Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-07-01
THE CENTENNIAL CONCERN.

the June ZDlu.i
The following manly letter from the
Governor of Georgia to Secretary Fish
explains itself and will be read with
interest and commendatlon by every
gentleman, no matter of what politi-
cal party, In the country:
STATE OF GEORGIA, l
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
Atlanta, March IS, 1875.
Hon. Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State,
Washington, ID. c.:
SIR: have the honor to acknowl-
edge the receipt of your communica-
ton of the 10th inst, Inclosing the
appointment of Mr.. George Hillyer as
Commissioner to represent the State
of Georgia in celebrating the Centen-
nlal Anniversary of American Inde-
pendence, at the city of Philadelphia,
in the year 1876. Accompanying is
an open letter to Mr.. Hillyer from
yourself, advising him of his appoint
ment, together with the printed form
of an oath, which, in event of bis ac-
ceptance, you direct him to execute
and return, that the same may be
placed on file in the State Depart
ment. A portion of the oath Is as
follows:
"I, -, do solemnly swear that
have never voluntarily borne arms
against the United States since I have
been a citizen thereof; that / have
voluntarily given no aid, countenance,
counsel or encouragement to persons
engaged in armed hostility thereto;
that have never sought, nor accept
ed, nor attempted TO exercise the
functions of any office whatever, un-
der any authority, or pretended au-
thority, in hostility to the United
States; that have not yielded vol
untary support to any pretended gov
ernment, authority, power or Consti-
tuition within the United States, hos
tile or inimical thereto"
By requiring Commissioners to take
this oath, the Southern States are, in
effect, excluded from all voice or par
ticipation in the celebration referred
to. It must be known to the Presi-
dent that almost the entire body of
the white people at the South were
engaged, actively or otherwise, in be-
half of their own section in the late
war between the States, and that they
can take no part in the exposition
under the requirements now made of
them. Indeed, if the Commissioners
or official representatives of the States
are required to take obnoxious oaths,
I see no reason why the exhibitors
and even the visitors at the exhibi-
tion, may not be called upon to do the
same thing.
know of no provision of law which
requires any such oath to be taken by
the Commissioners, and what good Is
expected to be accomplished by going
beyond the requirements of the law in
this regard l am at loss to imagine.
may be pardoned for suggesting, at
this point, that Georgia was one ofthe
thirteen States which revolted against
British authority, and that she has the
same interest and the same right to
celebrate the one hundredth anniver-
sary of American independence that
Pennsylvania or New York has. Her
delegates signed the Declaration Of In
dependence, and / have yet to learn il
her SONS have ever hesitated to make
any sacrifice necessary to maintain
the great principles enunciated in that
Declaration. And yet it is now pro-
posed, not only to tax her people In or
der to meet the expenses attending the
celebration of American Independence,
but to exact an oath which practically
excludes them from all participation
therein.
Candor constrains me to say that II
this gratuitous, wanton requirement is
insisted upon, the people of Georgia
will not, with my consent, take any
part in the proposed partisan celebra-
tion at Philadelphia. 1 had supposed
that the people of all the States were
expected to take part on the joyous oc-
casion, and that not only the people
of these States, of every creed, color
and condition, but the lovers of liber-
ty throughout the civilized world
would be cordially welcomed without
any preliminary Oaths or exactions of
any kind. If in this / have been mis-
taken, and if, as it now seems, only a
partisan celebration by the dominant
political party of the country is con-
templated, then, regret to say, that
a great opportunity has been lost, and
that neithor the Governor nor the peo-
pie of Georgia will be responsible for
that misfortune.
must ask to be pardoned for having
troubled the President to appoint a
Commissioner for this State. My de-
sire was that Georgia should be repre-
sented at the celebration by native
born citizen; but candor compels me to
say that l am not acquainted with a
native fit TO represent the State who
could or would take the oath required.
Certainly Mr.. Hillyer cannot take it,
and respectfully decline to be the
channel through which he is invited
to do so.
! have the honor to return herewith
the commission intended for Mr.. Hill
yer, with accompanying papers, and
to ask that ! be allowed to withdraw
his nomination for the position of
Commissioner.
l have the honor to be your obedient
servant.
JAMES M. SMITH.