New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-26
CENTENNIAL REMARKS,

CENTENNIAL REMARKS.
When Raphael Semmes, of Alabama
lifted up his voice against the centennl;
celebration Of 1876, but little attentio
was paid to his sneers against the Unite
States He made himself ridiculous, an
the appropriation was not withheld on hi
account. OF itself the proposed cele
bratlon is of no particular importance
We could continue as a power withou
going On exhibition. We are yet bah
among nations, and there is Just littl
vanity in inviting the old fellows o
Europe over to see US walk. But tn
| jubilee element is strong in the American
heart. The celebration will glorify us
little, and Philadelphia great deal-a
the German students would say, sit vii
be great day for Hiedelburg"- and thos'
who love their States and government
have generally approved of the plan.
The appointment Of commissioners by
the President upon the nomination of tbk
Governors Of each State was also an excel
lent provision. twill insure the meeting
| together Of men who are not merely poll.
ticians, but men of intelligence, proud OF
their country. The Governor of Georgia
| objects. James N. Smith instructs Secre-
tary Fish that Mr.. George Hinyer can not
take an oath of Office, and therefore refuses
the commission as commissioner; the Gov
ernor further adds that he knows Of no
provision OF law requiring any such oath
to be taken by the commissioner, init
mating that the oath IS obnoxious, that
the celebration is likely to be partisan,
that great opportunity has been lost for
which the Governor and people of Geor-
gia are not responsible. In returning the
appointment of Mr.. Hillyer, Governor
Smith says:
troubled the President to appoint commits
sioner for this State. My desire was that
Georgia should be represented at the cele-
bratlOn by native born citizen: but can
dor compels me to say that ! am not &C.
qualnted with a native fit to represent the
State who could or would take the oath re-
CURED
Occupying the position of Governor,
the writer is entitled to respectful consid-
Grafton. He pleads ignorance of the law.
The revised statutes of the United States
will show him that ''every person elected
or appointed to any Office Of honor or
profit, ETC., shall take and subscribe an
oath. The oath sent to Mr.. Hillyer was
the usual oath prescribed by the act Of
July, 1862. Govern or Smith should have
known his man would be required, hold
ing an Office Of honor, to take the oath of
Office. The test oath was conceived at
time of rebellion, when it was very i'm
portant to keep from public positions men
tainted with treason. In 1868 the oath of
office was modified ''for certain persons"
so that men who had engaged in rebellion,
but had not been rendered ineligible by |
he constitutional amendments, could !
lake an oath to " hich no man should OBJ |
ect. The oath of 1868 is:
do sOlemnly swear that l will support
and defend the constitution of the United |
states against all enemies, foreign and do
ne site; that will bear true faith and allie |
glance to the same; that take this obliga-
ION freely, without any mental reservation
II purpose Of evasion; and that will well
md faithfully discharge the duties of the
'ffice on which am about to enter.
There are thousands of officials who
AVE taken such an oath, and if the office
hey hold is one of profit, none of them
lave considered its oath obnoxious. In
Iced, Jefferson Davis counselled the peo-
lie Of Texas to defend the country against
oreigners, and the only portion of the
ath to which a Democrat might object
7ould be the binding himself to defend
be constitution against domestic enemies.
uch as States rights and color line men.
70 one would be expected to object to the
ath except Mr.. Semmes, and he upon
eneral principles of consistent enmity to
he United States.
There is another reason advanced by
Governor Smith against taking an oath
hich should concern every Yong man
Georgia. 1t is now more than ten
ears since the war against rebellion
losed. The boys that were fifteen in
800, and too young for the army, would ;;
ow be twenty-five years old, many of
lem graduates of colleges, doctors, law
srs, preachers and, We fear, politicians. ,
nder Sch circumstances, where loyal ,
en- have had opportunity to grow, and ..
be able to take even the iron-clad oath, {
is not at all complimenta for the ,
overnor to say, II am not acquainted
ith native fit to represent the State
no could or would take the .oath re-
tired Louisiana is badly enough in
led OF loyal men, but even this State t
S very many respectable natives who
ould not object to take an obnoxious, ..
tn OF Office; but the young men of Geor-
are able to speak for themselves, and
ed no newspaper advice from this State .
The Picoyune publishes Governor Il