St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1904-11-30
The Oath as Related to Good
Citizenship.
The Address recently Given by Hon.
Jonathan Ross al the South COngrega-
ti0nal Church.


The Address recently Given by Hon.
jonathan Ross at the South COngresa-
tlOnaI Church.
The oath, in its primary sense, in the
sense IN which it is used in the theme,
is ga solemn appeal to the Supreme Being
IN aIteStaLIon OF the truth OF some state
ment or the binding character OF some
covenant, undertaking or promise" AN
outward pledge that ones testimony or
promise is gwen under an immediate
sense OF responsibility TO God.'' Citizen
ship is the state OF being vested with the
rights and privileges of a citizen. A citi-
zen is member OF state or alton; one
bound to the state by the reciprocal obli-
cation OF allegiance, Oh the one hand, and
protection, on the other. Allegiance is the
tie or obligation OF subject or citizen to
his sovereign or government; the duty OF
fidelity to a King, government Or State;
bis tealty, Or the duty he is under to obey
it's laws, to uphold and sustain it, and
it's institutions, against all foes, external
and internal.
meaning of these words as we proceed in
the consideration OF the theme.
The oath recognizes and implies that
there exists an ever Living God, Creator
and Upholder of all things; that the sons
OF men are the creatures of his power;
that he has fitted up this world for their
abode, brought and keeps them in exis-
tence by the exercise of his sovereign
power, to be trained and built in charac-
ter until fitted to dwell with HIM; that
He has endowed man, socially and NOR
ally. with such nature that govern
ment, the combined strength of the citi-
zens Of the nation, is necessary to pro-
tect HIM in personal rights, and property
and because OF this protection, he owes
it allegiance, or obedience and support.
Ali this, and more, is implied in the word
"oath" as connected with the civic con-
dition OF man.
AS Dryden wrote, Neither is there, or
can be, any tie on human society when
that of an oath is no more regarded,
which being an appeal to God, He is the
immediate Judge OF it."
The oath is an especially important
factor in our form of government Our
government is berett OF the conservative
forces which spring from Offices and titles
OF nobility, descending from ia her to son,
generation after generation. Such offices
and titles exist by the established order
OF government, and the holders are in
terested that that order sh all not be dis
turbed or overturned. Under our form
OF government no such offices and titles
can exist. Hence, they cannot operate
Yet the fathers when declaring indie
pendence from the mother country, deny
ing the perpetual right of certain ia miles
to hold certain Offices land titles, recog-
nized one Sovereign Creator and Ru er of
the universe, to whom all mankind are in
subjection and owe obedience because he
has created all men free and equal. Let
us listen anew to some sentences from the
Declaration OF Independence. They can
l.
frequently.
when in the course Of human events.
it becomes necessary for one people to
dissolve the political bonds which have
connected them with another, and to as
sumo among the powers of the earth the
separate and equal station to which the
Laws Of Nature and Natures God entite
them, decent respect to the opinions OF
mankind requires that they should dis
close the causes which impeI them to the
separation We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all m,n are created
equal, that they are endowed by their
Crea tor with certain unaltenable rights !;
that among these are Life, Liberty and
the pursuit OF Happiness; that to secure
these rights, governments are instituted
among men. deriving their just powers
| from the consent of the governed; that
whenever any form of Government be-
comes destructive OF these ends, it is the
| right of the people to alter or to abolish
| 1T and to institute new government,
laying its foundation on such principles
and organizing its powers in such form
as to them shall seem more likely to effect
| their safety and happiness" No one can
| read these opening sentences OF the decla-
| ration of the fathers who established this
government and not be deeply impressed
| that they believed the rights OF mankind
are only those con erred by their Creator,
and therefore unalienabie; that govern
ments are esta blished the more effec-
lively to secure the enjoy ment of these
| God given rights. For violations OF
these immutable principles the thirteen
colonies declared themselves independent
OF the mother country.
The closing Sentences of the Declaration
of Independence are equally conclusive
evidence OF the belief OF the Fathers that
all rights OF men and OF governments are
God given, and by His Providence admin
istered. They read, 1--WE therefore, the
Representatives OF the United States OF
America in General Congress assembled,
appealing to the Supreme Judge of the
world tor the rectItude OF our intentions,
do in the Name and by the authority OF
the good People oil these Colonies solemn
lv publish and declare, That these UnIred
States are aud OF right ought 10 be Free
and Independent States" And tor the