Section 14.
On general principles of law and reason, all the oaths which since the war have been given
by southern men that they will obey the laws of Congress, support the Union, and the like,
are of no validity.
Such oaths are invalid not only because they were extorted by military power and threats
of confiscation, and because they are in contravention of men's natural right to do as they please
about Supporting the Government, but also because they were given to nobody.
They were nominally given to the United States.
But being nominally given to the United States, they were necessarily given to nobody, because
on general principles of law and reason, there were no United States to whom the oaths could
be given.
That is to say, there was no open, authentic, avowed, legitimate association, corporation,
or body of men known as the United States or as the people of the United States to whom
these oaths could have been given.
If anybody says there was such a corporation, let him state who were the individuals that
composed it and how and when they became a corporation.
Were Mr. A, Mr. B, and Mr. C members of it?
If so, where are their signatures?
Where the evidence of their membership?
Where the record?
Where the Open Authentic Proof
There is none.
Therefore, in law and reason, there was no such corporation.
On general principles of law and reason, every corporation, association, or organized body
of men, having a legitimate corporate existence and legitimate corporate rights, must consist
of certain known individuals who can prove, by legitimate and reasonable evidence, their
membership.
But nothing of this kind can be proved in regard to the corporation or body of men who call
themselves the United States.
Not a man of them in all the northern states can prove by any legitimate evidence, such
as is required to prove membership in other legal corporations, that he himself or any
other man whom he can name is a member of any corporation or association called the
United States, or the people of the United States, or consequently that there is any
such corporation.
And since no such corporation can be proved to exist, it cannot, of course, be proved
that the oaths of southern men were given to any such corporation.
The most that can be claimed is that the oaths were given to a secret band of robbers and
murderers who called themselves the United States and extorted these oaths.
But that certainly is not enough to prove that the oaths are of any obligation.