Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-11-18
Correspondence of The AGE
More About the ''BriIliant Union
sfctcEy' I'm Maryland.
BALTIMORE, Nov I, 1868.

heSSrS. Editors {: propose to give you.
as briefly as possible, an account of the
miserable sham, called an election, enacted
under Federal bayonets on Wednesday
last. OF the proceedings in Baltimore it
is unnecessary to say a word, as the fig
ures speak more eloquently than human
tongue of the fraud and violence which
disiranchiscd more than two-thirds of the
legal voters of the city. Less than IL
500 were polled in city containing more
than $4,000 qualified voters-and that,
too, in contest where the division of the
Administration PARTIES, and the ascerbity
wlthwhIch the discussions during the cam
paign were conducted. elected the full vote
OF the Government proteges and spoil
hunters infesting the city.
happened, however, to be in Kent
county during the few days preceding the
masquerade of Wednesday and saw the
derhsh ingenuity with which the Federal
ban was fastened upon all who questioned
the right of the President and his lackeys
to ride down with his dragons our State
laws and substitute for them his own inn
perial will. On the Monday prior TO the
! election, two steamers, filled with soldiers
cavalry and infantry, arrived at the wharf
at Chester town, and soon quartered them
| selves on the private premises of a gentle
man, IN defiance OF his known wishes.
| The Provost Marshal of the district. l1nt-
| self q caHdidate for an important office, at
! once promulgated General Schenck's
| I" Order NJ. 53,' the first provision of
| which made the military authorities ex-
elusive judge of the loyalty of the citi-
zens, and ordered them to arrest such sus-
| pected persons as were seen approacimg
or hanging about the polls" 1t presented
| also, an "oath," which the "soldiers
were TO assist the judges in administering
to all who might be challenged as disloyaI
AT the polls; il further overthrow the in
dependence Of the judges of election, and
made them liable to be reported at ''hcad-
| quarters" should they decline to execute
the lawless provisions of the infamous
! - Order No So" 1t was soon asccr-
| tained that, while the Demscrats would
| be deferred from voting 10y this Order,
! Spurning the power that would trample
upon their clear and well guarded right of
free election by requiring an 6 oath " un-
| known 10 the laws of the :~tate, no mat
|
serratire J'1,0n men would make no OBJ
lection to this outrage upon their dearest
rights, but with the 80 Snure Q,u pem ="
motto of inperilled sans cuiOtteS" would
press with eager haste the Testament to
their lips with one hand, while the left, in
lingering the spoils, knew not what the
right was doing. The Marshal therefore,
the more certainly to secure his own cleo
ton, issued. in conjunction with Colonel
Carol Tevis, the officer in command,
orders for the arrest of many of the prom
incnt conservative Union men, among
them the Hon. James b. Ricaud, can
didate on their ticket, and a gentleman,
as is well known, of immaculate loyalty.
They were accordingly seized at their
homes and sent the following morning to
Baltimore. Another order was then is
sued. doubtless at the instance of the
Provost Marshal, although Col Tevis'
name was signed to it, declaring the
- League ticket as the only one ''recogn'-
sed bu the authorizes as loyal," and saying
it became every one to give his support
to it. and put himself 50 honorably on the
poll-book of the county,"
In the meantime, the public jail had
been broken open, and three negro men,
prisoners, charged with a penitentiary Of
fense, and against whom the Grand Jury
had found indictments, were turned loose
upon the community, and the Jallor
seized and imprisoned with the other
State prisoners, among whom, | forgot to
mention, were two judges of election,
Shot-guns and pistols were seized by
squads of soldiers, and the citizens were
left at the mercy of armed strangers with
out weapon to defend their persons OF
their property. Receipts were giver
when required, stating that the gun;
would be returned immediately after tn
election" Minor indignities were inflicted
! upon individuals, which, however fiagran
in ordinary times, dwindle to insignificance
IN the presence of the great and over
whelming infamy which DISTINGUISHED
whole community.
r Such were the preparations made fol
e the day of ELECTION When it came
5 the polls in every district were occupied
by organized bodies of troops, and cavalry
and infantry were marshaled with IN
lie sulting pomp in every section of thu
% country. During the day the orders
j.; above referred TO were executed Will
:. marked fdelity-snd singular addition