, 1873-02-05
OBLIGATION OF OATH3.

In tue Investigations which are going on in I'll
parts Of the country, there is ono circumstance
which cannot fail to paint ully imprccs the pub
regard for the sanctity OF an oath. Leaving out
OF view all questions Of official turpitudc, thore
can be no more distressing evidence Of the decay
OF vir.uo than the absence of all respect for the
.obligations of sworn statements.
+! Il, Iowa, person OF previously high standing
held the Offices Of Treasuror OF tho Stato aud
Treasurer OF the College Fr11a. he Stood high
| rs gentleman OF moral and religious culture.
. He used tho funds OF tho State, and lost them.
To. protect his surcties, ho transferred lie
college Fund to replece the State money,
;; and t..en acknowledged deficit a. Treasurer
of the College Fund, for which office
lie had given no official bond. Ho
made his sworn statement TINT La had
mony to the contrary is overwhelming. Senator
Patterson, Of New Hampshire, made solemn
oath more than once that he had not held any
Credit lIobilier stock, and had received no diyi-
dend; in proof to the contrary, his written re-
coints were produced, and also his letters i'm
p1oring A-les to save him by false Swearing
AIr. Patterson las been Professor OF Dart
mouth College, where orthodoxy in it's strongest
phases is q fundamental principle. LII. Gar
field, NJ. Dawes, and AIR. Kelley,-thrco men
holding the highest positions, politically and
socialy,-have made oaths concerning their ill.,
tercst in this Credit Mobiler matter, which
oaths have been fatty contrndicted by the oath
vouchers Of Oa1.es Ames. Mr. Caldwell, CT Kan
directly OF Indirectly expended money to Bccuro
his election, aud his oath has been ccntradicted
by the oaths Of the Governors and ex-Gorer-
nors and Congressional Representatives OF
kansas, and various other persona. The point
blank reservations by 1Ir Colfax, on oath and
otherwise, and which he yet repeats, with the
equally direct and contrary statements on oath |
by AIncs, not rs to opinions, bat as to facts |
which neither can reasonably be expected to |
have forgotten, nro known to tho whole coun- |
try. We have o regiment OF other persons, OK
Senators, Representatives, Governors, and other |
men famous in 1ilo, who are daily swearing 1t /
Washington to tho most contradictory state
nents Of fec!s. Occasionally, eocioty ia horri-
led that, ct the trial Of come culprit, men will
be produced who will swear to tho most revolt
ng falsehoods in order to aocrre tho cscapo
IT their friend But hero, among the
:hoicest Statesmen Of the country, men who
,sva nn1,inr IN cnnornon ,r;t1 thu r.b1,1n ~ 4o
dishonest classes; men who enjoy National rcp-
ltaaous, and ere conspicuous for thor interest |
n religious and other moral reforms, who pre-
sent themselves before the country voluntarily
swearing in the most positive manner to state
nents which arc not only irrecouci1ablo, but are
Intended to be contradictory OF each other.
There is not, as ia often the case, room for sup
'oslng that these persons have made mistakes;
hat thcir memory is at fault, and TINT they hon
stly believe What they say. All Of them would
esent this rs worse than conviction of fe1es-
ood. Each makes his solemn oath, and de-
aands that the country ahan accept that oath as
he truth, no matter how many oaths nor how
1uch other testimony mny be produced to dis
rove it.
# any person were to make it known that
Tenty or thirty roughs and vagrants were &C
u5tomed to meet daily and engage in reckless
Bsertions under the form Of an oath, which as
ertions we're in.t the same solemn manner de-
led BY others OF the gang, it is possible that an
utraged mocal feeling Of the community wonld
enand tho interposition OF the police, and their
rosacution for blaspheny, if not for false
wearing. Has the invocation Of the Almighty
} attest the truth Of aa ASSERTION loat its
olemnity !? Does the form of an oath any longer
oesess u sanctity in the estimation of tha ,
Tearer2 La oath-taking absolutely reduced to
mere senseless, meaningless formality? Is
Wearing as test OF truth utterly idlo? Canwe i
, longer give any more weight to q svorn ;
atemeut than to one not sworn? Have