follow the occupation of

; that I am about to go

United States

abroad temporarily; and that I intend to return to the with the purpose of residing and

performing the duties of citizenship therein.

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.

Further, I do solemnly swear that 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; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion: So help me God.

I hereby certify that I know the above-named

personally, and know h- to be the

of the

person referred to in the within-described certificate of naturalization, and that the facts stated in h— affidavit are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

[Address of witness.]

Applicant desires passport sent to following address:

CHAPTER V.

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.

It will be noticed that the circular of 1873 stated Ante, p. 56. that an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of the United States was required from all applicants for

passports, but this requirement had really gone into Prior to 1861. effect in 1861. It is not improbable that it was Since 1861. originally intended to be temporary, to continue in force only during the civil war; but the propriety of exacting a promise to support the Government from everyone who might ask from it the protection of a passport has been recognized by successive Secretaries of State since the war. The form of oath required was the same as that prescribed by the act approved August 6, 1861, for persons assuming 12 Stat., 326. federal office. It first appears upon an application dated August 31, 1861. The law of May 13, 1884, Rev. Stat., modified the form of oath of allegiance; but it was not until the blank forms of application of 1888 were issued that the modified oath was used in Modified passport applications, the first one bearing date

August 15.

The oath required from 1861 to 1888 was as fol

lows:

ང་ན

vol. 1, 2d edit., 428.

form.

do solemnly swear that I will support, Old form. protect, and defend the Constitution and Government of

Present form.

Affirmation.

the United States against all enemies, whether domestic or foreign; and that I will bear true faith, allegiance, and loyalty to the same, any ordinance, resolution, or law of any State, convention, or legislature to the contrary notwithstanding; and, further, that I do this with a full determination, pledge, and purpose, without any mental reservation or evasion whatever; and, further, that I will well and faithfully perform all the duties which may be required of me by law: So help me God.

The oath in use since 1888 is as follows:

Further, I do solemnly swear that 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; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion: So help me God.

Persons who prefer making an affirmation to taking an oath have always been permitted to do so; but from time to time there have been applications for passports from members of religious sects, who, from conscientious scruples, have been unwilling to Reservation. take the oath without expressing some reservation tending to invalidate it. The practice toward these citizens was not uniform. Sometimes they were granted passports, and sometimes they were refused. The question was finally settled October 7, 1897, by a Department letter, in which it was stated that the Government had no disposition to deny to any loyal citizen traveling or sojourning abroad in lawful pursuit of his business or pleasure the protection of a passport, nor to place upon him any requirements

Modified form permitted.

of application for a passport repugnant to his conscience or the free exercise of his religious belief, but that an oath of allegiance containing any alteration or addition tending to invalidate it could not be accepted. The following form would, however, be deemed sufficient:

Further, I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Government of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I owe allegiance to no other government; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion: So help me God.

CHAPTER VI.

II Stat., 60.

to 1856.

FEE FOR ISSUING A PASSPORT.

THE act of August 18, 1856, required that there Fee in 1856. should be no charge for issuing passports in this country, and in foreign countries the fee was not to No fee prior exceed one dollar. But, whatever the practice may have been in the case of passports issued by our agents abroad, the Department had never, so far as can be ascertained, made any charge for issuing passports; nor would such a charge have been warranted in the absence of any law permitting or Ante, pp. 46, prescribing it. The circulars of 1845, 1846, and

47, 48.

Post, P. 77.

12 Stat., 472.

Ante, pp. 25,

29.

1857 stated that passports would be issued gratis. The form of passport used in 1796 contained the word "gratis" printed upon it; so did that of 1817. It was omitted in 1820, restored in 1833, and since 1857 has been omitted. The act of July 1, 1862, Fee in 1862. "to provide internal revenue to support the Government and to pay interest on the public debt," provided that after June 30, 1862, there should be collected the sum of three dollars for every passport issued by the Department of State, the amount to be paid to any collector appointed under the act, and his receipt forwarded to the Secretary of State with the application for passport. Ministers and