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TEST OATH IN CONSTITUTION OF 1864
One of the most objectionable features of the Consti-
tution of 1864 was the provision contained in Section 4 of
Article 1, prohibiting persons sympathetic with the Con-
federate cause from voting at any election held in Mary-
land or holding any office, unless restored to full rights
of citizenship by an Act of the General Assembly passed
by a two-thirds vote. Section 4 also contained the test
oath required of voters.
Section 7 of Article 1 prescribed the oath to be taken
by persons elected or appointed to office, and Section 8
required the oath prescribed by Section 7 to be taken by
persona holding office under the Constitution of 1851, or
under any law of the State, and who were continued in
office under the Constitution of 1864, or any law of the
State.
The text of Sections 4, 7 and 8 follows :
Section 4. No person who has at any time been in
armed hostility to the United States, or the lawful au-
thorities thereof, or who has been in any manner in
the service of tne so called "Confederate States of
America," and no person who has voluntarily left this
State and gone within the military lines of the so-
clled "Confederate States or armies" with the purpose
of adhering to said States or armies, and no person
who has given any aid, comfort, countenance or sup-
port to those engaged in armed hostility to the United
States, or in any manner adhered to the enemies of the
United States, either by contributing to the enemies
of the United States, or unlawfully sending within the
lines of such enemies money or goods, or letters, or
imfomation, or who has disloyally held communica-
tion with the enemies of the United States, or who
has advised any person to enter the service of the
said enemies, or aided any person so to enter, or who
has by any open deed or word declared his adhesion
to the cause of the enemies of the United States, or'
his' desire for the triumph of said enemies over the
arms of the United States, shall ever be entitled to
vole at any election to be held in this State, or to
hofa any office of honor, profit or trust under the laws
of this State, unless since such unlawful acts he shall
have voluntarily entered into the military service of
the United States, and been honorably discharged
therefrom, or shall be on the day of election, actually
and voluntarily in such service, or unless he shall be
restored to his full rights of citizenship by an act of
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