The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1863-02-04
THE RIGHT OF soLDIERs TO VOTE.
From the Northwestern Rcpublican.l

The right of soldiers in the Volunteer
Army 10 vote for candidates at home while
they arc Offering theirslVes in the service
Of our country, and far away from their
county and State, is a constitutional ques-
ton for the Ohio General Assembly. To
arrive at a safe conclusion OH the subject,
IL became necessary to inquire.
/. Whence is that right derived, and
the design in its exercise?
2. The inalienability Of the franchise
3. The consequence of the nonexercse
Of that right by so many, and the duty Of
the legislative power on the subject?
In The first place then the right to vote
.fo,os from mans natural right Of self-gov-
! eminent, ,self.defense, self.preservation aud
| choice OF pursuit, through the organization
| OF society in conventional rules, in which
are'reprdseiitcd the views of majority of
| these .op whom the rules are designed to
act. From the same source arises the at-
| thority to form constitution fer State.
for the government Of those who unite in
its design for their own safety; and to be
valid and binding. it must embrace no fea.
| ture or impose no obligation not directly
following from the natural rights of human
ity. Before man can properly exercise any
right On extend rules over another, he must
| have the right himself, and be able to de-
| fine the source whence tho obligations i'm
! posed. Hence the Constitution of Ohio
is prcdicatcd on mans natural rights, or
should be if it is not.
The design in the exercise Of the elect
i've franchise is to prevent the few from
imposing burdens on the many, from usur-
patton Of powers not warranted by those
from whom it eflanated. or over whom il
extends. \ wrong to one is wrong to
| the whole, and the highest crime is the of
lcnse against that whole. TO deny the
right of exercising the elective franchise or
| withdrawing from the polls 50 many as are
now in the Volunteer Army. is to defeat the
Constitutional design qfthe Bullet Dor.
The Constitution and the right to vote
are Of the snme origin, the same efficacy and
the same binding obligation ON those with
in their folds, to keep both inviolate.
q The citizen with the constitutional
right to vote in ward, township, county
or State. can only aienatc the obligation
to the Whole, to exercise the right by cx-
patriatng himself or the derelioton Of
duty by Withholding the act personally.
! Certainly, while guilty OF no crime no change
of residence, there can be no denial OF the
! right to vote without injury TO the ind-
vidual and al outrage to the body polite.
Again, when II citizen has acquired the
right of an clcctOr, leaves home on business,
travel, or in his coumJys Serrice, that right
goes with him into the army or elsewhere
and returns with hia to his home, The
only reason he does not vote for his coun-
ty and state candidates, is that his ballot
box with its officers go not with him.
! His absence from their locality is the bar
! rior.
3. AS to the consequences of so many
soldiers taken from the ballot-box is APP
| parent. II denies to the choice Spirits Of
our country the constitutional ckurCiae Of
a tranGhiEc; the dunal Of that right leaves
families, wives and minors without repre-
sentation ut the ballot box and in official
stations opens the way tor the destruc-
tion OF the Constitution itself, hy the alb
seuCc Of those whose blood is poured out
for its lrcscrvatiOn.
Therefore, We hold It to he the duty Of the
| General Assembly to provide ways aud
means to carry the ballot box with our
Ohio volunteers wherever they go, that
| they may exercise the right Of voting at
every important election, where there may
be a sufficient number to open and hold an
electon-conducted as the home elections
with the same qualifications and reQtriCtian.
hut TO tho CONSTITUTIONAL objection. We
give tho section of the article on the sub
ject, and by the phraseoIogy it will be seen
that the simple sentence, "such times as
may be provided by law" redeems the sec
ton from arbitrary rules. We had doubts
of the Legislative paWer over the subject
until We examined it critically in conncc-
ton with The design. Now we have no
doubt on the subject. Hear the Constitu-
tion of Ohio-what it says
ARTICLE V. SIC. i.--Evcry white male ei,.
zen of the United S;GtGv q, ,ie age OF twenty yone
Yeas, wGo shall have hoan resident of the State
one year next preceding the election, and of the
county, township or ward, in which he resides,
such time as may be provided by law, shall have,
the qualifications of an eector, and bo entitled 10
vote at all olocHona. ''