New-York daily tribune., 1863-04-16
GOV. SEYMOUR ON THE RIGHT
OF SOLDIERS TO VOTE.

the passage of judge Lows bill providing ior
the exercise of the Right of Suffrage in our
future State Elections by citizens who at the
time NAV be absent from their homes in the
Military or Naval service of their country.
In doing 90, we recall attention to the main
facts illustrating this atrocious document.
Gov. Horato Seymour was chosen Governor
of our State in the absence of some Seventy
five to One Hundred Thousand of her legal
Voters defending the integrity of the Union.
We believe ho would have been beaten by at
least Twenty-Five Thousand had those voters
been at home; his supporters profess to think
this would have made no material difference
We always believed this profession false one;
now we knOto it.
Gov. Seymour was inaugurated, and trans
mitted TO the Legislature most elaborate and
artfuI Message; but he did not recommend
therein that our absent soldiers, now practically
disfranchised, should be enabled to vote in eur
future elections. Judge Low of the Senate
supplied the omission by introducing bill
which secured them the exercise of this right.
This aroused the Governor, who therefore
sent to the Senate most enyenomed attack on
this measure, now pending before the Assembly,
with palpabe intent to defeat it in that body
Gov. Seymour processes to be stickler for
fidelity to the Constitution, but this seems to
us a sorry proof of it.
The Governor processes an anxious desire
that our soldiers shall be enabled to yote-in
1864. He advocates project of constitutional
reform, which, he says, will accomplish this
end; but he fails to show it. Let us consider
the constitutional provision governing this
matter.
ARTICLE XIII Sec J. Any amendment amendments TO
this Conuton may be proposed Ia the Senate and Assem-
biz: and II the sane ,h. be sgeed to by majority Of the
suheu elected each Of the houses snch pfop0eo
with the yeas and nays thereon and reisr'd to the
Lsture be chosen st the nsIt general election OF soma
time making ueh choice and n Ia the L..i.sier. 80 I.
chosen a. sfoesNa 'uch Pol[ 49, ~ ~ -. sIc.sd 20
each house shall be the duty Of the Legislature TO sob
such proposed amendment or sinsndmts 70 he peope
aud At such tunes the Legislature shall lFe
scribe and il the people shall approve and Ht such As9d
msnt tmendmeni'. by minority Of the electors qu'nsd
TO members OF he Lg aiufo voting thereon tuch
amendments shall become par, OF the Consti
ution.
Here it is seen that our Legislature must
first approve the proposed amendment; then it
must be advertised at lepst three months;
next repassed by fresh Legislature including
new Scnate then it shall be submitted 10 u
direct vote of the People and ratified by them
There is no way in which all this can possibly
be effected prior to the next Presidential Elec-
ton without holding a Special Election next
Summer or Fall TO ratify the amendment after
it shall have been repsssed by our next Legis-
lature. This will cost the People at least Half
Million Dollars; and may be defeated next
/ year on n thin vote by those who know right
well that the soldiers vote will tell heavily
against them.
Gov. Seymour ASSERTS that this holding a
special election 10 ratify the Smendment would
be constitutional. Ii would doubtless be 70
concilable with the letter Of the Constitution,
but hardly with its spirit. The end sought
through the provisions above quoted is deliber.
aton-time-delay-so that our fundamental
law shall in no case be lightly or hastiiy
changed. 1t was clearly purposed that two
General Elections should intervene between the
inception and the perfection OF change in the
Constitution. Gov. Seymour proposes Il mode
Of circumyeuting the Constitution while pro-
iesslng a special anxiety to obey and uphold it.
But what is the need of ali this complex and
costly proceeding Where is the provision,
the clause, the sentence. in the Constitution
which will be contrayened by the passnge Of
Judge Lows bill. at is clear TO uIe," saws
the Governor, "that tho Constitution intends
that the right to vote shall only be exercised
by the electOr in rson!" But where is the
proof of such intendmentl Why does not the
Governor quote the passage or passages which
make this 40 "clear" to his mind II the
personal presence OF each electOr at the polls is
required by tho Constitution, 1t must surely be
easy to show wherein it is required We
have quoted every word of the Constitution
that can possibly bear on this point, aud find
nothing therein 10 sustain the Governors as.
sertion: Why does he not at least try To fud
something that docs sustain it Are One Hun
dred Thousand of our iellOw-citlzens to be dis
lranchued on sheer assumption Of constltu-
tional impediment which its author does not
attempt to establish by a ctationl
But whoever reads the Governors Message
carefully will see that his real objection is TO
letting the sOldiers vote at all. All ha slang
about securing the perfect independence" of
the soldiers, "entire freedom of opinion, "
official tyranny" using the army /" for cleo
tOneerng purposes. &C., &C., only serves to
reveal his consciousness that the bulk Of the
soldiers are against him and his party. and
will vote them down if allowed chance.