The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-02-15
Ths, Tsl lst-oath Bin.


The bill recently passing both
Houses of Congress-, to relieve Ger,
tain ciases OF persons from the ne.
cessity of taking the test oath, or
: iron clad previous to entering
on office under the Federal Gov.
ernment, may have its significance
made clearer by o word Of com
ment. The political disabilities orig.
inaliy imposed on the Southerners
are summed up in two branches
the fourteeth anendme ent excluding
from officeall wioheid office before
the war; and the :. iron clad" ex.
Guiding all who, stoodsby the South
in the war, even though not hold.
ing Office before. BY Act of Con.
gress 9f July II, 1868, it was pro.
vided That those amenable to the
fourteenth amendment sil, ald, or,
having the disabilities thereby i'm
posed removed, take certain
form Of oath before entering on
office, and the bill inst passing
Congress is TO allow all who are
not anienable to the fourteenth
amendment, but are to.the "iron.
clad" to hold Office OH taking the
samo oath. The Act for those re
lieved from the fourteenth amend.
mant is as follows: -s..gl@e-
AN ACT PRESCRIBING Az OATH OF
OFFICE TO DE TAKEN BY PERSONS
FROM WHOM LEaAL DISABILITIES
SHALL HAVE BEEN REMOVED.
BE 1t enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives Of tie
United States of america, an Con.
gress assembled, That whenever
any person who has participated
in the rebellion, and from whom
all legal disabilities arising there.
from have been remos ed by Act
OF Congress by a vote Of two.
thirds OF each uouse, has been or
shall be elected or appointed to
any Office or place of trust in or
under the Government Of the
United States. he shall, before On.
tering upon the duties thereof, in
stead of the oath prescribed by
the Act of July 3, 1862, take and
subscribe the following oath or -af
fr.nurion: i, A B, do solemnly
swear (or affirm) that l will sup.
port and defend the Constitution
of the United States against all
enemies, foreign and domestic /;
that / will bear true faith and al
legiance to the same; that l take
this obligation freely, without any
mental reservation or purpose of
evasion and that / will well aud
faithfully discharge the duties OF
the office OF which ! am about to
enter. So help me God.
Approved July IL, 1868.
The bill just passed for those
amenable TO the /" iron-clad" only
reads thus:
BE at enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives Of the
Otst, d States of AsnericG, en- Con.
gress assembled, That when any
person. who is not rendered incl
ligible to Office by the provisions
of the fourteenth, amendment to
the Constitution, shall be elected
or appointed to any Office of honor
or trust under the Government of
the United States, and shall not be
able, on account of his participa.
tion in the late rebellion, to take
the oath prescribed in the Act OF
Congress, approved the ID of July,
1862, said person shall, In, lieu OF
said oath, before entering upon the
duties Of said office, take and sub
scribe the oath prescribed in an
Act of Congress entitled (" An Act
prescribing an oath of Office to be
taken by persons from whom legal
disabilities shall have been re.
moved" .. ........... ~, So
Approved 11th July, 1868,
! So that, with tho Presidents ap.
provsl of the above bill, the law
as to Confsdcrates holding Office is,
that any man relieved Of his disa-
5bilities under the 14th amendment.
or, any man never amenable there.
to, may hold any Office, State or
Federal, on taking the oath pre-
scribed in the Act of July 11th,
1868, above quoted. Those not
-relived from .amenability to the
14th amendment, are still .disfran.
5chised.-Neso York .Wprld.