irecting that the oath might "be taken and subscribed
before any commissioned officer, civil, military, or naval, in the
service of the United States, or before any civil or military officer
of a loyal State or Territory, who, by the laws thereof, may be
qualified to administer oaths." Every one who took the oath was
entitled to a certified copy of it, as the proof of his restoration
to all civil rights, and a duplicate, properly vouched, was forwarded
to the State Department, to be "deposited and remain in the archives
of the Government." Mr. Seward had thus adapted the simplest, most
convenient, and least expensive process for the administration of the
oath of loyalty. Indeed the certifying officer was almost brought to
the door of every Southern household. The mercy and grace of the
Government fell upon the great mass of those who had been engaged in
rebellion as gently and as plenteously as the rain from heaven upon
the place beneath the feet of the offenders.

With these details complete, a second step of great moment was taken
by the Government on the same day (May 29). A proclamation was
issued appointing William W. Holden provisional governor of the State
of North Carolina, and intrusting to him, with the co-operation of the
constituency provided for in the first proclamation, the important work
of reconstructing civil government in the State. The proclamation made
it the duty of Governor Holden "at the earliest practicable period, to
prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper for
assembling a convention--composed of delegates who are loyal to the
United States and no others--for the purpose of altering or amending
the Constitution thereof, and with authority to exercise, within the
limit of said State, all the powers necessary and proper to enable the
loyal people of the State of North Carolina to restore said State to
its constitutional relations to the Federal Government and to present
such a Republican form of State Government as will entitle the State to
the guaranty of the United States therefor and its people against
invasion, insurrections, and domestic violence."

It was especially provided in the proclamation that in "choosing
delegates to any State Convention no person shall be qualified as an
elector or eligible as a member unless he shall have previously taken
the prescribed oath of allegiance, and unless he shall also possess the
qualifications of a voter as defined