Year: 1867

to waste time to prove the unconsti-
tutionality of these measures
thing which every man, woman and
child in the country knew-and yet
he was for accepting He spoke
truthfully. That tOttering, gray,
haired candidate in Pennsylvania, for
perpetual infamy, who is building FOR
himself monument of malignity
that will overtop the pyramids of
Egypt, said the Constitution had
nothing to do with it, I shall never
get done shuddering, and horrors will
never cease to rise up in my mind,
when | see men taking the oath to
support the Constitution, and then
legislating to put in force measures
which are outside Of it, A great
many of our own peoule fippantly !
say the Constitution is dead, Then
your rights, and hopes for the future,
and all hope for yovr children are
dead. / ask every man, if the Con-
stitution is dead, why are we always,
every day, and at every new step, re.
quired to take an oath to support it ?


Now, affirm that these military


bills are not only contrary to the


Constitution, but directly in the face


of the amnesty oath you were re
quired to take after the surrender.


The Government thought proper, in


accepting your submission, to take


your oath to support the Constitution


of the United States. Why was that


oath required if the Constitution was


dead ?


But it is said the Constitution does


not apply to us. Then don't swear


to support it.


But it is said again that we are not


in the Union. Then why swear to


support the Union of these States :?


What Union" does that mean !?


When you took that oath was it the


Union of the Northern States alone


that you swore to support? What


business have you with that Union !?


No, it is the Union of all the States
known to the Constitution that you


have sworn to support.


But they say that oath was prescri,


bed by the President, and that he is
mot loyal. Then must answer fool


according to his folly, and a traitor
according to his treason. What do


they require who passed these bills


this military juggemaut? They re.


quire every man who registers his


name to vote, to swear to support the
Constitution, and counsel and persuade
Others to do sO-and still it is said
the Constitution has nothing to dc
with it, They say the scheme is out
side of the Constitution, and yet in
the process of carrying out, they re.
quirc an oath to support the COnstitu


ton and to counsel and persuade 9TH
ers to do so! That is more than Mr.


johnson ever required in the oatl
! which he prescribed.


it is my business to support th'
, Constitution, and my duty and pleas
5 ure to persuade Others to do So Som,
t of you who favor the acceptance o
= the military bills take an oath to tina
S effect, and still intend to vote for
$ convention which you almit to be or
e dered contrary to the Constitution !.
+, How is this? If you have con
3, science, l have said enough. If yo,
t vote for the convention, you are PER
0 JURED! Tremendous applause.
It O! pity the race of colored peopl
d who have never been taught what a
: oath is, nor what the Coustitutio
e means. They are drawn up by Sc
h fish conclave of traitors to inAict
i death blow upon the life of the Re
= public They are to begin their pc
C litical life by perjury to accomplis
e treason ! ] would not visit the pen
l. atty upon them. They are neithe
1t legally or morally responsible, but
I, is you-educated white men - VIII
IS thus devote yourselves to the unhol
= work, who are the guilty parties !
$ You prate about your loyalty
N look YOU in'the eve and denounce yor
lr Applause, You are morally an
If legally perjured traitors. You pc
eS jure yourselves and perjure the POI


negro to help your treason. Immcn'
IN applause You can't cape it. Yo
ge may boast of it now, while passion
re rife, but the time will come when IL
1t very thought will wither your Sol
to and make you hide from the face
I'd mankind


It's shall discharge the obligation
ct the amnesty oath. 1t required me
de support the Constitution and Il
t, emancipation of the negro, and I d
le. | will not bind my soul to a lew 81
K, very, to hell, by violating it. | ia
ed plainly, but | simply want to stril
ry through the incrustation of the ha
,ss dened conscience. and make mea fe
he and realize thier rue situation,
IN, l have proved that these militia
u bills violate the Constitution, and tn
IS, you, in carrying them out, violate
Of and your amnesty oath and your re
ls, istry oath. And what is your pu
he pose ? It must be a great good y
as seek, to induce you tocommit so mu
M crime and folly.


ire Sometimes men wink at what is
ere strict tCclnicalities wrong in the ia,
"a vidual, to accomplish some great 60
to to the public. | do not recognize t
lly correctness Of such action; but VII
or do you propose by trampliug upon t


CONSTITUTION and violating your 0,
be solemn oath /? Is it to save the ST
lis' and preserve liberty F? This is


a.