MISSOURI. 



587 



ment was rejected. Section fifth recognized 

 the exclusive right of the people to regulate, 

 alter, or abolish their form of government, etc., 

 u but every such right should be exercised in 

 pursuance of law and consistently with the Con- 

 stitution of the United States." It was moved 

 to strike put the words "in pursuance of law 

 and," which, after debate, was withdrawn. The 

 sixth and seventh sections were adopted as fol- 

 lows, without debate : 



That this State shall ever remain a member of the 

 American Union, that the people thereof are a part 

 of the American nation, and that all attempts, from 

 whatever source or upon whatever pretext, to dis- 

 solve said Union or to sever said nation, ought to be 

 resisted with the whole power of the State. 



That every citizen of this State owes paramount 

 allegiance to the Constitution and Government of the 

 United States, and that no law or ordinance of this 

 State in contravention thereof can have any binding 

 force. 



The eighth section recognized the right of the 

 people peaceably to assemble and petition for a 

 redress of grievances, and was adopted without 

 debate. The first part of the ninth section was 

 as follows : 



That all men have a natural and indefeasible right 

 to worship Almighty God according to the dictates 

 of their own consciences ; that no person can, on 

 account of his religious opinions, be rendered ineligi- 

 ble to any office of trust or profit in this State. 



After the word " State " the followings words 

 were added as an amendment, "nor be dis- 

 qualified from testifying," and the section was 

 adopted. The other sections of the Bill of 

 Rights are generally similar to the Constitu- 

 tions of other States. The third section of the 

 second article relating to the Elective Franchise, 

 provides that at any subsequent State or local 

 election no person shall be deemed a qualified 

 voter who has ever been in armed hostility to 

 the United States or to the lawful authorities 

 thereof; or to the Government of the State; 

 or has ever given aid, comfort, countenance, or 

 support to any persons engaged in such hos- 

 tility ; or has ever, in any manner, adhered to 

 the enemies, foreign or domestic, of the United 

 States, either by contributing to them or by 

 unlawfully sending within their lines money, 

 goods, letters, or information ; or has ever dis- 

 loyally held communication with such enemies; 

 or has ever advised or aided .any person to en- 

 ter the service of such enemies ; or has ever, 

 by act or word, manifested his adherence to the 

 cause of such enemies, or his desire for their 

 triumph over the arms of the United States ; or 

 his sympathy with those engaged in exciting or 

 carrying on rebellion against the United States ; 

 or has ever, except under overpowering com- 

 pulsion, submitted to the authority, or been in 

 the service of the so-called " Confederate States 

 of America ; " or has ever left this State and 

 gone within the lines of the armies of the so- 

 called " Confederate States of America," with 

 the purpose of adhering to said States or armies ; 

 or has ever been a member of, or connected with, 

 any order, society, or organization inimical to 



the Government of the United States, or to the 

 Government of this State ; or has ever been 

 engaged in guerrilla warfare against loyal in- 

 habitants of the United States, or in that de- 

 scription of marauding commonly known as 

 " bushwhacking ; " or has ever knowingly and 

 willingly harbored, aided, or countenanced any 

 person so engaged ; or has ever come into or 

 left this State for the purpose of avoiding en- 

 rolment for or drafted into the military service 

 of the United States ; or has ever with a view 

 to avoid enrolment hi the militia of this State, 

 or to escape the performance of duty therein, 

 or for any other purpose, enrolled himself, or 

 authorized himself to be enrolled, by or before 

 any officer, as disloyal or as a Southern sympa- 

 thizer ; or hi any other terms indicating his 

 disaffection to the Government of the United 

 States in its contest with rebellion, or his sym- 

 pathy with those engaged in such rebellion ; or 

 having ever voted at any election by the people 

 in this State, or in any other of the United 

 States, or in any of their Territories, or held 

 office in this State, or in any other of the United 

 States, or in any of their Territories, or under 

 the United States, shall thereafter have sought 

 or received under claim of alienage the protec- 

 tion of any foreign Government, through any 

 consul or other officer thereof, in order to se- 

 cure exemption from military duty in the militia 

 of this State, or in the army of the United 

 States; nor shall any such person be capable 

 of holding in this State any office of honor, 

 trust, or profit under its authority ; or of being 

 an officer, councilman, director, trustee, or 

 other manager of any corporatian, public or 

 private, now existing or hereafter established 

 by its authority ; or of acting as a professor or 

 teacher in any educational institution, or in any 

 common or other school ; or of holding any 

 real estate or other property in trust for the use 

 of any church, religious society, or congrega- 

 tion. But the foregoing provisions in relation 

 to acts done against the United States shall not 

 apply to any person not a citizen thereof, who 

 shall have committed such acts while in the 

 service of some foreign country at war with the 

 United States, and who has, since such acts, 

 been naturalized, or may hereafter be natural- 

 ized under the laws of the .United States ; and 

 the oath of loyalty hereinafter prescribed, when 

 taken by any such person, shall be considered 

 as taken in such sense. 



A system of registration was required in 

 every county of the State to be prescribed by 

 the Legislature. Previous to the adoption of 

 such a system, every voter was required to 

 take an oath. After its adoption he was re- 

 quired to take the same oath upon the registry 

 of his name; and no one unregistered could 

 vote at an election ; nor one registered, unless 

 his name had been entered ten days previous. 

 Mere registry does not confer the right to vote. 

 The oath prescribed is designated in the Con- 

 stitution as the Oath of Loyalty, and is in the 

 following form : 



