The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-08-08
rrsm the Cine;nnati 9ssette.i
Kema0cky Election.

eocttob " as not lar Onos Auu tnaC the Al
fuence Of the military was used 10 proven
from voting. 1t is common tn hear de
fes'ed party urging every reason than tn
true one Tor tho result 1t would be won
derfS indeed if the coppsrhe.ds. Who arr
constantly bowling about military oppr 8
SIGN. and ~ho sea in every step taken by h,
Government for the suppression OF The re
bslfion, q viols,ion Of the Constitution;
would BE- wonderful. We say. If the copper
heads did not attribute their defeat in Ken
tucty. 10 tts action Ut the miitsry-a power
they hate because il is ured to preserve th,
Government and crush the rebellion.
But We fail to find in their trumped W
excuses and explanations relative to the
Kentucky election, any evideoce that the
military authorities interfered with the lega
rights Of the people. They offer no sucl
evidence. There 10 no such evidence to b
offered. It is true, or. at least, is seems t.
BE- the case. that large number Of persons
belonging 10 the Secession party refraiDed
from voting. This. We do not believe, If
fected the result; but it did reduce the vote
for Wickliffe, and his associates on the Sc.
cession ticket. But there is a reason fo
this, and very good and very plain reason
too. The Legislature. on the lth day Of
March. 1862, passed the following act:
SEC. l. Be IL enacted by the General As
seSsbiy Of Tie Commonwealth If Kentucky
That any citizen of this State who shall
enter into the service OF the SO. called Con.
fedsrate States, in either q civil or military
capacity, or into the service Of the so-called
Provisional Government of Kentucky, 10
either a civil or military capacity. or having
heretofore entered such service of either the
Confederate States or Provisional Govern
ment, shall continue in such service after
this act takes effect. or shall take up or con-
tinue in arms against the military forces OF
the United States or the State of Kentucky,
or shall give voluntary aid and assistance to
those in arms against said forces. shall be
deemed to have expatriated himself. and
shall no longer be a citizen Of Kentucky,
nor shall lie be again . citizen. except by
permission of The Legislature. by general
or special statute.
6xc. 2 That whenever . person attempts,
or is called on to exercise any Of the cons,i.
tutional or legal rights and privileges be.
longing only to cit'zens Of Kentucky. he
may be required TO negative on oath the ex-
patriation provided in the first section Of
this &C, and upon his failure or refusal to
do so. shall not be permitted TO exercise any
such right or privilege.
SEC. g. This act t. be of force in thirty
days from and after it's passage.
In accordance with this act. il was the
right Of every citizen, to reuuire . person
Offering to vote. to negative on oath the cx-
palriation provision OF the law or in other
words to declare on oath that he had not
been ia the rebel army. nor given voluntary
aid or assistance TO the rebels. Every per
son subssr;bing to the oath. it demanded.
was entitled to vote. and there is no evi.
dence that any such person was prevented
from voting But the difficulty is that the
great majority Of the supporters OF the Sc.
cession ticket in Kentucky could not take
the oath without committing perjury, and
hence they absented themselves from the
polls. This is the true explanation of the
falling off in the vote in Kentucky.
Aud is there any man, is there any intel |
ligent Copperhead even. who can make a.
plausible argument in favor Of man who
has been in arms against the Government
Of the United States, and against the State
Of Kentucky, exercising the right OF suffrage
in a LOYAL State. Will the Louisville Dem
ocrat pretend to say that rebel soldiers
returned to Kentucky, or citizens Of Ken
lucky who sympathize with. and have been
giving aid aud comfort to the rebels, had
right TO vote at the election on Monday ?
This is the question. II they could not
take the oath, it is plain they had no right
to vote. II they could, they were not pre-
vented from voting. There is therefore no
ground for complaint ; and no loyal citizen
will complain. Ii is only those who desire
the success Of the rcbellion-who are OPP
posed to furnishing another man or another
dollar-who do complain and these are
dissatisfied because men who could not
swear that they have not fought against the
Government, or given aid and comfort to
the enemy. were not permitted to vote for
men to administer the affairs Of Kentucky.
who are VIGOROUSLY committed against the
support of the Government.
The complaint that the military authori.
ties interfered in the election is easily dis
posed Of. In the first place, We quote .
clause from General Burnside's order. which
bears directly upon this point
"As il is not the intention of the Com.
manding General to interfere with the pro.
per expression of public opinion, all discre-
ton in the conduct of the election will be,
as usual. in the hands Of the legally appoint
ed Judges, at the polls. who will be held
strictly responsible that no disloyal person
be allowed to vote. and to this end the mill
tsry power is ordered to give them its ut
most support.
In the next place, turning to the result in
the Lexington District, we End there were
three candidates running. One of these was
General Boyle. who fills an important COM
mand in Kentucky. Now it will not be
claimed that the military interfered To pre-
vent citizens voting for him. Yet We fad
Mr.. Clay. the Union candidate. received
Ave hundred more votes than Boyle and
Buokner Together. This was plainly the
result Of an over v heiming Union sentiment
in the district.
In the absence Of details, We are not pre-
pared to say TO what extent the vote has
fallen off IN K-utuoky hut We are satisfied
that TIE result, in the Stale is a fair expIes-
sion Of the legal voters. Rebels are not
legal voters. aud those who could not take
the oath authorized By the Legislature, are
clearly, in the meaning OF the law. rebels.
But all this bowling Of the Copperheads
only shows what terrible blow to the m Is
this great and overwhelming Union victory
10 Kentucky. They confidently anticipated
- ,..,sfar Of that State to the control oil