Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-10

TENNESSEE REooNsrRUCTI0N.
1t has been again and again alleged by
the extreme Radicals, who are in. favor Of
placing the State of Tennessee under mill
tary rule, chat a large numbered the men,
bers of the present Legislature are dis
qualified from holding ofice BY the Four
teenth Amendment of the Constitution of
the United States. For the refutation Of
all such we publish "the candidates.
oath, which the act of Feb. %, ls6z
chapter 90, required every candidate ':for
any official position to take and subscribe
before the day of election. /" 19i s1il
The ninth section of that act is as
follows: %
Sec. 9. Be il further enacted, That all
candidates for any official position, shall,
before the day Of election, be required to
take and subscribe the oath prescribed in
the third section of this Act, which, in
case of . candidate for a county Office,
shall be filed in the Office of the County
Court Clerk; and for all other Offices, in
the Office of the Secretary of State; and
that judges of election or other officers,
shall reject, and make no return what
ever, of the votes cast for any person
who has not so taken and subscribed said
| oath; and the same oath shall be taken
| and subscribed as an official oath, by all
Judges and clerks of all elections, and all
Sheriffs or their deputies, or deputies in
any of the offices of the State or county,
Provided, that candidates who may have
served in, and been honorably discharged
from the army or navy of the United
States. since the first day of January,
1852, or who may have been appointed
and commissioned to any Office, by said
military or civil Governor of Tennessee,
as provided by section l, of this Act,
shall be eligible to Office, except political
offices, without taking said cath.
The oath prescribed in the third section
of this act is as follows:
81 do most solemnly swear that have
never voluntarily borne arms against the
Government Of the United States, for the
purpose, or with the intention of aiding
the late rebellion, nor have l, with any
such intention, at any time, given aid,
comfort, counsel or announcement to said
rebellion, or TO any act of hostility to the
Government of the United States. !
further swear that have never sought or
acceptedany Office, either civil or military,
or attempted TO exercise the functions OF
any Office, either civil or military, under
the authority or pretended authority OF
the so-called Confederate States of Ameri-
ca, or of any insurrectionary State, hostile
or opposed to the authority of the United
States Government, with the intent and
desire to aid said rebellion; and that
have never given a voluntary support to
any such Government or authority: Sc
help me Godi"
Under this act the Governor, members Of
the Legislature, and all other officers wert
elected. If there is anything more rigor
GUS or searching In the 18th amendment
we have never seen it. This charge made
against the members of The Legislature il
like B. Buffers assertion of the hundreds
of murders that are constantly being com
mitted in Tennessee. When the honor
able member from Massachusetts made
that assertion, he must have been recently
drinking sack and reading of Jack Fal
staff's hundred upon four of US" Wher
Mr.. Hawkins asked him to name the
place where these murders had been com.
mitted-to give his reasons for the asser
ton, it is strange that he did not answer
in the language of Falstaff:
''What upon compulsionf No, were
l at the strappado, or all the racks in the
world, would not tell you upon compnl
sion. Give you a reason on compulsion
If reasons were as plenty as blackberries,
would give no man a reason upon com
pulsion, l. ]"