Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-12-29


the people may vote for and return to Congress.
We know the citizens Of this country have
made mistakes, now and then, and we know, too,
that they have corrected their errors in that re-
spect, on the first convenient opportunity. It
takes but two years to evict from place MEM
Der OF Congress who turns traitor to his country,
but 1t takes four years to turn out Of power
President who is proven not to be "above reason
able suspicion of duplcity" That is, at present,
a serious defect in our Constitution; but as per-
sons of this class never "fool" the people a
second time, it may be borne, we hope, without
fatal injury to our institutions. Some men have
but slight twnge of shame when they under
take to lecture the qualifications Of their CO.
ordnates in public life-even those exalted ones
whose 'duplicity," unfortunately for their coun-
try. is placed far very far beyond the cha rity of
suspicion" Il would be well for some men if
their 'duplicity" was only matter Of surmise,
and it would be still more grateful doubt to
their manged and bleeding country.
The game which the Administration has inau
gurated, of electing bogus members of Congress
from the States in rebellion, is not entirely new
1t practiced in Virginia and North Carolina
eighteen months ago. The case of FOSTER, of
the latter State, is fresh in the minds of our
readers. He claimed his seat. though it was
proven that he did not receive the vote Of twenty
residents of his district. The case of Mr. UProS,
of Massachusetts, (but more emily the editor
of a newspaper in Ohio), is an instance of still
more glaring scandal This man. though q resi-
dent of another State, took it into his head tc go
down to the Alexandria district, in Virginia,
where he collected squad of sympathzing Abo-
lition friends from Washington aud its neighbor-
hood, gave a few days notice of an election,
without any legal authority. and on the day ap-
pointed, these Abolitionists--not ten of whom
ever lived in the district to be renresented-went
from Washington to Alexandria, deposited their
ballots in a hat, counted the votes, and pro-
claimed UPToN the unanimous choice of the peo
pie of that ancient district in Congressl This
man went to Washington. and occupied a
scat in the House for several months-long
enough to draw some fifteen hundred dollars
from the national treasury; but the Committee on
Elections. OH investigating the fraud declared
that UPTON had no right TO a seat-that election
was bogus. and he turned adrif. TO seek some
more cOngenial employment. The fact was, his
vote for the Abolition members of the Admins
tration not wanted-there were plenty of his
stripe already there, and il was useless to act the
cheat and the knave when there were plenty OF
cheats and knaves without UPToS. In the next
Congress the case will be different, and these
bogus members Of Congress-the only ones
which the Republicans elect in the future
will be in brisk demand. Let the country look
out for series of frauds such as would disgrace
the rotten-borough districts of old England,
where few aristocrats own and control some
Administration has become desperate, and it will
do all that desperation prompts to achieve its
ends in the suppression of our form of Gov
ernment. Mr. LINooLN's letter points to the
mode Of securing the next House Of
Representatives 1t is IN unjust and a high
handed usurpation. The law of Congress, for
the apportOnment of members of the House.
requires population of ninety three thousand.
Mr.. LINoOLN's plan is, that one, two or five hun
dred persons shall send member. and these, too
for the most part, being composed of non resident
Abolitonists from New England. army contract
ors, spies and camp followers, who have but little
permanent interest in any portion OF Tennessee.
This cheat is planned with the adroitness and
"duplicity" of those who have long since ceased
to blush for violated pledges brokes VOWS and
partisan treachery-men who "follOw the law"
and the forms of law, "as far as Convenient
but who set both aside when they interfere with
the Chicago Platform.
We are glad to see that many of the indie
pendent and conscientious Republican papers
have already broken ground against this scheme
of outrage, and denounce it as IA scandal to the
Administration. We trust and believe that no
citizen Of any decent character will apologize or
sanction such gross satire on Representative
Government. 1t is really too bad that any man
should be base enough to propose it.