The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-13
THE IRON-CLAD OATH.

As it is proposed to revive the oath g
Office prescribed in 1852, so that it may shu
out Conservative Congressman from tn
South In the organization of the next House
we will introduce it to our readers as an oil
and once familiar but long forgotten acquaint
ance
| July 2, 1862, the lamented Lincoln signed
the bill entitled an act to prescribe an oatl
OF office, and for other purposes" 1t was te
apply to ''every person elected or appointed
to any Office of honor or profit under the
Government of the United States, either in
the civil, military or naval departments of the
public service" The oath when taken was
to be signed and filed in court, or in Congress,
or in the files Of the department to which the
Office may have appertained.
The penalties of falsely taking the oath were
those Of the crime of perjury, joined with the
loss of the office in question, the perjurer to
be declared forever after incapable of holding
any Office whatsoever.
The oath was as follows
/, A. B., do solemnly swear (or affirm) that
have never voluntarily borne arms against
the United States since have been a citizen
thereof; that have voluntarily given no aid,
countenance, counsel or encouragement to
persons engaged in armed hostility thereto :;
that have neither sought nor accepted nor
attempted to exercise the functions of any
office whatever under any authority, or pre-
tended authority, in hostility to the United
States that l have not yielded voluntary
support to any pretended government, author
lty, power or constitution, within the United
States, hostile or inimical thereto
And do further swear Tor affirm) that, to
the best OF my knowledge and ability will
support ana defend the Constitution of the
United States against all enemies, foreign and
domestic that I will bear true faith and al
egiance to the same that take this oblga-
Ion freely, without any mental reservation or
purpose OF evasion, and that will well and |
aithfully discharge the duties of the office on |
which am about to enter. So help me God. |
The re-enactment Of this law will not in |
IL respects answer the purpose of Gen.
irant and his followers. In May, 1865, when
he war ended, there were in the Confederate
rmles none under eighteen years Of age
he pains and penalties of the iron clad
Nv attached to none who were too young to
Mist, too young to be forced into service as
onscripts, too young to vote and too young to
anticipate in any manner. In the Southern
tates there were two and half millions of
hite males at the date named.
Ut these more than five hundred thousand
ere under eighteen years of age. That was
N years ago nearly, so that we may estimate
lat in May. 1875, there will be half a million
oung men twenty-one years old, who were,
1865, too young to bear arms or vote. In ,
'ery Congressional District of the South ,
ere are many young men who have attained {
aJorlty, and who never bore arms against !
9 United States Government, who have !
ver in any manner, by voting or otherwise, S
in any hostile action, and to a
ION the act and oath of 1862 can in no wise
ply. !
Many of these are as full of talent as they r
. of patriotism. They hate Radical satraps
d vagabond usurpers just as cordially as ),
air fathers and elder brothers do They are n
9able of being our representatives in Con- n
'ss, and they are in all respects worthy of o
ing the places which we, their seniors ~ :,
lst soon leave to them. Since May, 1865, IL
re than half million Southern boys have tc
npleted their twenty-one years of majority, !. 7.
the most Of them still live to vote, work ., .,
fight for their native land when necessary. NJ
goodly number of them are capable and "a
rthy Of filling seats in Congress, SO that if =;
hty or more of Southern Representatives 60
It find themselves unable to swallow nc
.nt's new iron-clad oath, they can resign It
yield their places to our young men who IS; ;e
with clear conscience take even that oath. mr.
low the members Of the Grant party can sp
n the young men of the South with their all
posed law Of exclusion is not clear. They 49, 49,
re-enact the iron-clad oath of office; they do
surely compel Conservative Southern
nbers elect Of Congress to resign, in order an az
i've place to others who can take the oath, ~,
they cannot shut out the young men of we
South unless they go back to the laws of me
es and prolong political disability through .ne
ries of accursed generations, even to the ; a."
and fourth the
ow little soever may be the fruit of their Jea
mes the Radicals are sure to leave no Ife
as unemployed for showing their diaboli- the
intentions and their thoroughly fendish mol
t. pul
- aug
HE NEW FLORIDA SENATOR, t toe