The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-09-19

ftions.
! Another criterion, likewise defective, is
set mp, thar IA sol,Iiers are not eligible tu
civil offices they cannot vote for Candidates
10 those offices. The principle is unsound,
and It applied weuld exclude every man in
The unired States. under ihirty-i five years Of
age, from voting for the Presidential candi-
datr--tor no man under that age can legal,
ly I'll The office.
! Another test of the right IL that of true or
false resideney. The soldier is not resi-
,ient. b-cause he did not come here with
bona tde intention TO remain--anh because
he Is ha6ie to be ordered away at any mo-
meni.
Now i, is true that he may he called off,
but so MAY your nIlit'a-and he does in
teml to remain it not ordered off. But sup
pose that he actually does remain, of what
practical value is then the question as 10
his attentions? Why, man (a voier) is
liable 10 die at any moment, shall that liza
billy disqualiiy him while he actually does
not die:
Let me put this case as TO the value
ola soldiers residence here. i'a man " ere
discharged at Fort Smelling, after two
years service there, and an election came
on Immediately after his discharge, would
had not resided in the Territory? fancy
not.
! have shown already that the Rules and
articles Of war are the measure of the SOL
dier's o5edience-liniting that obedience to
legal and military character. Hence all
preiehsioi,s that an officer could "conimand'
the soldier in the matter of his roie will
utterly fail. All fears that the President
could "cram garrisons" into states To infiu-
ence elections, thar officers could If they
were unprincioled enough to attempt n)
march their men to the polls and order them
how 10 vote-all such fears are little fatter-
ing 10 the 'inteligence' Of soldiers and
can he accounted for only oil the ground of
prejudice against his profession or ignorance
of il.
In some Of the states it is provided that
no soldier, saiiur or marine in the service
o. the Uaited States, shall he allowed TO
Vote IN any state or local election. and in
other states no such restriction is found
Wherever there is O such express legal
obstacle, it has been always held that there
the soldier, sailor or marine, retained the
right 10 deposite his vote-the right howev-
er, being rarely exercised. Minnesota has
heretofore followed The liberal, enlightened
and republican policy OF prescribing no
class on account of calling or profession and
DISTINGUISHING 10 American citizen, except
for crime
But "the army is Despotism." No, so;
''the first duty Of soldier is TO obey" but
to obey what: legal military orders, as
have shown. The soldier is not free,
bur who is free! is not freedom relative
term! J. any man absolutely free! Is any
man even free from the requirements Of his
4 L
life, the terms ofany contract he may choose
to enter into: Is the physician free who is
Obliged to rise night after night, when pes
,iteuce sweeps the cities! or the lawyer
whose hrain and tongue are the weapons of
his client: or the editor whom the reyolv-
ing press aud hour urge ruihlessly for
''copy:"
As to the soldiers amenabjliy TO The re-
Gnremen,s Of disrIplne-he obtys orders,
marches at n moments warning, turn sOut at
The drum, Sc. &C., i, is admitted But is
he therefore not freeman: He is not, ac-
cordIHg 20 the Pioneer and Mr.. Harmin -
"Men who are subject 10 all these require
men;-, IN have their hair cut after n pecu-
liar fashion, to wear government blue
mixed &c. &c, are not treerneH. Imagine
the army of the Revolution commanded ty
General Washington, and drilled by Baron
Steuben, drawn up in line of battle. Let
some modern Republican read TO them an
Order from the Continental Congress to a.
bout this effect: 'fou uniformed fellows.
with powdered locks, leather CATERS and
bias long tails and those Of you who have
scarcely anything at all on your hacks and
nothing on your teet-atientou the W hole !
your are not treemen." lou have yolun-
rarily resigned your liberty" '.You have
surrendered the right of a trial by Jury -
siou may he punished BY fine and inpris-
onment, by the sentence ofa Court liar
t,Gl" az an a man thus bound be consid.
cred free:" "Ihe beat of the inexorable
reveiie aronses you in the morning. and the
tattoo sends you to your hunks at night. !"
"A January of The Turkish Guards, with
out the first giiinmering of Intelligence or
sci: respect Is la>t as much free citizen of
Turkey, as soldier of the United States
Is a free citizen" alt is mockerv to talk
about the freedom Of soldiers" Stree ~
You fight for freedom, but you are bonds
men, slaves! Such sentiments would prob
ably have asioni>hed that well disciplined
army, and they as.onish Us.
! But Mr.. Editor your own principles con-
tratics themselves. You say that "taya-
tIon and representation necessarily go to-
T eSAHS' - " as 'Hc Tor W men
our ancestors entered into the Revolution.
l he Congress now in session has probably
passed n law giving one hundred and sixty
acres of land TO soldiers for war service.
Suppose those soldiers locate some Of that
land in Minnesota and pay taxes on ii, you
deprive them Of the right to vote-,here is
:. your "taxatinn," where is your ''represen-
ta,ion:" Whe, has become of your prin-
eple!
Both Yourself and Mr.. Harmin put SOL
der and officer in opposition. The ground
seems TO be that the soldier cannot vote, be-
cause his officer controls his action. I do
not perceive that either Of you intend 70 de-
ny the right of voting to the officer. But
" heihsr you do or no, so intend, YOU do
deny him the right, in denying i, TO the
soldier. All persons bound to military serv-
ice. stand on the same footing in that re-
.pect. IL is impossible to take away the
right from the humblest private soldier, be-
cause he is a soldier, without AT the same
! lime dises,ing every grade of officer Of the
same right, without DISTINGUISHING every
Amer lean officer, from George Washing
Io.barv fH.xto-