In the case of In re Eckart, 1896, the petitioner was a German immigrant who had been living in America for over five years and sought to become a naturalized citizen. However, his application was denied by lower courts because he refused to take an oath of allegiance that included willingness to bear arms for the United States due to his religious beliefs as a Mennonite. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Eckart, stating that while it is within Congress's power to require an oath of allegiance from potential citizens including bearing arms for the country if necessary; it does not have authority under law or constitutionally mandate such requirement without exception. Therefore, they concluded that individuals with genuine religious objections should be exempted from this part of the oath.

The dissenting opinion in the case of In re Eckart, 1896, is not available. The Supreme Court's decision was unanimous and did not include a dissenting opinion.