Speech #440004208

Now. if he should be embraced in this amnesty. he stands in the position of having abjuned his allegance to the United States. having taken the oath of fealty to it government hostile to the United States. and then of being restored to the saine political rights that any other citizen of the United Stites has. with the right of election and of being elected to office. with tie obligation of an oath to support a hostile government resting upon him. Bat gentlernen say that lie will have to take an oath if he is elected to otice. lut that is not sufficient. There are perhaps in the United States under the General Government and that of the several States. from two hundred and fifty to three hundred thousand officeholdefs. most of whomn nmust have taken the oath of allegiance to the United States. there are also about eight millions of men who by right of birth or naturalization owe an iundisputed allegiance to the United States. and who are invested with the privilege of electing or being elected to office. a d this is one of the highest privileges conlerred upon or enjoyed by American citizens. It is not right that this one main should be admitted to this privilege without having made. as these men did in one form or another. a direct declaratios of intentioi to support the Constitutionobey the laws of the Governuti. Sir.