The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-31
Georgia-The Oath.

this State at the election held in July last
We had not supposed there was any room
for doubt on this point. But the Enquirc,
Of yesterday contends that the oath re-
IutSss..rcd is in substance the iron-clad oath.
INC Enquirer puts such a fine point upon it
that VIC must quote its own words. The
oath required is rs follows:
q 90 solemnlv swear Tor affirm. as the
case may be,) that | have never held office
or exercised the duties Of a senator or re-
preventative 10 Congress, nor been n mem
Der CT the Legislature Of any State Of the
United States. nor held any civil Office
created by law FOR the administration Of
any general law OF n State, or for the ad-
ADMINISTRATION Of justice i'll any State or I'M
der tho laws Of the United States, nor held
any Office in the military or naval service
al the United States. and thereafter en-
gagged III instruction or rebellion against
the United States, or given aid or comfort
TO It's enemies, or rendered. except in con
sequence OF direct physical force, any sup
port or aid to any inSurrcction or rebellion
araius; the United States; nor held any
office under, or given any support 10, any
government Of any kind organized or act
ing in hostility to the United States. or lc-
wing war against the United States. So
help me Got, Tor on the pains and penal
ties Of perjury, as the case may bc.)'
OF this oath, the Enquirer says:
The omission of a single letter would
entirely change the complexion Of the
Georgia Legislature. The use of the word
nor at the close instead OF 'or' (thc con-
junction used up to that point) seems to in
auguTate N Independent clause, which
cannot be grammatically connected with
what goes before
The word "nor" instead of cor" just
before the words "hcld under any Office
UrGer," &c, is what the Enqutrcr says
changes the complexion OF the Georgia Lc-
rislaturc. The mere statement Of the rea-
SOD would seem 10 be sufficient to convince
anv one who knows how carelesslv acts OF
Congress are drawn, and how Few members
Of Congress know the difference between
nor and "or,n that Congress certainly
did uo- resort to so subtle Il device as this
in order 10 accomplish its purpose. And
this notion is conclUsivcly ncgaiiYcd by the
fac; that Il such a construction were the
correct one. al that part Of the oath which
al!ules 10 ~ofice-holding before the war
would be mere surplusage-wouid have no
meaning whatever: for the oath would be
exactly the same as il Ii read "s follows
II do solcmrly swear that l have never
held any Office under, or given any support
to, any GoTc:ntAcnN 81 any Alho 9Fsa''i%eo
u Nsun1 ~ po''li':s Ie rn;taI ctn,ns :,
" ']7 $3.50
Inc pacing ol u ecnl-V'ioh !uSs ''io''
- 49," "
s1o!i''' 'o inc IH9"''" we" '"' .
no, belong there, nor does It appear Their"
IN the copy Of the oath which was first pu,-
l;sbcl in this CITY. Moreover, congrt IS
men, most Of them, know 40 more about
semi-colons and commas than DANIEL
O'CuESELL's washcrwonan knew about
hvpothcnuscs and paral!elogramS: Thu
we're strict construction with q vengeance,
that q little round dot whose meaning Is
unknown to congressman should knock
fN|ts At!AJ~A@N 80 - IL 49, 80
tu4o. but finally, upou this point, we
su6nit thai the word thereafter was
intended 70 qn@iilF Ri the 'sser'ioh9 'n"'
1910" II ny connecting ''e'n VIA" we l''
oedlne DECLARATIONS concerning ""''-''''"'"
o.hoe-ho!dlng.
But to show conclus'vely that Congress
meant TO exclude only persons ulSYuallncu
By the fourteenth Amendment II Is only
necessary 70 Fepfo""co L rN~:1
p'ec0 AVA
te3lS4a'Ufo' l. no 40"'0
Il do solcmnly swear Tor %utllrln) mat
save poem relieve" ~ ~ ~ So
= "o1|S = ,In CONSTITUTION. So
haln me- Cod
- .,,h .o.,;ros tho rarson to
noor ,ba, he &c mt DISQUALIFIED bv the
ro,r,aen,h amendment. But ~ there may
ao-o n,nrhers wLo tbonoh INELIGIBLE
.ho+ have heon relieved
- tho;r 6isohi,;tics nv CONGRESS, O. second
ootb ia nrescribe1. which merely asserts
az, fo,. l. ..srs 70 ia that every mem
.stn. coo.r;o ror;s,o,rre NOT disouali-
g.. ~ to,rtoon.h amendment can con-
.o,a .1,o ero. oo,b and shonl6
....-m.o ,horo CON vs s,nnosc.
I.r;s1o.nro ,r,os. oure il the right
tto Goth for two-.birds Of
49, -awho.s ,ror1d nroboh,v be thrown