The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-03-29
IFor the Herald.
Z VI
The Test Oath.

4uS 4SoL Vail.
MEs.Rs EDITORS 1T has occurred to me
that perhaps large number Of your readers
may not fully understand the effect Of the re-
cent act Of Congress relative to the test oath,
and therefore propose 10 present through
the columns of your paper, some ex2lans>
tious, which may not only be Interesting,
but possess some valuable information.
The political disabilities originally imposed
upon the people Of the South, affected two
classes. 1st. The 18th amendment excluded
from holding Office all persons who had held
Office before the war, as we'll as all those who
were members of conventions that passed
ordinances of secession. 81. The Iron
Clad, Us it has commonly been called, e1.
cuded from office no, ouly those who fought
on the side of the South, but all who SYM
pathized with the Confederate cause. Now,
by an act Of Congress, July II, 1858, it was
provided that those affected by the 14Ih
amendment should, on having the disabilI-
ties, imposed by said amendment. removed,
take & certain form of oath before entering
upon any office; and the Bill which has re-
Gently passed Congress allows all persons
not amenablc to the 14th amendment to
hold Office upon subscribing 10 the form Of
oath prescribed in tho aforementioned act
The act alluded to, approved lltt July, 1868,
is as follows
An act prescribing an oath Of Office to be ts-
ken by persons from whom legal dleAoilI-
ties shall have been removed.
Be it enac:ei BY the Senate and House OF
Representatives Of the United States OF
America in Congress assembled, That when
ever any person who has participated in The
late rebellion, aid from whom all legal
disabilities arislng thcrcfrom have been
removed BY ac; Of Congress by Il vote of two
thirds of each House, tIa, been or shall be
elected or appointed 10 any Office or place of
trust in or uuder the government of the Uni
ted States, he shall, before entering upon the
duties thereof inS'ead Of the oath prescribed
by the &C. of July 2, 1862, take aud subscribe
the following oath or affirmation: |, A. Is
do Solemnly swear (or atflrm) that Will sup
port aud defend the Constitution OF the Cnl>
ted States against all ,nemies, foreign and
dome tic; thGt | will bear true faith and al
leyiancc 10 the same; that | take this obII-
CATION freely, without any mental ressIYA
tion or purpose Of evasion; and that | Will
well and faithfully discharge the duties Of
the Office on which am about ~ enter. So
help me Cod. Approved, July II, 1868
The Bill just passed, aud having reference
70 the I'd class above mentioned is this:
Be il enacted, SC, that when any person
who is not rendered ineligible to Office by The
provisions Of the fourteenth amendment To
the constitution shall he elected or appointed
10 any Office Of honor or trust under the gov
erlment Of the United States, and shall not
be ehle, on account of his participation in
the late rebellion, TO take The oath prescribed
in the ect of Congress approved July III,
1862, said person shall, in lieu Of SAID oath,
before entering upon the d;ticS Of said office,
take and subscribe the oath prescribed in an
acr Of Congress eutit;ed ian act prescribing
an oath Of office 10 be taken by persons
whose legal disabilities shall have been re-
moved" Approved July II, 1868.
It is plain from this that any person
aneuable 10 18th amendment, who has had
his disabilities removed. or any one not ef-
fected by that amendment, may hold any Of
fee, State or Federal, by subscribing to the
form Of oath prescribed under act Of Con>
gress. approved 1llh July, 1868.
The advantages of this recentact, political
ly and morally, even to many at the North,
are 100 obvious to need mention.
ALPHA RI.
NEwsEasY, S. c., Goth March, 1871.