Year: 1865

! It viii, in his opinion. be admitted To seat
/ This is precisely the opinion we expressed
| several days AGO upon the question. We do


not see how there can be two opinions upon
1 II; and vet there are certain papers in the
/ North which ere constantly telling the peO-
/ ule of the South that it will be repealed
| that they nccl not be particular about elect
| ing men to Congress who cannot take IL, and
/ that I'm fact tn men who can take it ought
not to be elected We warn the Southern
people against such fTjeUds,D Those IN the
/ North who give the Southern people this ad~


vice are especially obnoxious to the kepubh-
] can members of Congress of every shade Oi
( political opinion, and the very fact that
/ those men are advocating the repeal of the
oath, and advising the South to disregard it


in electing Congressman, will 20 far to cause
/ rhe whole Republican party in Congress to
/ oppose it in a body.


If the Southern people suffer themselves
| to be misled by the o0unsels of either NOr-
thern OF Southern demagOgues, and elect
men who cannot take the oath in question,
the first direct and inevitable effect viii be
TO cause the districts whence they hail to 90
unrepresented. But this will not be the
only effect. The refusal TO admit such men
will naturally cause irritation and much
heated debate. both in and out Of Congress,
which will tend 60 mutual evaporation, and
viii retlri the progress of reconciliation so
I Z
Since the subject has been brought prom
/ inentlv forward and must be deemed as well
understood now in the South, the election by
| Southern Congressional dis riCrs Of men who
/ cannot comply with the law as 1t stands will
/ be regarded as "A fresh exhibition OF con-
tumacious spirit and O determination TO L.
more or disregard o statute of the country


which will be a sufficient reason with the
majority Of Congress for IneEorably insist
ina TA-r sr-Tr. .a-4f. 1H


The radical members Of that body wish to
keep the South unrep-eseUtcd unless negro
suffrage shall be forced upon her and they


viii be but too happy to seize upon any cir
cumstaucc that shall cause q new outbreak


of sectional hatred and corresponding


strengthening of their hands The policy


of the south is Cancellation, paciOcatiOn-
Such q course reinforces the Administration,


and Will enable 1t triumphantlv 10 carry out


its friendly intentions in the rehabilitation OF


the southern States It viii enable reason
able. f1lr-minded men In the North to sus-
tlin the President lt viii give such men


something. solid to stand upou-something


upon which they can make an issue, meet


and defeat the radicals both before the peO-


pie and in the halls of legislation a CON


trary policy in the South viii have just the
contrary effect in the North; just the CON


trurv effect upon the Executive AdmInistr1-
tiOn, and upon Congress. This seems too


plain 70 admit of any question, and requires
no argument to sustain L. Its bare state
ment Is enough.


If the South elect men who are ineligible,
the Northern radicals Of the Sumner Wade
NilsOn-Suevens stripe will DUt be slow &c


take advantage Of the blunder. sec, they
viii ezcaim 70 the North, see how the re-
beliiou still lives See how you are dehed
See what sort of men the Southern people
have sent to represent them in Congress


See how they designedlY iefy the laws Of the


country /" They viii declare that secession


Is scoJched not killed, and they will derive
I from it an argument in favor OF depuvIng


the South rs long possible o. civil govern


ment, and of governing her consequently by
military law measures This will not only


still further increase the burdens of the


p1hiic debt and keep taxes high everywhere


North and South but It will materially pre-


vent the country from settling down into


that state of profound repose and civil in


du-try so necessary 70 its prosperity and


happiness.


The law we refer to was passed in 1862


when the war was fercely raging, and the


circumstances we're of coarse vastly differ


ent then from what they are now, and might


doubtless be repealed or greatly modified


without any danger go tie public good OF


the public safety, which the old l.atlns used


20 say is the Lex sUprsUlU, the supreme law





and as no man can reasonably doubt It VIII


stand until after the complete organization
. Of Congress. it viii not be TesCInded to


please any man who cannot take the oath in
question, and it Is utter nonsense to expect
/ II or to talk about such a result


The South has long been cursed by max
ing up fanciful issues and Ignoring stubborn


facts. 10 ought to have learned profound
lesson by the experience Of the last FIVE


- No fHl no ln q


upon realities instead of tailaCies and Chi


meras. Stdtesmdnship must gruppls with


facts they exist, however ugly or dIstaste-
ful they may be. To blink or evade them


only makes matters worse. Natural and py-
litical laws may be for the time being ig-
nored by people OF community, but this
can be in the nature of the case only for a
moment Those laws will re-assert them
I selves with resistless force in spite Of every
opposition Witness the illustration Of this
3 in the phenomena Of the late struggle
Upon the election Of men who car and
. will take the Congressional test oath by the
( different Districts in the South depends
! largely the progress of the work of recloth-
! iug her with the cOmely and beautiful gar
ments of civil law and selEgovernment We
/ have heretofore published the oath, but for
{ general infJrmatiun we give the entire act
D IN which 10 occurs, which reads rs follows
I CRATER CNNNIlL-An Act to prescribe
an Oath of Office, and forother purposes.
/ Be IL enacted By the Senate and House of
/ Representatives. Of The United States of
/ America, IN Congress assembled, That
/ hereafter every person elected or appointed


to any Office of honor OF profit under the
/ government of the United States, either in
the civil, military, or naval departments Of
! the public service, excepting the President
/ of the United States, shall, before entering
! upon the duties of such Office, and before
! being entitled to any of the salary or other
| emoluments thereof, take and subscribe tho
, following oath or affirmation: /, A. B. do
! sulemenIy swear Cor affirm that l have
l never Voluntarily borne arms against the


United States since ! have been a citizen


thereof that / have voluntarily given no


aid, c,'untenaDce, counsel, or announcement


TO persons engaged in armed hostility


thereto; that l have neither sought nor ac-


cepted uor attempted to exercise the func-


tiuns of any Office whatever, under any au-


thoriry OF pretended authority in hostility to


ths United States that / have not Welded a
voluntary support to any pretended govern


mrnt authority, pOwei, or constitution
within the United States, hostile or iniraicaI


thereto And do further swear { or affirm J


that 10 the best Of my knowledge and ability,


I will support and defend the Constitution


of the United States against all enemies,
foreign and domestic; that take this obli-


Cation freely, without any mental reserva-
/ tion or purpose of evasion, and that viii


we'll and faithfully discharge the duties of


the Office on which I am about to enter. so
I help me God which said oath, so taken