Supreme Courtby a vote of 5 to 4affirmed a Federal district court decision which denied citizenship to Douglas Macintosh. a native of Canada. because he would not promise to bear arms in defense of the United States unless he believed the war to be morally justified. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes dissented. in an opinion joined by Justice Holmes. Justice Brandeis. and Justice Stone. "There is abundant room for enforcing the authority of law." Hughes argued. "* * * without demanding that either citizens or applicants for citizenship shall assume by oath an allegiance to God as subordinate to allegiance to civil power." Fifteen years later. the Supreme Court overruled the Macintosh decision. but. by then. Professor Macintosh had suffered an incapacitating stroke and could not renew his petition for naturalization. He died without receiving vindication for his sufferings. Mr.
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