The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-08-26
Hon. J. J. Perry, of Oxford, and J. T. Gil
man, Of Portland,
Hon. Hannibal Hamlin
Border Rufiians and Guerrillas at the

The Copperheads are very solicitous for the
purity Of the ballot box, and afraid the people
will be denied their rights by military author
ity. One of the late resolutions at the State
Convention bore upon this point as follows:
RESOLVED, That under possible emergency, not
in insurrecton, amid the throes of civil
can this justify official interference with
the freedom of the ballots. The RIGHTEOUSNESS OF
the tongue and OF the pen Is minor evil compared
with the licentiousness ofarbtrary power. '
We suppose this had alusion TO the meas
ures taken by Gen. burnside in Kentucky TO
secure to the loyal men of that State their
rights, but paragraph in yesterdays Argus
confirms this impression. That paper says:
Does the administration exhibit "a jealous care of
the right of election by tn. peopley" Witness mar
tial law in Missouri and Kentucky TO control cleo
tions, after the manner OF Napoleon (.
This miserable, reasonable, Copperhead
journal, and the party it represents, could see
Kansas borne down by Border Ruffians"
from Missouri, all their rights wrested from
them, ballot boxes stuffed, odious laws enacted
by non-residents, guerrillas driving actual res
idents from the ballot box, and make not
word Of complaint And it and its party
would see loyal Kentucky borne down in the
same way and leave the Union men at the mer-
cy of the rebel raiders, sent into the State to
override by overawing the free, loyal people
of the old commonwealth. This is the Argus
respect for the purity Of the balot-box! But
Gen. Burnside lifelong Democrat-enter-
tains no such notions, and being military com
mander of the Department embracing Ken
lucky, he took efficient measures to protect
the people, without violating their rights, or
depriving any loyal man of the privilege OF
voting as he thought fit; and according to the
Argus own, almost daily statements false
however) Governor has been elected under
that very military protection who is opposed
to the administration.
Gen. Burnside was specific and emphatic in
his Order, that the freedom of no one wishing
to vote should be interfered with; that the
military guards should only see that the ballot
boxes were kept open to such as desired to
vote, and that guerrillas aud other armed
desperadoes should not be allowed to control
the voting precincts and deprive honest men
of their rights; and Of this the Argus com.
plains! Gracious Heaven, to what despicable
depths has democracy sunken, IL this be de
mocrdcy! What better evidence that it ant
rebellion are IDENTICAL and that the success o
the former depends upon the control of tn,
ballot boxes by the rebels OF the late cleo
ton in Kentucky the Louisville Journal
often quoted approvingly by the Argus-says
'swe have seen men from scores of polls, and thei
testimony is that they never an election NOR
free from all military iuterposition and open
voters OF all parties The fact that tens of thousand
OF men VIGOROUSLY intent upon getting up rebellion
In Kentucky were permitted TO vote freely when al
power was in Federal hands is evidence Of the mos
extraordinary tolerance