The iron clad oath became yet another fault line in an already fractured society. Frank Blair was an ardent opponent of the oath, despite his early and unwavering support of the Union as a Congressman and general in the Union Army. Blair attempted to vote after submitting a signed copy of his own version of the loyalty oath. Since his oath did not match the one prescribed by the Drake Constitution, his ballot was rejected. Blair challenged the decision all the way to the United States Supreme Court. The Court failed to reach a majority and thus the oath remained a part of the Missouri Constitution until it was removed in 1870, with the repudiation of Radical rule at the polls. The documents on this panel are from the original petition filed in 1866 by Frank Blair in the St. Louis Circuit Court.