“I, A. B., do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I have never voluntarily borne arms against the United States since I have been a citizen thereof; that I have voluntarily given no aid, countenance, counsel, or encouragement to persons engaged in armed hostility thereto; that I have neither sought nor accepted nor attempted to exercise the functions of any office whatever, under any authority or pretended authority in hostility to the United States; that I have not yielded a voluntary support to any pretended government, authority, power, or constitution, within the United States, hostile or inimical thereto. And I do further swear (or affirm) that to the best of my knowledge and ability I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.” The Act then provides:-- “Which said oath, so taken and signed, shall be preserved among the files of the Court, House of Congress, or Department to which the said office may appertain.”[289] This oath was popularly known as “the Iron-Clad Oath.” * * * * * On the organization of the Senate, March 4, 1863, being the first organization after the statute requiring the oath, it became necessary to consider its applicability to the Senate. Debate ensued, which can be understood only by a preliminary explanation. The Senate was organized, in the absence of the Vice-President, by the choice of Hon. Solomon Foot, of Vermont, as President _pro tempore_. The oath to support the Constitution was administered to him by Mr. Foster, of Connecticut, but the additional oath was omitted. The President _pro tempore_ then proceeded to say:-- “Senators elect and Senators whose term commences under a reëlection at this time _will receive the oath of office in the order in which their names will be called by the Secretary_.” The Secretary then called the names of a long list of Senators, who came forward and took the customary oath. But the President _pro tempore_ did not offer to administer the additional oath; nor, at the time of qualification, was anything said with regard to it. After the conclusion of the ceremony, Mr. Trumbull, of Illinois, said:-- “I desire to call the attention of the President of the Senate, and of the Senate itself, to an Act of Congress approved 2d July, 1862.” Then, reading the Act, he added:--