ART. 1.] STATE of MARYLAND. 23

tration and Judges of Election carefully to exclude from

voting, or being registered, all persons so as above dis-

qualified; and the Judges of Election at the first election

held under this Constitution shall, and at any subsequent

election may, administer to any person offering to vote the

following oath or affirmation : I do swear or affirm that I

Oath or Voters.

am a citizen of the United States, that I have never given

any aid, countenance or support to those in armed hostility

to the United States, that I have never expressed a desire

for the triumph of said enemies over the arms of the United

States, and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the

United States and support the Constitution and laws

thereof as the supreme law of the land, any law or ordi-

nance of any State to the contrary notwithstanding; that

I will in all respects demean myself as a loyal citizen of

the United States, and I make this oath or affirmation

without any reservation or evasion, and believe it to be

binding on me ; and any person declining to take such oath

shall not be allowed to vote, but the taking of such oath

shall not be deemed conclusive evidence of the right of

such person to vote; and any person swearing or affirming

falsely shall be liable to penalties of perjury, and it shall be

the duty of the proper officers of registration to allow no

person to be registered until he shall have taken the onth

or affirmation above set oat, and it shall be the duty of the

Judges of Election in all their returns of the first election

held under this Constitution to state in their said returns

that every person who has voted has taken such oath or

affirmation But the provisions of this section in rela-

tion to acts against the United States shall not apply to

any person not a citizen of the United States who shall

have committed such acts while in the service of some

foreign country at war against the United States, and wlio

has, since such acts, been naturalized, or may be naturalized,

under the laws of the United States, and the oath above

set forth shall be taken in the case of such persons in such

sense.