from broad, who have
usurped the State government for spoils,
and taken to. preserve rights rs dear to
ireemcn as life, are binding upon the con.
science, l leave others to decide The
oath under discussion may be taken In
good faith, and kept, so far and 80 long
as it is binding under established princi-
pies OF constitutional law. r...
The trainers Of the oath knew il would
be obnoxious to our people, and it was
devised Tor the party purpose of driving
them from the polls, and excluding them
from the jury boxes and public Offices.
They designed il to be an instrument to
Of profit and honor in the Statc--to per-
petuate their power by using the too easily
deceived and deludcd black men as the
electors, and to put the white men into
the condition OF serfs and taxpayers, to
fill the pockets of their imported task
masters. The oath is scaroerow, and
its cunning inventors thought they had
added much to its frightfulncss, by
threatening indictment and Imprisonment
in the penitentiary for perjury, for its
violation as interpreted by them. Are
our people crows and craycns to be thus
frightened? Let them remember that an
outraged and indignant people may drive
corrupt, partizan judges from the bench,
and demolish prisons, as did the people
of France the Bastilc! We are law
abiding people, but the meanest reptile
will sting when tramplcd upon.
Go, my friends, and swear early, and
fighting the Devil with fire, vote nua'er-
ously and late.