Year: 1866

loyal persons Who would take the oath, but
Offices, offering insufficient inducement 70
persons to act as postmasters, and also to the
unwillingness Of many who might Otherwise
act, to do so, in consequence Of the COM
promise Of their social position, which they
fear might result from their taking the oath,
where the great majority OF their neighbors
consist Of those who had in some form aided
the rebellion


COMPENSATION.


The difficulty arising from the limited
compensation in most Of the post Offices of
the rebel States would have no application in
regard to revenue Offices, for they command
pecuniary inducements sufficient to cause
men to seek after them. And it may we'll be
said in answer to the suggestion Of the Post
master General that ex-rebels cannot afford
to discharge the duties Of an Office at q less
rate Of compensation than loyal men can.
Hence modification of the test oath would
not lift the Postmaster General out of this
difficulty. The real trouble lies in the second
reason assigned by the + postmaster General,
which is nthe unwillingpess of many who
might otherwise act, to do SO, in consequence
Of the compromise of their social position,
which they fear would rel suit from taking the
oath, where the great majority Of their
neighbors consist of those who had in some
form aided the rebellion.


Instead of this being an argument in favor
Of the modification Of the test oath, its force
appears to the committee TO be in the eppo-
site direction. A modification based on such
| = consideration would operate ~ q premium
for disloyalty. 1t wouIh add to the social
power OF the disloyal, and this result would
stand in opposition to the policy of the Presi-
dent as announced by ham in April, 1865,
when he said of the rebels, "their social
power must be destroyed.


PREMIUM FOR pssLoYALTY
II the test oath should lie so far modified as
to enable an ex-rebel to take it, the social in
fuence which now overawes men would still
push them out of the ways and force the Gov
ernment to bestow its offices on the disloyal.
This would not make '.traason odious," nor
would it punish traitors. On the contrary,
it would increase the odsum which now AT.
taches 70 loyalty in the Southern States. and
punish men because Of their faithtulness TO
the Government. A community that viii not
respect an officer Of the United States, be.
cause he has been sufficiently loyal TO the
Government to allow Of his taking the tes,
oath, does not deserve to lave the advantages
and conyeniences of the postal service ex.
tended 10 1t, but does deserve to have the
revenue laws enforced against it by such
officers as the Government may be able to
secure the services of.


There are thousands ef loyal men in the
South who can take the test oath, and TO such
should the Offices in those States be given.
Let the Government recognise their claims in
this regard, and loyalty aFd respect for the
loyalty Of the United States will soon be
strong enough to overcome the social power
which now frowns upon every Union mau
who stood by the flag of the Republic through.
out the whole course of the war.


GOOD ADVICE TO: REBELS.
! Temporary inconyenienGss should not tnrn
the Government aside from this policy. The
| unhappy condition Of ths, Southern States
| cannot be improved BY chenging laws which
| may be opposed to the views and feelings ol
those citizens who fought !or four years to
destroy the Government. They must learn
that obedience to Law is IL duty not to be
lightly regarded; and tHat loyalty to the
Government is . virtue which cannot be
destroyed by the social Iower Of the dis
| loyal. When these ends ara secured, it may
be expedient to modify the sest oath, but mol
until then.


The committee, therefore, ask to be dis
charged from the further consideration Of ths
| subject.