Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-05-24

! III denable as the fact is bitter and mortiGy-
ing to US, and disgraceiGl TO the public.
This invasion Of our soil and usurpation Of
our rights commenced at the first moment OF
calling those rights into action. The first
blllot-box that was opened upon our virgin
soil was closed to us by overpowerng num-
! bers and impending force. 1t became, not
what Americans have been proud to desig
nate il, the exponent of the peoples wll,but
was converted into the sword Of the oppres-
sor, to strike at civil liberty. So bold and
reckless were our invaders that they cared
not to conceal their attack.
They came upon US, not in the guse of
voters, to stea, away our G~anchise but bold
/ ly aud openly to snatch it with the strong
| hand They came directly from their own
! homes, and in compact and organized bands,
! with arms in hand, and provisions foi the ex-
! petition, marched to our polls, and when
! their work was done, returned whence they
came. IL is unnecessary to enter into the
complant it is enough to say, that in three
DISTRICTS, ia which, by the most irrelragible
| evidence, there were not one hunIred AID
| fifty voters, most of whom refused to particl-
pate in this mockNry of the elective fran
rSi.e, these invaders poilcd over thousand
votes.
Loving cur co,ntry and its institutions, we
were willing, if this was to be only solita-
ry instpnce, to suffer it in silence, rather than
to proclaim to the world that even in ths
remote spot OF our great country, civil liber-
! ty was but a name. Bitter and nourniul
experience, has taught us, howe yer, that this
was no isolated GCt--no temporary ebuAtion
but the commencement Of a iceH matured and
settled plan by targ: por tioa Of the people Of
one Of The SlaicS Of the Union, permanently to
easare us dnd constitute Themselves our mus
t3rS,
On the 30th Of March last We were again
invited to the bdIlot.boX, under the law
which We, in common with our fellow citi-
z,ns oi the States, had, through ycur body,
enacted. Our vigilant and faithful Chef
/ Magistrate had surrounded it with all the
guards and precautions with which his au'
t!.ori:y invested him, and we were prepared
TO exercise the dearest and most cherished
pr,ilege Of American citizens, with iuiI
sense of the vital and intere sting Importance
of this peculiar occasion.
The occasion came, and with it came our
invading and seif-con stituled masters in thou
sands, and with the parapher MALTA Of war.--
They came organized in bands, with officers
and arms and tents, and provisions, and mu.
ntioDs Of war, as though they were march
ing upon foreign foe instead OF their own
unoffendine follow citizens. Upon the prln-
cir al road eading into our Territory and pas
sing several important polls, they numbered
not less than twelve hundred men, and one
camp alone contained not less .han six hun.
dred.
They arrived at their several destinations
the night before the election, and having
pitched their camps and placed their sentfies
waited for the coming day. Baggage wag-
ons were there, with arms and ammunition
for proiracted fight, and among them two
brass feld-peces, ready charged They came
with drums bcati and flags flying, and their
leaders were ofthe most prominent and con-
spicaous mel of their respective States. IL
the morning they surrounded the polls, armec
with guns, 6owie-knives and revolvers, and
declared their determination to vote at al
LazarJs, and in spite OF all consequences.
If the Judges colld be made to subservt
their purposes and receive their votes, and il
| no obstacle was cast in their way, the lead
crs exertcd themselves to preserve peace an'
order ia the conduct OF the election, but a
The same time did not hesitate to deciare,that
= if not allowed to vote, they would proceed
to any extremity 10 The destruction OF prop
erly and life. I:con,rol of the polls coul'
not be had otherwise, the judges werfsby IN
timidaton, and if necessary, by violeuce, pre-
). vented from performing their daty or, II u''
Welding in thi, respect, were driven iron
the post, and the vacancy illeG. In toru
4. BY the persons on the ground; anG, Whenever
by any means, they Tad obtained the con'ro
Of the Board, the foreign vote was promlscu
d ousv poured in, without discrimination or re
serve, ,or :ho sli .htest effort to copcen its ne
e farous Illegally.
AT one of lhese polls, two OF the judgcs,ha
wing man.uly stood up in the face OF this or
N raed mob and declared Il ey would do thei
duty, one portion of the mob commenced
rs tear down the house, another proceeded I
s. break IN the door of the judges room, willis
others, with drawn knives, posted themselve
r. at the.window, with the proclaimed purpus
ie of killing any voter who would allow himse
co TO be SHOrE. NOlGIo NCIC VI W ''S''' w
O. window because they would not show the
ed tickets or vote at the dictation of the mob,ar
W the invaders declared openly at the polls tn
in they would CUT the throats Of the Judges
at they did not receive their votes without n
es auiring an oath as to their residence,
", The room was finally forced, and the jnii
to es, surrounded by an armed and eXc't'
crowd, were offered the alternatives OF resi-
= nation or death, and five minutes was siio'
mt e6 .or their decision. The ballot box W
* seized, aud amiI shouts of "Hurrah for Nj
ed, souri," was carried into the nab. The T.
'x- menaced judges then left the ground, toget
as er with all the res ident citizens, except
an few who acted in the outrage, because I
est result expected from it CONFIRMED 10 tn
or views, and because il enabled the few
Icr rule the many. When an excess OF t
foreign force was found to he had at Q
in pol, detachments were sent 70 others'w whe
ing !, ,,,.s snnnosed thew mipht be needed